DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S HEART FOR THE LOST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD'S HEART FOR THE LOST

We're in Jonah today. Most everyone knows the story of Jonah. Even little children know about Jonah and the big fish. So we pick up the story in chapter 4

"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 lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" (Jonah 4:1-3)

What is with this man of God? What's the matter with him? One would think that having such a successful revival in Nineveh as a response to his ministry, that he would be praising God and thanking God for his mercy and lovingkindness. But no! Here he is having a pity party.

I guess the reason was that Jonah did not appreciate God showing his mercy to a bunch of heathens. In his pride, Jonah did not have God's heart for the lost. "Let them suffer, those miserable infidels!"

I remember during the Jesus Movement of the 1970s that many congregations shut out the hippies from their churches. They were not welcome. What kind of attitude did they have? Certainly not God's heart.

I recently heard the story of one such incident. The church was full, and a hippie came into a church. His long hair was matted, he was shabbily dressed and smelled of body odor because he had not showered recently. He walked down the aisle, but every seat was taken. So he walked down to the front and sat down on the floor right in front of the pulpit. The congregation was aghast. They waited for the ushers to show him the door. One of the elders rose from his seat and walked down the aisle to where the hippie was seated. Many in the congregation thought, "The elder will take care of him." Instead of telling the man to leave, the elder sat down on the floor beside him for the rest of the service.

May God help us to have His heart for the lost. That's why Jesus came, because He loved sinners so much. They may not be like us. They may even still have the smell of the world on them. But God loves them and died for them. May we have God's heart.

Love, Dad