Wisdom and Patience

 

Jonah 4:4 (GNT) - The Lord answered, “What right do you have to be angry?”

God called Jonah.

But Jonah resisted the Lord from the beginning and tried to run away.

Eventually, he gave in and obeyed the Lord.

He went to Nineveh and proclaimed the Lord’s message of their pending destruction.

Everyone, including the King, heard the message.

Filled with fear, the King issued a proclamation.

All were ordered to fast, pray, and give up their sinful ways.

The people of Nineveh obeyed.

God then relented and spared the city.

Jonah did not understand God’s ways and grew very bitter.

In fact, he became quite angry at God.

He even dared to tell God that he knew this would happen.

But God had a question for Jonah.

“What right do you have to be angry?”

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, gave them sound instruction in bearing each other’s burdens.

Galatians 6:1 (GNT) - My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too.

As we journey through this world, we will see God at work through us and through others.

But, like Jonah and the Christians in Galatia, we will not always comprehend His ways.

What then?

Will we become angry with God like Jonah did and lash out at Him?

Or will we perhaps ignore Paul’s warning and allow ourselves to be tempted like those we try to reach?

One thing is certain.

We will not always understand God’s methods.

Scripture reminds us that His ways are not our ways.

And because of that, we should indeed consider ourselves fortunate.

While others found us impossible to love, God still loved us.

When others considered us forever lost, God reached down to us and saved us.

So, what do we do when we find it difficult to understand God’s ways.

We pray for wisdom and patience.

We do not have to understand God’s ways to be faithful servants.

But if we ask for wisdom and patience, God will provide.

Only then do we become His effective servants in a confusing world.

John 3:16-17 (GNT) - For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 4, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, November 11, 2022