Monday, April 29, 2013

Our Final Lesson

UV 738/10,000 Our Final Lesson “But the Lord said, “ You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.” Jonah 4 v 10 Jonah was disappointed that the people of the city of Nineveh repented and staved off destruction. He was also sorely disappointed to the point of wanting to die when the Lord sent a worm that chewed the gourd plant whose large leaves provided Jonah a shade from the heat. It is written that “Jonah was very happy about the vine”. But when the vine was destroyed overnight, Jonah was angry enough to die. It was time for Jonah’s final lesson. This uni-verse was revealed when a certain person known to me suffered severe financial loss. He wanted to die. At that time, the Lord revealed through this incident of the gourd plant that he was unjustifiably concerned about the wealth and property that he had lost to the point of wishing to die. It is not our diligence or intelligence or care that makes our resources grow. They are gifted to us by the Lord just as He made the plant grow over Jonah’s head. It is the shadow of the Almighty upon us. When our health or strength or influence or resources diminish, instead of being angry with God or disappointed, we should willingly submit to the will of God. Sometimes, God removes some of the things that give us shade or comfort as we take shelter under these instead of taking comfort in the presence of God and taking shelter under His shadow. Jonah gave priority to his reputation as a prophet and was concerned that it would suffer if what he prophesied about Nineveh would not happen once the people repented as the Lord in His compassion would relent and turn away the coming disaster. He also gave priority to his creature comfort and when the gourd plant that gave him some comfort withered, he desired to die. He empathised with the plant but did not empathise with the people of Nineveh. Often, we set our love upon things of the world and when these are taken away, our will to live itself is weakened. It is God’s sovereign will that we need to always acknowledge and respect. It implies that what He has given He has the right to take away. What He has caused to grow, He has the power to destroy or remove. He has the right and power to show compassion on whom He desires to show compassion. He has the right to show mercy to whom He desires to show mercy. It is not for us to question either His wisdom or His will in our lives. Prateep V Philip

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