Psalm 5; Jonah 3:1-4:11; Hebrews 12:1-14; Luke 18:9-14
God gave Jonah a mission to Ninevah, but Jonah prefered a ministry in the bright lights of Tarshish. He refused God's first call. The second time around, God got Jonah's attention. But not without attitude. Like a pouting child, Jonah obeyed God and went to Ninevah. But his service was half-hearted, steeped in self-interest, self-righteousness, resentment and pride. He had attitude. And God dealt with it. He sent the unpredictable plant (Eugene Peterson's book by the same name is awesome) to expose him to a scorching.
The Hebrews text tells us why: "My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; 6for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts."
Jesus is ready to forgive us all when pride and self-righteousness enter into our lives. I think it's because our self-righteousness and stubbornness cause us and others to miss a real encounter with God. Obedience of our will and hearts as well as our walk are desired by God. And face it, whatever we do, we can have attitude that blocks the joy and robs God of our full devotion and obedience. And it is quite evident to those we serve. God's glory is tarnished.
It is very likely God will ask you to go to an earthy, undesirable, even scary Ninevah-place sometime today - let's not wait for God to ask us a second time. Let's go there immediately, with joy. Those to whom God sends us will be saved; and God has an unpredictable blessing for us who obey: a lasting experience of God's power and presence, and the reminder that God is God, not you. Not me.
I hope to see you in Ninevah. We need each other to keep it real.
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1 comment:
Isn't it interesting that God can use even reluctant evangelists to reach people. Jonah didn't want to go to Ninevah because he knew God would relent if the people repented. Jonah had to come to the end of himself before he would do as God asked.
Even then, he really didn't want to do it. He went strictly to avoid the consequences of not following God. God still used him and the city repented and was spared.
Jonah, in his self-centered thinking, gets mad because God spared them. He found it hard to relate his personal dispensation of grace with that of Ninevah.
God disciplines us and calls us for our own good. Our attitudes can hinder the benefit of God's discipline.
My personal challenge is to accept God's way of doing things even when I think he should do it my way.
Will
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