“When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened. This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and He became very angry. So He complained to the Lord about it: ‘Didn’t I say before I left home that You would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen’…Then the Lord said, ‘You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly.’” Jonah 3:10-4:4, 10 (NLT)
God used Jonah, even though Jonah despised the Ninevites. He delivered God’s message and God used his message to lead the whole city to turn to God.
God Wants to Change Your Heart for the City
Jonah and God agreed on several facts:
They agree that Nineveh is wicked. “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce My judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” Jonah
1:2 (NLT).
Jonah knows God can save rebels, because that is what happened to him. “...For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” Jonah 2:9b (NLT)
They also agree that God’s nature is to be merciful and gracious. “...I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing
love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people’.” Jonah 4:2b (NLT)
Jonah thought God would probably have actions of mercy and grace. “So he complained to the Lord about it: ‘Didn’t I say before I left home that You would do this,
Lord?...’” Jonah 4:2a (NLT)
Where God and Jonah disagree is…they do not have the same heart toward Nineveh.
What Do You Love?
In Jonah 4, Jonah displays his loves for everyone to see. Very clearly, Jonah was in love with his own comfort.
“Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. Jonah 4:5-6 (NLT)
We would expect Jonah to appreciate a plant that gave him shade on a hot day–God’s point with Jonah is not that Jonah shouldn’t have cared about these sort of things. It’s
that Jonah should have cared less about them and more about the right things.
He cared more about personal comfort than he did for the lives of the people of Nineveh. He even got angry.
What about us? What do we care the most about? Are we often more concerned with our own peace, comfort and prosperity than we are with someone hurting or someone
far from Godt? What makes us angry?
God basically said to Jonah: Let’s discuss your anger, Jonah. You didn’t work for the shade of the plant. You didn’t make it happen. It came as quickly as it went. I, however,
love these people with real love. I made them, worked for them and want to see them turn to Me.
God loves Midland (and Nineveh) because He loves people.
Love Your City
Jonah wondered: Why love Nineveh? The related question is: Why love Midland? Why be involved in our community? Why bring Kingdom good in our city? Why share hope in
Jesus through transformational change?
Pray for Midland. Love Midland. You won’t pray if you don’t love it. Here’s what I know: You have a mission from God in Midland. How do I know? You’re here. Some of you
never knew you’d be here, some of you came here just for a job, some of you are asking—why am I here?
All that doesn’t matter. You are here. God has something for you…here. Why love Midland? Why be involved, support and work in our city? God has something for you…here
to share Christ’s love, to bring hope.
The Bottom Line
The point for us in all this is that in spite of any of the sin and rebellion and frustrations and cynicism in our city, God loves Midland. He has compassion for our city. He
wants us to feel that compassion with Him each day. God will use your involvement to share His love with our city.
And I believe that by being involved, God will give us His heart more fully than we have ever experienced.
“And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT)
