Happy New Year!!!
The book of Jonah is a book that teaches God’s compassion to all. It is, in summary, a story of how God saw a people’s (Nineveh) need for salvation, and so, sent a messenger (Jonah) to deliver a call to repentance.
Jonah thought the people didn’t deserve God’s love and mercy (His compassion) and so he got angry. However, in verse 6-10 God demonstrated His compassion towards Jonah to show him that His compassion is a gift. It is really as John wrote - we (can only) love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
After Jonah had personally tasted of God's compassion, God then posed a question to Jonah to end the book (the only book of the Bible to end with a question from God):
“...should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and
twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
This is the same concern - love - compassion, which Jesus would later express to a widow who had lost her son, before raising him to life (Luke 7:13), and on the cross (Luke 23:34).
To Nineveh, God responded with compassion, and to Jonah God responded with compassion, and to us, God responds with compassion (John 3:16). And because we know this love - we've tasted of it, we can share it.
Reflect & Pray
2020 is God’s gift of love - compassion - mercy, a gift we can accept and share. How might
you best share his compassion this year?
Father, we thank You for this new year, we commit every day to You. Help us...
- to be everything You want us to be,
- to have everything You want us to have,
- to do everything You want us to do, and
- to give everything You want us to give.
Happy New Year. God bless you exceedingly,
Sam.