Jonah began his journey through the city, and when he had gone only a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,” Jonah 3:4 NABRE
God wants to restore His people and uses Jonah to deliver a message. We see in the quoted verse the key message from God to the people of Nineveh is they will be overthrown in forty days. The prophet Jonah himself has disobeyed God and learned a valuable lesson. Now he is obeying God, speaking to the people about their destructive destiny. But when the people of Nineveh hear Jonah’s message they set about doing penance and God forgives their sins. Jonah is surprised by God’s forgiveness. The success of Jonah’s mission is assured because it depends on the Lord not on Jonah. It should take three days for Jonah to cross Nineveh, but he is only gone one day in his journey and the people convert. Jonah is unhappy about God’s forgiveness of the people of Nineveh, in fact Jonah would rather die then accept God’s will. Are we the same as Jonah? If someone gets what they do not deserve we feel cheated or wanting more for our loyalty.
Jesus shares the story of a man hiring day workers and paying them all the same day’s wage no matter what time they began their work. It is a story of God’s graciousness and one that challenges us as being unfair. God’s message is not a message of fairness but a message of mercy. We may require God’s mercy in our life so we should never deny God’s mercy for others, if we do God may treat us as we desire other’s to be treated. Our human nature pushes us towards justice or fairness, we see it even in young children when they think something is unfair. God’s way is a better way, we should rejoice when others receive mercy. We should also show mercy as God does.
How do you react when people get mercy? Is there a time when you required mercy?
Our human nature pushes us towards justice or fairness, we see it even in young children when they think something is unfair. God's way is a better way, we should rejoice when others receive mercy. We should also show mercy as God does. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #mercy #fairness #Jonah #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #Matthew #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways