Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

Trusting God’s Heart

Sarah Gagnon

Jonah 4:1

“That’s not fair!” is a phrase often heard in my house. Sometimes the distress is evident on my children’s faces, balking when something good is given to someone else or if justice is not delivered as they expect.

This reminds me that my own heart often misunderstands my heavenly Father’s justice and grace. In today’s reading, Jonah struggled similarly. When God showed mercy to the Ninevites, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly” (Jonah 4:1). Then Jonah faced a choice: reject or rejoice in God’s mercy.

Earlier in Jonah’s story, we saw him magnifying the mercy and salvation the Lord offered to him when he was in great distress (Jonah 2:9). But now he seethed because that same mercy was extended to his enemies. His passion for justice was not inherently wrong, yet he was troubled by what he saw as misplaced mercy. Instead of praying humbly for understanding and asking the Lord to change his heart, he allowed his displeasure to grow into bitterness and fury (Jonah 4:1).

Despite his firsthand experience of God’s mercy and justice (Jonah 2:10), Jonah refused to accept God's mercy toward those he deemed undeserving. This reveals a misunderstanding of his own sinfulness.

We might scoff at Jonah’s behavior, but his heart condition sometimes mirrors our own. How often do we resist what God is working on in our lives and the lives of others?

Rather than praying for wisdom, I sometimes let displeasure turn into anger and unholiness, forgetting that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). But if we have received God’s merciful forgiveness for our own wickedness (1 Peter 2:10), how can we withhold mercy from others?

As God’s children, our attitude should be one of trust in Him and not willful misunderstanding. Let us not become incensed or cry out, “It’s not fair,” striving against Him for control when we don’t understand His purposes. Instead let's show mercy, which might practically mean repenting of grudges or celebrating God’s work in someone else’s life. Jonah’s example teaches us not to think of God’s judgments by our human understanding alone but to seek first His Kingdom and His heart.