Wednesday, June 08, 2016

Given the attitude and actions Jonah exhibits throughout his book it’s somewhat surprising to read about his clear understanding of the nature of God and his attributes. Listen to what he says, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). These qualities of character in God were seen in the earlier chapters of Jonah. Chapter 1 reveals God to be just, but also patient and gracious. Chapter 2 presents him as being forgiving and prayer answering. Chapter 3 shows God to be compassionate. God’s agenda, as always, was to see anyone in need of his grace to find it. He doesn’t want anyone to miss his Salvation (I Timothy 2:4). Or put positively, He wants to see everyone come to the truth. And that includes you. Whatever you might have been or done in the past, no matter where you find yourself right now, God is graciously reaching out to you. He wants you to experience His forgiveness. Why not humble yourself like the Ninevites did, turn from any evil, and earnestly pray for God to be merciful. Like them, it may be hard to believe that God will forgive, but they at least hoped that He would, as expressed in chapter 3:9, “Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Trust him. “He is slow to anger and abounding in love” (4:2). Who knows? God indeed might respond to you in mercy and love.