The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jonah 4:1-2, “But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.
2 He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’”

Did your parents or a teacher or a superior at work ever assign you a responsibility you didn’t want carry out? This is exactly what happened to Jonah. The Ninevites were a cruel, evil people. Their hatred was carried out with gleeful fury upon the Jews; and Jonah was a Jew. When the LORD instructed him to carry a redemptive message to Nineveh, Jonah rebelled! In fact, he went the opposite direction; he ran away from Nineveh, as far as he could go!

If you belong to the LORD, you cannot escape His commission. In fact, you can only go downward. Earlier verses tell us that upon hearing where the LORD wanted him to go, Jonah went down to Joppa, down into the ship, down into the sea, and ultimately down into the Great Fish that the LORD had prepared to capture him.

In our verses above, the ministry to Nineveh was already over. A great spiritual revival had taken place and Jonah was disgusted! He wanted the wrath of God to fall upon the Ninevites and wipe them out! They were the enemy of his people, the Jews. I believe we’re a lot like Jonah.

Many nations in our world today are comprised of lost people – people for whom Christ died. He wants to save them like He saved the Ninevites. Too often, we see them as political enemies and want them destroyed. The LORD’s ways are always the best. Want to work for the best? Get on the LORD’s side. Do as He instructs you. In the long run, you’ll be blessed.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom