Precious Moments That Count For EternitySample

Be Slow to Anger

How privileged Jonah was to be the chosen one, to bring Nineveh to its knees! When he went into the streets of Nineveh, proclaiming the Word God had given him, the people repented, turned from their ways, fasted and called on God. Seeing this, God was filled with compassion and relented from doing harm to the inhabitants of Nineveh. But surprisingly, Jonah was displeased and angry. He felt that God would have saved Nineveh anyway, even if he had not gone there.
Before receiving Jesus into our hearts, we lived our lives according to our own standards. Yet God is gracious and merciful and gave us chances to repent and follow Him. Even in our sin, He clothed us in righteousness and accepted us into His family. But with time, we tend to forget all of this. We forget that we need to demonstrate that love, which was shown to us, to others. Instead, we become critical fault-finders! We behave as if we are just about perfect.
How quickly we forget! How quickly Jonah forgot God’s mercy towards him. Though he ran away from God’s presence, all the way to Tarshish, he was saved from the storm and even from the whale’s belly. God granted him favor in the eyes of the king and his nobles, and they repented. Jonah was angry because he didn’t see the saving of Nineveh through God’s eyes.
How do we behave towards those who are living in sin? Are we judgmental towards them? Do we look down on them and condemn them? Let’s not forget to be compassionate towards the world and reflect the saving grace of God that they so badly need. After all, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20).

Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. I pray Your love would be seen in me and enable me to reach out to a hurting world and lead them to the truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.