Jonah 4 Following Jesus When You’d Rather Run AwayNäide

Forgiving When It's The Last Thing We Want to do

Wait what? Jonah, I thought this is what you wanted? Your preaching, it worked? Your call to repentance, it worked? God saved Nineveh?!

That was the problem. God actually saved them. Nineveh was supposed to be Jonah’s and the Israelites' enemies. The very mercy that was extended to Jonah was now extended to the Ninevites, and it didn’t seem fair to Jonah.

Isn't it wild that we do this? At times, we think that certain people–maybe those who have wronged us or who we strongly disagree with–don’t deserve the same grace we get. Far be it for us to forgive an old friend now turned enemy, a past relationship, maybe even a pastor or small group leader when God has forgiven us over and over and over again.

Can people hurt us? Absolutely. Even the people we love? Yes. So, thank God for the gospel. Thank God that Jesus looked at all the times we would fail and break His heart, and yet He still went to the cross anyway. Thank God that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. Resentment is a bitter poison that can lead your heart away from God and His people, which is why Jesus calls us to forgive others because we are first forgiven. Allow the forgiveness of our God to flow to you today, so that same forgiveness can flow through you and to someone else.

• What role does forgiveness play in your life? How often do you practice forgiveness?
• Who do you need to make a call to today and forgive?