Thoughts on Jonah 4
A prophet is only as good as the fulfillment of the prophecies he has made.
When God relented, Jonah lost his credibility as a prophet. It was supposed to be his identity – the mouthpiece of God to men. Jonah was disgraced, and he felt humiliated.
The Bible says that Jonah was exceedingly displeased, and he was angry. He would rather die (Emphasis mine).
Two things: One, I should be careful about my emotional reactions, especially when things don’t go as I planned or as I want it. Chill. Or at least try, because..
Two, it’s okay (I guess) to get angry and be frustrated with God. Jonah prayed (ranted) to God while he was feeling all these negative emotions, and yet God still spoke to Jonah.
But the biggest lesson for me is, again, it’s not about you. Recurring theme? Yes.
It’s not about your reputation, it’s about God’s reputation. It’s not about your plan, it’s about God’s plan. As you obey God, be sensitive to His movements. Seek not just the what, but also the why, and the what next.
How vain is it for us to think we have the answers. Vain that we think we’ve accomplished things just on our own strength and abilities. That we deserve applause, that we deserve credit for things and events in our lives.
We cannot see and we cannot control the big picture. We cannot see and we cannot control all the small details.
Plants, Animals, People, Businesses, Nations – all of these rise and fall according to God’s command.
Know your place.
And as someone forgiven, adopted as a son, as family – it’s an awesome place to be.