Back to the Radio Messages

I re-read some of my earlier postings and oh, my, some of them are pretty poignant and moving . . to me, at least. I always, as I said, have the radio on a Christian station and every morning there is a stream of half hour ministries that get me up and moving. I haven't written about them for some time but having re-read the older posts where I did write about them, and having the need for the messages, I thought I would share this morning's experience which was really on point, with me at least.

The message is from Ligonier Ministries Renewing Your Mind with Dr. J. C. Sproul. I love that show. It is so cerebral, it makes you stretch and isn't that wonderful in the morning. This morning the discussion was about Jonah. He was sent by God to Ninevah and ran away, fell into the ocean, swallowed by a great fish, up chucked onto dry land and told again to go to Nineveh which he hastily did. Once there he said they had 40 days before destruction, repent or die and they repented. Jonah was furious and went off to sulk in the sun of the desert. God sent a plant to shade him followed by a worm which ate the plant and then dry heat blasting wind. God spoke to Jonah and pretty much wondered how Jonah could feel bad for the plant which he never created or nurtured and had no feelings for all of the people of Nineveh who would have died.

Jonah hated the people of Nineveh, they were the enemies of the Israelites. He wanted justice not mercy for them. I used to be so angry when I caught the message of God's grace...a person could be rotten and mean and cruel and abusive and do unspeakable acts and yet. . . when hearing the message of the Gospel and taking it to heart could claim Jesus as his savior, repent and be forgiven of everything and then, a new man in Christ go on with life, a servant of God. I always thought justice would not be served that way. I wanted that for me but not for people who were mean to me and those I loved. I have been gradually worked on and know that my way is not God's way (boy is that for sure and am I glad of that) and I know that as each of the sin's for which we are forgiven is pulled out of our baggage, confessed to and repented for, I know each of those sin's is forgiven and forgotten by God. I also know that each of them rolls through our heads and humbles us in enormous ways...there is regret and that in my mind sometimes is the justice. To see ourselves as God did when we were committing those sins is so painful......