8.27.24

This week we are concluding our series in the book of Jonah. And what we’re learning is that God’s love is far different from what we often think of it to be. Certainly that was Jonah’s problem. Because his definition of God’s love only had room for blessings on his people and judgement on his enemies. But God is working here to stretch Jonah’s understanding of his wide mercy.

And basically what God shows him/us is that his love encompasses two extremes. His love is a holy fire! But that fire has two aspects. It can provide warmth and comfort. But it can also sear the dross and burn off the chaff to purify a wayward heart.

So let’s deal with the second aspect first. God’s love is far more costly than Jonah understood it to be. We like to think of God’s love as a personal, comforting feeling of his good will and favor toward us. And while God is certainly “for” us, that commitment means that he will do anything that is necessary to remake us into the image of Jesus. And while the mercy of his comfort (tomorrow) is ever real and present, his love is also a consuming fire!

Notice here that God “provides” or “appoints” the means that he uses to work his love deep into Jonah’s heart. He provides a leafy plant to give him shade from the extreme heat. Then he provides a worm to eat it and cut it down. Then he provides an even hotter east wind to ramp up his discomfort.

Now, what in the world is God doing here? Yes, he provides Jonah with a comforting relief from the searing heat. But then he also provides for the means to take that comfort away, and actually increase his discomfort! What kind of God is this?!

First, we have to say that God is not sadistic. Nor is he the author or cause of all the evil and pain in this world. But this passage tells us that God will use that evil and pain to accomplish his purposes in us. He allows and directs and applies the brokenness of this world to our lives in just the right proportions, at just the right time, to work his love deep into our hearts.

Like any good parent, God uses the hard things of this world to rescue our hearts and redeem us from our rebellion. When God puts his hedge of love around us, he monitors and controls and directs the pains and troubles of life - and manages it for our good - for his own loving purposes.

This means that we need to look for the loving purposes of God just as much on our hardest days as we do in his blessings. Even there, God is working to strip away self and pride and draw our hearts more fully to Jesus. And this is a fuller and deeper definition of love. Because it’s a love that will stop at nothing to remake us after the perfect image of his own Son, Jesus.

What vines are God destroying in your life today? And can you look to him to ask, “Ok, God, what are you up to in my life today? What things are you ready to work on that I’ve been ignoring?” Ask. And he will show you his love.