“When God saw their deeds, that they
turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which
He had declared He would bring upon them.
And He did not do it.” Jonah 3:10
Do you ever feel like Jonah, wanting to
run away from responsibility? Not out of
fear but, in not wanting to see the expected result, Jonah fled. When God instructed him to go to Ninevah, to
speak against the wickedness of what they were doing, Jonah just didn’t want to
do it. Why? He did not want to see Ninevah change their
ways. He did not want to see God have
compassion on them. Jonah wanted to see
God “stick it to them”. THAT is why he
tried to run away.
I will admit, it is very difficult, at
times, to not want to see those that are blatantly turning away from God and
refusing His commandments, to get their “just desserts.” We want to see God lash out at them,
rightfully so! We want to see Him take
His wrath against the ungrateful. Not a
great attitude to have. That’s a thought
that would give a fish a sour stomach (pun intended). Jonah, reluctantly, did as he was told. He went to Ninevah, spoke out against their actions, and watched as they turned their hearts to God. Hallelujah! Except, Jonah went outside of the city and pouted. Then, He told the Lord, “THIS is why I didn’t want to come here! They don’t deserve your kindness! They deserve a lightning bolt up their backsides!”. I’m editorializing this, of course. Read the 4th chapter of Jonah, for the exact conversation. This is the exact danger that we need to be conscious of: wanting God to reap vengeance, instead of hoping to turn the hearts of the wicked to God. Isn’t that what God instructs us to do? To try and help? (1 Thessalonians 5:12).
Why do we hear some people, speak out against the evil ways of society? To judge? To condemn? To reap coals of fire upon them? NO! It is for the EXACT same reason God sent Jonah on this mission: to help save the lost! Jonah tried to run from it and he was caught in a storm, then swallowed by a fish, to be vomited up three days later. You would think that we’d want to listen to God, not be like Jonah.
When you are faced with that moment, that God is using you, LET HIM! You are keeping His commandment, in doing so. You are helping to win as many as possible (1 Corinthians 9:19). You are helping to defeat Satan, robbing him of more souls. That is where vengeance lies, defeating the evil one!
Amen?
Amen!
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