Daily Bible Study

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Day 12 Jonah 4:5 Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side. There he made a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 The LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So, Jonah was grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it damaged the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun arose, God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” 10 But the LORD said, “You had pity on the plant for which you did not labor, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 Should I, not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?” Prejudice and racism ruin the lives of many people. People will go out of their way to shun people who are different from them, and some commit hate crimes, making things worse. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because he was prejudiced against them. He wanted nothing good to happen to them. When he obeyed God and preached destruction to the people if they didn’t repent, he saw the peoples’ reaction, how they repented and turned to God so that God relented, instead of destroying them. Jonah became angry at God for saving the people of Nineveh, instead of destroying them. He built a shelter and sat under it for shade. God grew a plant to give him shade, then destroyed it the next day. Jonah was grateful for the plant, and angry when it died. God tried to reason with Jonah who still wished death for the people of Nineveh. Many Christians tell God they are ready to do His will and go wherever He sends them, as long as it isn’t to such-and-such place. They are like Jonah. They don’t want to see deliverance for certain people. They don’t realize that they weren’t worthy of salvation. Nobody is. Yet it is God’s love for the world that He sent His Son, Jesus to die for them and bring them into fellowship with Him. God wants salvation to come to everybody without exception. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (NKJV) You need to be grateful that God called you, wanted you to be His child, and made a way through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your salvation. Salvation is for everyone, not a select few. Everyone deserves death, but God made a way. Don’t give God parameters about what you will and won’t do for Him when He calls you to go. Instead, be like Isaiah, and accept God’s call without hesitation. Isa 6:8 Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom will I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” No one is worthy. No one is without hope. Everyone has the right to salvation through Jesus’ blood. Get rid of your hate and prejudice and be grateful wherever God sends you. Let’s pray: Father, show me when I’m ungrateful and change my heart. Give me a heart for people everywhere. Let gratitude fill me as You use me for Your purpose. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 25 July 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.