Monday Devo
Scripture:
Jonah 4:5-11
5 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. 6 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.
7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness,[a] not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
5 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. 6 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.
7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness,[a] not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
Commentary:
4:5 Jonah went out … till he should see. Apparently, Jonah hopes that God still will not relent but will destroy the city after all. sat under it in the shade. Jonah is hot—both emotionally (i.e., angry) and physically.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1690.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1690.
Questions:
One of the clearest truths throughout the book of Jonah is that God never stopped pursuing Jonah. Whether it was the storm, the fish, the plant, the worm, or the scorching wind, every circumstance was ultimately meant to draw Jonah back to the heart of God. Jonah kept running, but God kept pursuing; not because He wanted to punish Jonah, but because He loved him too much to leave him unchanged.
Sometimes the discomfort we experience is simply the natural consequence of our choices, and sometimes God lovingly uses hardship to expose what is happening inside our hearts. God's goal is not our happiness, His goal is our holiness. Even His discipline is an expression of His grace because He refuses to let His children settle for less than His best.
Sometimes the discomfort we experience is simply the natural consequence of our choices, and sometimes God lovingly uses hardship to expose what is happening inside our hearts. God's goal is not our happiness, His goal is our holiness. Even His discipline is an expression of His grace because He refuses to let His children settle for less than His best.
- When you look back over your life, can you identify a difficult season that God may have used to draw you closer to Him or reveal something that needed to change in your heart? How did that season shape your faith?
- Why do you think God's discipline is actually an expression of His love? How does understanding God's character help us trust Him even when His work in our lives feels uncomfortable?
- Is there an area of your life where you know you are resisting God's direction or holding tightly to your own plans instead of trusting His? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him?
Prayer Topics:
- Thank God for pursuing you even during seasons when you wandered or resisted Him. Praise Him for His patience and steadfast love.
- Ask God to give you wisdom to recognize His work in both the blessings and the hardships of life. Pray for a heart that trusts His purposes even when they are difficult to understand.
- Confess any area where you have been running from God's will, clinging to comfort, or resisting His correction. Ask Him to soften your heart and help you joyfully follow wherever He leads.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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