Grace and Favor            

Jonah 3:10-4:2

When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways,

He had mercy on them and didn't carry out the destruction

He had threatened. This change of plans upset Jonah, and

he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about

it. “Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this,

LORD?  That is why I ran away!  I knew that you were a

 gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and

filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel

Your plans for destroying these people.  (NLT)

    There are some things our Lord wants us to learn from these God inspired words of Scripture, living words that will help us in this difficult life-journey that is not so easily understood. One of the things God wants us to know is His character, that He is a living God who is filled with mercy and grace and compassion for all people, including pagan Gentiles. The Lord wants us to know that He is a sovereign and patient God—a God of second chances and One who is all knowing, all seeing, and in control of His creation. God has given the people of this world chance after chance to change their wicked ways and return to Him so He can teach them how to live. Our God wants us to be gracious and merciful as He is, because we tend not to be so gracious or merciful to others. Instead, we like to condemn others for their wicked ways while overlooking our own sinful ways. We tend to compare ourselves with those who are far away from God when we should be comparing ourselves with the likeness of Jesus Christ. The Lord wants us to understand, respect, and fear His authority over our lives and all creation—that it is by the Power of His Word that we even exist.  It is because of His mercy and grace that He gives us the chance to change our evil ways and turn to Him. God is still giving us time—time we should use wisely while we still live in this time of His gracious favor.

                                     A Whisper of Hope

Waste not a moment, dear child...for you know not the hour of your time's end.  Use godly wisdom, rather than your limited earthly wisdom.  My wisdom is meant to save, rather than to deceive.  Come to Me and I will teach you how to live forever.

1 Thessalonians 5:8-9

But let us who live in the Light think clearly, protected by the

body armor of faith and love and wearing as our helmet the

confidence of our salvation.  For God decided to save us through

our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out His anger on us.  (NLT)

             For the Word of God is full of Living Power.

                                           (Hebrews 4:12)