My Will Or Yours

  

Four God So Loved the World.

There are six books in the Bible that have only four chapters. 

Ruth, Jonah, Malachi, Philippians, Colossians, and 2 Timothy.

The fourth chapters in each of these books give us crucial words of encouragement and challenge. 

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, 'Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.' But the Lord replied, 'Is it right for you to be angry?' Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, 'It would be better for me to die than to live.' But God said to Jonah, 'Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?' 'It is,' he said. 'And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.' But the Lord said, 'You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And 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?'

-Jonah 4:1-11

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

-1 Corinthians 15:42-44

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

-Philippians 1:21-24

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

-Psalm 116:15

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for your rod and your staff they comfort me.

-Psalm 23:4

Before I had heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you.

-Job 42:5

Your problem is a finite one. God is infinite. Let the infinite take care of your finite struggle.

-Mother Teresa

Jonah’s life is not going as he expected. God is not acting as he expected.

Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.

-Jonah 4:3

'Is it right for you to be angry?'

-Jonah 4:4

Jonah goes east of the city. 

Israel’s enemies all lay to the east. So the “EAST” represents the enemies of God and of His people.

The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

-Psalm 121:5-6

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

-Psalm 17:8-9

“Shade”= Under God’s divine and omnipotent protection!

Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.

-Jonah 4:6

There are two problems in the book of Jonah:

What am I going to do about Nineveh?

But the bigger problem: What am I going to do about Jonah?

Your faith and trust in Him must not be contingent on anything. He may require you to be swallowed by the big fish that you may haul in the rest of them.

  

Do you give God all the glory for your brokenness or do you give him all the blame?

  

  

  

  

What is your main take-away from this message?

Make a Decision