I read the book of Jonah this morning. It grabbed me. And hasn’t quite let go yet. The book is always striking of course. But, this morning I looked closer at the illustration of the vine and the worm that the Lord uses to reveal Jonah’s heart.
Jonah is angry at the Lord for sparing sinful people, so he walks off. He builds a shelter, but the hot sun beats upon him. The Lord makes a vine grow. It provides shade and eases Jonah’s discomfort. But then the Lord has a worm kill the vine. Jonah loses his shade and wishes to die.
Jonah was concerned about a vine that provided him with shade, but the fate of over 120,000 people did not move him.
A question came to me: Do I love only what comforts me or provides me a service?
I realized that this is a question that cannot be ignored. If I love in this manner it cannot begin until someone provides me something I like. And it cannot continue once that person stops providing what I like. Of course, this is no love at all.
When the Lord loves it is free and unconditional. Often it brings great pains to himself. It does not end. It is not selfish. He loves because that is who He is.
May my love be as the Lord’s love. May I love the kids at House of Hope with this love. May I love strangers as the Lord loves. And someday if the Lord deems me worthy of a wife may I love her fully and as the He loves.
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1 comment:
Matt--Jonah is one of my favorites also. We will be watching next spring (?) to ensure your flight heads to Haiti and not Tarshish...
Terry and Darla
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