阅读经文 

我在神学院学习时，我们有一位敬拜带领者，他经常在我们祷告时间开始时说：“神啊，我们感谢祢，祢是神，我们不是。”作为一个敬拜共同体，这帮助我们认识到，如果由我们来负责做出具有永恒后果的决定，我们是靠不住的。我们太短视了，会被自己的私心分散注意力。

好在约拿没有被允许发号施令。神曾呼召他去警告尼尼微人为他们的恶行悔改，但约拿并不希望他们悔改，他想让神毁灭他们。他们是以色列的敌人，约拿不希望神给予他们怜悯。约拿还没有认识到：神可以钟爱、饶恕和赐福任何人。

长出的叶子植物可能是一种蓖麻油灌木，可以迅速长到12英尺，用它宽大、阴凉的叶子使人舒畅快活，但神突然使这株植物枯萎了，这是多么奇怪的转折啊！

约拿的反应暴露了自己的私心，神也暴露了约拿的浅薄。约拿其实更关心植物带来的荫凉，胜过关心尼尼微百姓的命运。然而，主却显出了祂的怜悯和恩典。

难道你不因着神是神，祂对我们施行怜悯而高兴欢喜吗？

When I was studying in seminary, we had a worship leader who frequently began our time of prayer together with the words, "O God, we thank you that you are God and that we are not." As a worshiping community, it helped us to recognize that if we were in charge of making decisions with eternal consequences, we couldn't be relied upon. We are too shortsighted and distracted by our own self-interests.

It's a good thing that Jonah wasn't allowed to call all the shots. God had called him to warn Nineveh to repent of their wickedness, but Jonah did not want them to repent. He wanted God to destroy them instead. They were Israel's enemies, and Jonah did not want God to show compassion toward them. Jonah had not yet learned that God can pursue, forgive, and bless anyone.

The leafy plant that grew might have been a castor-oil shrub that can quickly grow up to 12 feet and bring relief with its broad, shady leaves. But what a strange turn of events it was when God caused the plant to wither!

Jonah's reactions revealed his own selfish concerns, and God exposed Jonah's shallowness. Jonah actually cared more about shade from the plant than he cared about the people of Nineveh. The Lord, however, showed mercy and grace.

Aren't you glad that God is God and that he shows mercy to us too?