The Testing of Priorities

UV 956/10,000 The Testing of Priorities 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 A certain businessman wanted to die as his business had failed and he had accumulated a huge loss and debts. He cried out to God, “ Let me die. “ At this point the Lord replied with this verse. It implied that the prosperity that he enjoyed for many years was a God given blessing and it was not because he had tended it and made it grow. Like the gourd vine that the Lord had caused to grow to give a shade to Jonah to ease his discomfort, our resources, our professions and our jobs are caused to grow by the blessing of the Lord to give our families and us a shade and comfort. Like Jonah we take it for granted that we are entitled to these blessings by virtue of our abilities, qualifications or hard work and do not acknowledge or thank the Lord for these. But when the Lord sends a worm to chew the vine through business losses, bad decisions, ill health or some misfortune, we get angry and bitter with ourselves and God and even express a death wish like Jonah, “ It is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah was moved out of his little comfort zone to expand his vision and to deepen his understanding of the purpose of life. He had a duty and a mission to warn people of their unrighteousness and to move them to repentance by sharing the truth of God. The Lord was opening his eyes to his own hardheartedness and to make him realize that the large number of people of Nineveh whose souls stood the risk of perishing were far more valuable that the vine gourd that He had caused to grow over Jonah. We need to think that every little or big thing in our lives is caused or ordained by the Lord for our benefit and that nothing is natural or an accident or chance or our sheer good luck. We must thank the Lord for all the shades and comforts He has provided us in His mercy and grace but be always be willing to risk these for a greater cause- the love of God for His people expressed in His desire that people repent of their ways and turn back to Him. In Jonah’s heart, his own safety, security and comfort had priority over the burden of the Lord. The Lord has nothing against these for He is the source of these blessings and He desires that His children enjoy it in abundance. But when they are taken away for a time to test our faith, we should say like Job, “ What the Lord has given, He has taken away.” We should yield or submit to God’s will and not resist or fight it. We need to make the burden on the Lord’s heart- eternal life for all people-our first priority and the Lord will make our security, happiness and comfort His first priority. There was no comparison in value of the lives of 120,000 people of Nineveh and all the cattle with the single gourd plant that grew over Jonah. Similarly, nothing in life can compare with the value of eternal life whether of one person or of many or of all people. Our selfish focus on our own creature comforts and pleasure needs to shift to understanding the love and compassion of the Lord. Our life is the message we convey to other people of who or what is our priority in life. Prateep V Philip