God's Magnificent Love

Hello everyone.

It has been awhile since I've posted but I have been buried with reading the Bible and talking with fellow Christians and I truly feel that I have grown immensely within just a few weeks.

Today my post is about God's magnificent love for his creation. Even sinners and "heathen" can be saved!

When Jonah was ordered to go into the city of Nineveh by God to preach against its wickedness, Jonah ran away in fear. God sent a storm while Jonah was riding a boat into Tarshish with unbelievers.

"Then they cried to the LORD, 'O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased'" (Jonah 1:14).

With that they threw Jonah overboard. Did God want these men to kill Jonah because Jonah blatantly disobeyed God's command? NO! God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah: "But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17). God's masterplan wasn't to punish his disobedient servants; as we read more his plan is revealed.

By being saved by the fish who swallowed him whole, Jonah saw the error of his ways and called to God with a prayer: "From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry" (Jonah 2:2). God listens because God loves!

The fish spit Jonah out and God commanded Jonah once again to go to Nineveh and this time (with his second chance provided by God's mercy) Jonah obeyed. "He proclaimed: 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned" (Jonah 3:4). The Ninevites heard and believed that God would punish their wickedness so they fasted and repented.

"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10).

Jonah was angry and went out and made himself a shelter and waited to see what would become of Nineveh. "Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine" (Jonah 4:6). But then God destroyed the vine and Jonah became even more angry as the sun scorched his head now that the shade that the vine had provided was gone. Jonah was "angry enough to die."

God's response to Jonah is where the message of the Book of Jonah is so uplifting and beautiful: "'You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah 4:10-11).

Too often, as Christians, we hope to see people punished for their wickedness rather than forgiven for their sins. We expect our own forgiveness because of God's grace but too often we catch ourselves hoping for somebody else's demise. Instead of waiting and watching for punishment, we should pray and hope that they repent for their sins and be forgiven rather than destroyed.

This is an Old Testament example of God's abounding love and grace. I will end with an amazing story of God's love for his creation. At the cross, as Jesus Christ was crucified, one of the criminals who was crucified with him said:
"'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!'"
But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'" (Luke 23:39-43).

On the criminal's cross, he displayed compassion and recognized the Jesus was being unjustly punished while he and the other criminal were being paid the proper punishment. For this display of humility, Jesus granted him salvation even though he was being punished justly for crimes he did commit. This is a great example of God's love. Jesus said "'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted'" (Luke 18:14).

Let us humble ourselves and not boast about ourselves, love each other, and pray for everyone's forgiveness of sins rather than their punishment.

Goodnight!