Jonah 4:3

New International Version (NIV)

Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

For Meditation

The Assyrians were a terrible enemy of Israel, yet God desired to save them. The prophet Jonah didn’t like it. Listen to his confession after the people repented and God forgave them.

“This is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. 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).

Jonah even prayed that it would be better for him to die than to live because of God’s mercy extended to the Ninevites (3). But is it Jonah’s problem alone?

I have a confession to make. Since the problems that swept our church and traumatized many in 2004, I have waited to see the people who attacked the church suffer for what they did. I confess that nothing would have pleased me more than to hear some bad news about any of them. I have waited to joyfully shout, “Yes!”

During the ordeal, I attended a conference with one of our deacons. The speaker made a statement like this, “If there are some people making trouble in your church, maybe you should be readying yourself to officiate some funerals.” The deacon turned to me, and we smiled. I put that on my wish list and waited with my cassock. I am reminded today that like cancer, my wicked expectation only went on remission and I repent.

Recently, I met one of them. I was cordial and encouraging, but deep down in my heart; I rejoiced that he looked haggard and poverty-stricken. I hurried away looking for the opportunity to tell.

Enough said about me, but what about you? How do you feel about those who have hurt you? What do you wish for them? Are you anxiously waiting to hear about the distressed life of your ex-husband or wife, or your sibling or the friend who betrayed you?

The list gets longer because of our human nature. It is the depravity Christ came to deliver us from. It is selfish and vindictive. Nothing pleases our hearts more than to see the other person suffer for what they did to us. But that is not the heart of God.

God is gracious and merciful. He desires the sinner’s repentance for His forgiveness to embrace. That’s the Calvary Project – God’s love displayed to sinful humanity when mercy kissed grace and reconciled the world to Him. The proclamation was this: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34).

1. How can we fail to forgive the one who has hurt us?
2. How can we fail to show mercy to the one God has already shown mercy?
3. How can we refuse to pray for our enemies?
4. How can you deny Jesus, the pleasure of boasting in us as His faithful disciples?
5. Is He not able to heal that wound and hurt you’ve been nursing for so long?

I pray you confess with me this morning and get rid of that insidious feeling of retribution for the one who has hurt you (Prov. 24:17-18).

So: May you receive grace to forgive and let go of that person; and may the peace of God liberate your heart and mind in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Set yourself free and be like Christ.

Shalom