We are mad women!! We are mad women who post on Facebook and the Nextdoor app. We are mad drivers, mad walkers and we are mad at the church, the schools, the government, we are even mad at our weatherman sometimes. UGGG! It seems quite easy to find something to get mad at right? We aren’t mad all the time, but you get what I am saying? It seems like we can find a reason to get mad or upset or bothered in this current climate.
When was the last time someone asked you, is it right to be angry at whatever you are angry about? The Lord asks this of Jonah in Jonah 4:4 (Jonah is one of the smaller books of the bible 4 chapters, easy read:)).
In the book of Jonah, Jonah does an excellent job of illustrating what self-righteous anger looks like. The word of the Lord comes to Jonah twice, first time he disobeys, second time he obeys. First time, he disobeys but after he repents, the men he was around on the boat feared the Lord exceedingly. Second time, he obeys and the Ninevites obey the word of the Lord that came through Jonah and God relented the disaster that he said he would do to them, and he did not do it (Jonah 3:9).
Now Jonah is mad one might say, madder than a hornet in a coke can. He is viewing God’s action or lack of actions towards the Ninevites as unjust in his own eyes. So much so he tells God how mad he is. In his second prayer (4:1-4), Jonah again shows us his orthodox theology. But is his strict view of God getting in the way? Jonah knows a lot about the Lord. He quotes Exodus 34:6, “God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” He is a prophet and knows the Torah, but is missing the nature of God. We see his knowledge of the Lord’s character bring him great trauma because it conflicts with his own desires towards the Ninevites. Jonah knows who the Lord is and how He relates to people, yet he does not like it in this situation. In fact, he wants the Lord to act contrary to His very nature. Which makes one wonder if Jonah knows God’s nature (2 Peter 3:9).
Does our knowledge of God get in the way of remembering God’s nature? Has God been asking you lately, is it right for you to be angry with whatever you are angry about?
Keep growing and stretching as Godly women. #youcandoit #don’tgetmad #giveittoGod #freeupspace