An Unlikely Love Story (Part II)
Dr. Barry D. Lovett
11 My child, do not reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t get angry when he corrects you. The Lord corrects those he loves, just as parents correct the child they delight in. Proverbs 3:11-12 (NCV)
Jonah is a story of God’s great love for Jonah and God’s love for you. There are four evidences of God’s love for Jonah.
GOD CALLED JONAH. Jonah 1:1-3
CHASTENED JONAH. Jonah 1:4-7
GOD CLEANESED JONAH. The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord…. Jonah 3:1-3 a (NRSV)
Obedience is doing what God wants, when he wants it with a right heart attitude.
God blesses his ministry. But Jonah, instead of rejoicing, he was upset, out on the hillside pouting. Jonah went out and sat down east of the city. There he made a shelter for himself and sat in the shade, waiting to see what would happen to the city. Jonah 4:5 (NCV)
GOD COUNSELED JONAH 6 The Lord made a plant grow quickly up over Jonah, which gave him shade and helped him to be more comfortable. Jonah was very pleased to have the plant. 7 But the next day when the sun rose, God sent a worm to attack the plant so that it died.
8 As the sun rose higher in the sky, God sent a very hot east wind to blow, and the sun became so hot on Jonah’s head that he became very weak and wished he were dead. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry about the plant?”
Jonah answered, “It is right for me to be angry! I am so angry I could die!” And the Lord said, “You are so concerned for that plant even though you did nothing to make it grow. It appeared one day, and the next day it died. 11 Then shouldn’t I show concern for the great city Nineveh, which has more than one hundred twenty thousand people who do not know right from wrong, and many animals, too?” Jonah 4:6-11 (NCV)
Because God loved Jonah, He wanted Jonah to do the right thing for the right reason. He counseled Jonah like the Psalmist, “My son, give me thine heart” (Pro 23:26)
In Chapter one God had Jonah’s mind.
In Chapter two God got a hold of Jonah’s body.
In Chapter three God has Jonah’s will.
You’ve been given a second chance but your heart just isn’t in it.
In Chapter 4 God wants Jonah’s heart.
Jesus accepts us where we are but He loves us too much to just leave us there.
Maybe you’ve been too focused on yourself.
“Have we become more concerned about things that are physical than things that are spiritual”
“When you lose your life that’s when you’ll find it.” Jesus