Book of Jonah
haha. I saw again the faithfulness, the mercy, and the love of our God. *sweet*haha. I was reading the book of Jonah. It just touched me. There's a few stuff that I want to mention because it caught me. :D
Jonah 2:8 (NKJV)
Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
Jonah 2:8 (Amplified Bible)
Those who pay regard to false, useless, and worthless idols forsake their own [Source of] mercy and loving-kindness.
Can you see? It's not even God who forsake those who regard those idols. It's them who forsake Him. :( hehe.
haha. Then Jonah 3:10 onwards till the end of the book is very funny and also very sweet. haha.
Actually the book of Jonah is about Daddy God asking Jonah to go to Nineveh to ask the people there to repent but Jonah is unwilling to go so he ran away (in a ship. haha).
Then God sent the big waves and the big fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah 2 is also a picture of Jesus in Shoel, carrying our judgment. Jonah prayed and thank God for taking care of him. haha. And he made mentioned of something - "Salvation is of the LORD."
haha. Then in Jonah 3, Jonah heed the word of God, entered Nineveh and preached a one sentence message (goes to show his willingness. haha.) and the people repented. :D
Jonah 3:10, 4:1-11
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Jonah's Anger and God's Kindness
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
haha. So funny. Jonah was angry because God did not want to bring the disaster upon Nineveh. haha! Then he prayed to God, complaining say why he didn't want to come in the first place; because he know God is a merciful God who loves! hehe.
2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!"
haha. Then Jonah wants to play truant with God, saying that it'll be better for him to die! haha.
Daddy God is so gracious. Really. I mean all these took place even before Jesus came. Even before Jesus came, people can walk in such close fellowship with God; talking to Him like best friends. How much more now we're the righteousness of God in Christ! Talk to Him like a lil child. Talk to Him like our best Friend because He is. We are children of the Most High God. :D
4 Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!"
10 But the LORD said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left - and much livestock?"
haha. I separated the last two verses because I saw something beautiful here.
Jonah has pity on the plant which he had not labored, nor made it grow, which came up and perished in a night. And Jesus said should He not pity Nineveh then?
But it caught me thinking, and it seems like God is saying, "I have labored and made the people in Nineveh grow." We're all God's creation. And God loves all. His desire is for all men to be saved. :D
1 Timothy 2:3-4
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
It's like Jesus saying, "Go tell nations about my finished work. I labored and sweat on the cross for them, all because I love them. I am a merciful God, full of compassion."
haha. I like the book of Jonah. Because it's short, sweet and funny. Showing that even when you don't have it altogether, God can still use you. haha.
Jesus loves.
Jesus saves.
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