28 Days of Gratitude: Day 5
“This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it…Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:1-3)
These are the words of Jonah who had a massive overreaction to God’s decision to reverse the death sentence looming over the wicked Assyrian city of Nineveh. In Jonah 3:4, God told Jonah to tell the citizens of Nineveh, “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”
When the sinful residents heard this message, they responded with repentance and transformed their behavior. In Jonah 3:10, Scripture says, “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.”
Jonah, who initially ran away to the city of Tarshish, because he didn’t want to preach and risk God showing mercy to Nineveh, was steaming mad when the Lord did just that! Why did God have to have compassion on the 120,000 people there? Jonah was convinced that they didn’t deserve a second chance at all, and he didn’t handle this change of plans well.
How do you handle it when a change of plans manifests in your life that differs from what you hoped for? Are you the planning type that needs things to go the way you expect them to? Are you only okay when things follow a logical pattern and fit your expectations? Do you react poorly to sudden detours and route changes that go against what you think is best? Do you complain in scenarios like this?
DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES
Fundamentally, Jonah disagreed with God’s sovereign will, and it upset him to the degree that he complained and hoped to die. His negative feelings were intense and extreme; Jonah couldn’t imagine existing in a world where God would do something that drastically different from what he desired to see happen.
What drastically different outcomes have you experienced? Did your loved one die after you prayed for God to heal them? Did you get passed over for that promotion you believed for? Is the status of a relationship the opposite of what you hoped or imagined it would be? Did you think you would be further along in life right now? Is that prayer request still unanswered? Are you shocked by some of the same struggles and cycles playing out in your life and wish they were over?
Jonah’s drastically different season caused him much discomfort and displeasure, just as ours can at times. It all felt emotionally overwhelming to him, and his mental health suffered, because Jonah was overlooked something important.
GOD IS SOVEREIGN
When we say God is sovereign, we acknowledge Him as the sole ruler who is in charge. But our human nature wants to be in charge. We like to predict outcomes and see results that match our hopes and dreams. But it doesn’t always work that way, right?
God’s ways and thoughts are above ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). However, Jonah felt like his way was the right way, and God’s way was wrong. And when we think this way, that’s when we get into trouble. The way to stay peaceful, content, and joyful when God’s sovereign will stomps all over our human will is to exercise faith. We have to believe that God is good (Psalm 136:1), and He causes all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28).
THE GOOD PART
A woman wrote into the ministry recently to testify. She lost a job that she’d had for 20 years, and she was having trouble finding a new position. She was understandably devastated and didn’t have that much money saved. But there is a good part to the story. For years, she had been baking pies on the side, and family and friends told her that she should start her own business. After many years, the job loss pushed her to do what she had been procrastinating about, and with the help of God and loved ones, she is able to make a livable wage from her pie-making business.
Jonah couldn’t see the good part of God’s change of plans in Nineveh, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t one. The repentance of more than 100,000 people showed that his ministry was fruitful. His preaching was effective. He had obeyed God and gotten results. Jonah saved an entire city with one sermon. Millions of preachers wish they could have that kind of impact!
Are you failing to see the good part in your life too? Are you complaining when you should be thanking God for the positive side of things, although circumstances don’t perfectly fit your best case scenario? Could it be a lot worse? Is there somebody else that would love to be in your shoes? Think about it.
YOUR JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT
In your journal today, write down:
One time something you didn’t want to happen produced something good in your life.
A time you look back on and feel glad that God didn’t do it “your way.”
A memory of when God turned a negative into a positive in someone else’s life.
One way God has blessed you today.
One reason you are glad God is in control.
Now, let’s pray.
God, often I feel like I know what the best course of action is, but I am grateful that You don’t do things my way, because Your plan is perfect. Thank You for loving me enough to disappoint me sometimes, so You can create a different and better outcome than I was expecting. Please help me to be more flexible and take on the nature of Your Son who said, nevertheless not my will, but Your will be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
What Is the 28 Days of Gratitude Series Based On?
This gratitude series is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT, which says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
In my time spent with the Lord, He dealt with me about how we have a tendency to focus on our issues, problems, challenges, and difficulties, but we are not necessarily intentional about focusing on His goodness. Failing to meditate on His works forces us into a cycle of complaining and blinds us to the amazing ways He reveals Himself on a daily basis. In all circumstances, let us be more grateful.
What do I need to participate?
To participate in this series, you will need a notebook and a journal, because it requires writing some things down. In whatever journal you choose—and it doesn’t need to be anything fancy—daily, you will write down the Scripture of the day.
The featured verse will highlight a complaint from the Bible to help you see that, throughout history, others have struggled just as you do. Yet, God desires that we be grateful. In your journal, I would ask that you write the verse you see featured on the Daily Cup blog each morning, then jot down 5 things for which you are grateful.
5 is the number of grace, so you will be focusing on the grace of God and how His mercy has been evident in your life, even during rough times. At the end of each post, 5 suggested thing to write about are listed.
