Jonah 4:9-11

Jonah was pretty upset with God's compassion for the people that he was sent by God to preach against.  After all he didn't want to go to that awful city any way, he faced a horrifc storm and got swallowed up by a big fish and this is how God "repays" him!?  As if God needed to repay him for doing His work...right?  Or are there times when we think we need to be repayed for our hard work that we are supposidly doing for God?   

Even though Jonah was angry at God He provided him with a vine for shade as he waited on the east side of the city.  God still offered compassion for Jonah despite his anger toward Him.  Even when we screw up, God shows us compassion.  But the next day the vine withered and Jonah was angry with God again.  He thought he had a right to be angry at God, because He sent a worm and a hot wind which eventually killed it.  However, God comes back and says you really enjoyed this vine, but you never took care of it and now you want to blame me?  God offerered something good, but the favor was not returned.

How is something supposed to grow if we don't take care of it?  God can plant our seeds, but we need to help nourish what we can.  When something goes wrong with the good things in our lives, do we not have the tendency to blame and be angry at God?  When the storms in our lives come to swallow us up, God is there to help us, but it is not a one way transaction.