The reasons Jonah did not want to preach to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, make for fascinating discussion. But that’s not the subject of this article. He did finally go, and in fact, Nineveh did repent before God and were for awhile approved by God.

Focus on Jonah 4:5-11. Jonah has gone to the East side of the city, presumably on a hill, to watch and see if the city would repent or would remain in sin and be destroyed by God. God, being disturbed that Jonah was hoping for the latter, created an object lesson that you and I need to understand and apply. God had a shady plant to grow up over Jonah to block the hot sun. “So Jonah was exceeding glad of the guard (plant)” (4:6). He enjoyed that pleasant shade. But then God reversed Himself the next day and had some kind of worm infest the plant and destroy it. Jonah was furious over the matter, and God pointed out that Jonah had nothing to do with that plant coming up, nor with it helping him. It was God’s business, and God had allowed a blessing to come from it — but it was just that — a blessing. Lesson? God made Nineveh, not Jonah, God rules in the kingdoms of men, not Jonah. It wasn’t Jonah’s right to decide whether Nineveh should live or die. Such things are God’s business and we must not presume to make demands on such.

Now for our lesson. It is easy and commonplace for people to mentally convert blessings into rights. God has blessed us all in so many ways — even people who are unbelievers are richly blessed by the One who brings the sun and rain (Matt. 5:43-45). I may just become so accustomed to being blessed that I see God’s blessings as entitlements. I feel I somehow deserve them or I’m entitled to them because I’m used to having them. But that disposition was wrong for Jonah and is wrong for me.

Don’t take God’s blessings for granted. I do not enjoy my daily bread, and shelter, and friends, and the church, and the air I breathe, because I have a right to them. I have them because God is gracious to me. And in the event that God chooses to remove the blessings, may we all say with Job, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

— Glenn Colley

Copied from The Sandusky Sower

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out a nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

"You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one."

"You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, it won’t matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."

"Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). —Copied

Pliny the Elder, was a Roman writer who lived during the same time period as Jesus. He told a story of the setting of an obelisk, which when erect would stand 99 feet tall. Twenty thousand workers were chosen to pull on the ropes and activate the hoisting apparatus. There was great responsibility and risk in the operation. Just one error could cause the obelisk to fall, ruining years of work. The King demanded one act which insured the complete attention and best direction of the engineer. He ordered the engineer’s own son to be strapped to the apex of the obelisk, so that his heart as well as his head would be given to the task.

Copied from Central’s Bulletin

These days there seems to be
no arrest for the wicked.

Just to be tender, just to be true,
Just to be glad the whole day through.
Just to be merciful, just to be mild,
Just to be trusting, as a child.
Just to be gentle, kind, and sweet,
Just to be helpful with willing feet.
Just to be cheery when things go wrong,
Just to drive sadness away with a song.
Whether the hour is dark or bright,
Just to be loyal to God and right.
Just to believe that God knows best,
Just in His providence ever to rest.
Just to let LOVE be our daily key -
That is God’s will, for YOU and ME.

Submitted by Gary & Judy York