Jonah 4:1-2

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who relents from doing harm." Jonah 4:1-2

Jonah should have been the happiest man alive. He had preached the Gospel. The people had heard and responded to the Word of God. He single handedly lead one of the greatest revivals of all time! -------- and he was so depressed he wanted to die. He even complained to God that he knew this would happen - that's why he ran away!

Can you imagine this fellow? Such arrogance. Such self-centered pride. HE felt HE had the authority to tell GOD what to do?!!!! What's a righteous God to say to a man like this? If I were god, a bolt of lightning might have been a good choice. Or perhaps a great big cobra staring Jonah in the eye might have been appropriate. But I'm not God - a fact for which you all ought to be eternally grateful. God simply asked Jonah a question. "Do you have a good reason to be angry?" With that question to ponder, God left Jonah alone for the evening.

Evidently Jonah slept (I think that question would have haunted me all night.) The next morning a vine grew over Jonah providing a wonderful shade. This had to be a God vine because it grew in a day - actually it was grown to full size by the time the mid-day heat arrived. Jonah figured the question was forgotten. God never said a word to Jonah. The vine just appeared. Jonah went to sleep that night. The next day a worm with a voracious appetite devoured the stem of the vine and it withered in the blistering heat. Jonah railed against God. "Why did you destroy the vine?" God replied, "Oh, you enjoyed the vine? Why? You did nothing to deserve it. You didn't plant it. You didn't water it. You didn't nurture it. Why were you upset when it died?"

Now the kicker. "If you were upset about the vine and felt sorry for having lost it, shouldn't I be able to feel sorry for the lost people of Nineveh and desire to redeem them?"

Count your blessings. Go ahead, name them one by one. Too many to count? Probably. Why argue with God over a little temporary discomfort you may be encountering today? "But I have cancer (insert your own current affliction). You call that temporary?" Certainly. Even if you die from it, you will be set free from it forever. How does a couple of years - or even 10 or 20 years - compare to eternity? Your suffering here on earth is but a very small part of eternity - a trivial amount of time - very temporary. The real question is this, "What are you doing with the time you have?" Are you spending on yourself? Are you wasting it on earthly dissipation? Or are you giving it back to the God who gave it to you in the first place? Which will bring the best results? The life that brings pleasure for the moment - or the life that brings eternal joy - laying up treasures in heaven?

You be the judge - but choose carefully. It is the most important choice you will ever make. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.