Are We Like Jonah? – Sunday Thought For The Day

In the 4th chapter of the book of Jonah, God admonishes Jonah for caring more about a gourd that he had not labored to bring forth nor had made to grow than the sixscore thousand (120,000) people in the city of Nineveh.

As C.I. Scofield, the late American theologian and minister observed: “Like Jonah, God’s people today are often more concerned about the material benefits so freely bestowed upon us by God than about the destiny of a lost world.”

As Christians, it is easy to point this flaw out in those who are not saved, and those who do not live up to our expectations and our self-righteous standards.  They are easy targets.

But, what about you and I?  If we were to be honest with ourselves, to what extent are we more concerned about material things than “the destiny of a lost world?”  This is a question we must each ask ourselves.

On the surface it can seem like a trite question easily answered.  But, if we ask God the Holy Spirit to truly show us the extent to which we care about the lost; would we be pleased with what He showed us?

READ:

Jonah 4:9-11 (KJV)

9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

10 Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?