Daily Encouragement: Judge Not

a little more on Jonah....

If you know the story of Jonah, you might remember that after God decided not to destroy Nineveh, Jonah got upset with God. Jonah said, "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these people. Just kill me now, Lord! I'd rather be dead than alive because nothing I predicted is going to happen." (Jonah 4:2-3)

Do you get the sense that Jonah was not focused on the people of Nineveh but on himself? He had put himself out there...shouting a warning about the destruction of the city, and then when the people turned away from their wickedness (what God really wanted for them), He relented and did not do what He had threatened. Jonah was so wrapped up in the fact that what he had predicted did not come to pass that he could not see how his obedience led to the salvation of an entire city!

Jonah did hear from God--twice.

Jonah obeyed the second time, doing exactly what God had commanded.

Jonah expected God to follow through.

If this were you, how would you react when God chose to show compassion and not bring judgment? Would you focus on how you failed, how God made you look bad, or would you rejoice in the change of heart of another person?

Today I encourage you to look for God's hand working in the lives of others, rejoice when He chooses to show compassion for others rather than bringing judgment because we "ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and our own sin deserves death, but He chose to have compassion. He loved us so much that He sent His only son to die on the cross to save us from an eternal separation from Himself. We did not receive what we deserved, so let us not demand judgment on others but be compassionate and pray for the restoration of their souls.

by Wendie Beddingfield

picture by Billy Alexander