Devotion 2: Align With God’s Heart

Jill Osmon

"And he prayed to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.'" Jonah 4:2 

As we finish up the book of Jonah, it is interesting that Jonah’s story doesn’t end with the repentance of Nineveh; it ends with Jonah’s anger. Instead of rejoicing over lives saved, Jonah sulked under a plant, upset that God didn’t do what he thought should happen.

Far more often than I’d like to admit, I catch myself wrestling with the ways God shows mercy to people I don’t think deserve it. It feels uncomfortable to admit, but if we’re honest, most of us struggle with this in one way or another. We’ve all heard the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Yet, if we dig deeper, we’re probably more troubled by the opposite: “Why do good things happen to people we consider bad or undeserving?” Both questions clash with what we know Scripture teaches about God’s justice and mercy, but they reveal how easily our flesh resists God’s grace when it doesn’t fit our expectations.

In Jonah 4, we see a mirror reflecting our own hearts. How often do we want mercy for ourselves but justice for others? How often do we become frustrated when God’s plan doesn’t match our expectations? Jonah knew God’s character—gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love—but he didn’t want those qualities extended to his enemies.

God uses a plant, a worm, and the scorching sun to teach Jonah that His concern is not just for “good” people, but even for the wicked Ninevites. Jonah’s heart needed to align with God’s heart. Ours does too. Remember King David’s prayer, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).