Daily devotional · June 17
When Mercy Feels Unfair
“Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry. So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster. And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?””
Jonah finally obeys and Nineveh repents, but instead of celebrating, he is angry. He confesses that he ran the first time because he knew God is gracious and slow to anger, and he did not want those people forgiven. It is an uncomfortable mirror. We love grace for ourselves and struggle to see it extended to people we consider undeserving. God answers with a question, not a lecture: do you have any right to be angry? The book ends with the question hanging, inviting us to answer for ourselves. Today, think about someone whose forgiveness you secretly resist, an old enemy, a rival, a person who hurt you. Ask God to soften your heart, and take one small step toward wishing them well, even if it is only a short prayer for their good.
Prayer
God of mercy, soften my heart toward those I find hard to forgive.