Friday 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:
The ironic question raised by these words is: If Jonah will not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the 120,000 people whom God created and cares for, will Jonah not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the animals, since after all, Jonah was willing to have compassion on a plant? The question is left unanswered so that the readers of the book may answer it for themselves.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1691.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1691.
Questions:
The book of Jonah ends in a way that feels unfinished. God asks Jonah one final question, but Jonah's response is never recorded. That abrupt ending is intentional because the final question is not only for Jonah, it is for us.
Throughout the book, Jonah struggled to trust God's sovereignty, extend God's compassion, and surrender his own will. The invitation is for us to choose a different ending. Will we continue running from God's direction, or will we trust His wisdom and obey His Word? Jonah's story points us to Jesus, who perfectly submitted to the Father's will, loved His enemies, and gave His life so that all people could receive salvation.
Now the question becomes: Will you choose Jonah's way or God's way?
Throughout the book, Jonah struggled to trust God's sovereignty, extend God's compassion, and surrender his own will. The invitation is for us to choose a different ending. Will we continue running from God's direction, or will we trust His wisdom and obey His Word? Jonah's story points us to Jesus, who perfectly submitted to the Father's will, loved His enemies, and gave His life so that all people could receive salvation.
Now the question becomes: Will you choose Jonah's way or God's way?
- As you reflect on the book of Jonah, what has God been revealing about your own heart? Which lesson has challenged or encouraged you the most?
- How does Jesus fulfill everything Jonah could not? In what ways does Christ's life, death, and resurrection reveal the perfect obedience, compassion, and mercy that Jonah consistently lacked?
- What is one specific step of obedience God is calling you to take because of what you have learned through Jonah? Is there someone to forgive, someone to love, someone to share the gospel with, or an area where you need to surrender your will to His?
Prayer Topics:
- Thank God for His patience and faithfulness throughout your life.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond to God's Word with humility and obedience rather than resistance.
- Commit yourself to living differently because of what God has taught you through Jonah. Ask Him to make your life a reflection of His mercy, compassion, holiness, and love as you point others to Jesus.
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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