Again, we are reminded about the place of the heart in our spiritual life. It's where the "action is", it's what God sees. The prophet Jonah was sent to preach repentence to the city of Nineveh, and knowing God's mercy, he knew that the people would repent and this his declaration of punishment would not come to pass, thus making him appear as a foolish failure. The people did repent: "When God saw by their actions how they turnd from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out." (Jonah 3:10). God saw a change in their hearts and actions, and granted them mercy. Instead of rejoicing that people had listened to his message, Jonah sulked and became depressed. His heart was not in tune with God's, and God had to humble Jonah and show him his "right" to be God.
When we focus on ourselves, it is so easy to be like Jonah, and miss the power of a humble and contrite heart. God has to step in and rescue us from our own arrogance. He calls us to take refuge in him and invites us to hide in him: "The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants./ Those who hide in him shall not be condemend." Can we find a better hiding place?
Bro. Rene
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