The Pity Party

The Pity Party
Words of Faith 10-6-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Jonah 4
[5] Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade, and waited to see what would happen to the city. [6] Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. [7] But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. [8] When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live." [9] But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die." [10] But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

Have you ever had a pity party? How about a spiritual pity party? Well, Jonah was having a big one. He had opened up a big old can of self-pity and stirred in a bigger dose of anger toward God. Why? He had never really wanted the Ninevites to be saved.
Now it looked like the judgment that Jonah had proclaimed upon the city was not going to happen! If the Ninevites repented and then God relented and saved them, it just would not be fair! So Jonah posted himself where he could watch the city, hoping that God would still destroy it.
God decided to teach Jonah one more lesson. The lessons learned in the belly of the great fish had not been enough. Jonah was stewing in his prejudice and hatred of the Ninevites. The place on the hill was hot. Isn't vindictiveness usually a hot place to sit? But God sent a blessing‑‑ a vine to provide shade from the scorching sun. The shade was not a necessity since Jonah already had a shelter. But it was a gracious comfort. It was really not "fair." Others did not have this favor from God. But the vine, like any blessing, made Jonah very happy.
But then God took away the blessing. He sent an obedient worm to chew the vine and cause it to wither. Now Jonah was very uncomfortable and angrier than ever! Not only was God "unfair" to give mercy to the Ninevites, but now God was "unfair" to take away the blessing of the shade! Jonah was so angry, that he wanted to die! Instead of being grateful for the shade while it was there, Jonah was furious that it was gone. What a pity party!
The picture would be humorous if it were not so reflective of our human condition. We want God to be fair, but when He is really fair we get angry. There are times when we want blessings for ourselves but offer no mercy for our enemies. We enjoy the blessing of God and take it for granted. So when a blessing withers for a time we are angry.
God made the point clear here. With any blessing we enjoy we often forget that we had nothing to do with that blessing. How can we be angry? Jonah did not even pray for this blessing! It was a total act of mercy and grace. But when it was gone, Jonah felt he had come to deserve that blessing. He was angry. How could God be so unfair!

In the Scripture, God is often a wonderful therapist. He helps us discover where we need to grow. Sometimes we don't really know why it is we are angry. We feel life has been unfair. Things have not gone as well for us as we had hoped. A blessing we enjoyed for a time disappears and we feel angry.
So God asks us: "Do you have a right to be angry about this 'vine'? Though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight?" Do you have a right to be angry about this blessing that you came to take for granted? It is a blessing, not an entitlement. It is a blessing, not a necessity. You had nothing to do with it. So instead of being grateful for the time you had that blessing, you get angry when it is gone. Sound familiar?
Where are you today? Are you angry that God has not been "fair"? Do you really want God to be "fair"? Look around the globe. You might actually lose a lot more than you would ever gain. Are you angry that a blessing that you never deserved in the first place has withered for a time? Are you angry that someone else may be blessed, failing to realize that the blessing you enjoy is only by the grace of God anyway?

O God, forgive me for my ingratitude. You have shaded my head in ways that I never would have thought to ask for. You have blessed me beyond measure. Keep my eyes off the blessings of others and the blessings I have lost. Keep my eyes only upon You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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