Journal Reflection – Book of Jonah

This morning, I had my usual cup of tea and sat down to read Scripture. I read the book of Jonah, which has only four chapters, yet carries such a powerful message. As I read, I noticed the conversation between God and Jonah, and how Jonah tried to run away from God. Even so, in the end, Jonah obeyed God and preached His word.

The people of Nineveh heard the message. Although they were living in sin, God’s warning touched their hearts. From the king to the least among them, they repented and turned away from their sinful ways. Instead of being happy, Jonah became very angry—angry that God chose not to destroy them.

Jonah then went away and made a shelter for himself. In His compassion, God provided a plant to give Jonah shade and comfort. But the next day the plant withered away, and once again Jonah became angry.

What I learned from this is that sometimes, we who follow God think that we are always right. When we see the sinful behavior of others, we believe they should be punished, and we fail to recognize when they have truly repented. Yet, when someone close to us is going through hardship, we show concern without questioning whether they have sinned against God.

This reveals a lack of love in our hearts and a lack of understanding of who God truly is—a God of mercy, patience, and compassion.

My prayer today is to ask God to give me a heart that truly understands who He is, and to help me know what part I should play as His child.