“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance,but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7(ESV)
One day, a little girl was standing at the kitchen table beside her friend when her dad asked them to sit down for dinner. After repeating himself several times, he finally became stern with her because he wanted to pray so they could get on with their dinner.
The girl sat down, but with an indignant look on her face she whispered to her friend, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside.” Have you ever had this attitude?
Jonah did. God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh to give the people a chance to repent and change their ways. Nineveh must not have been a nice place to visit, because Jonah decided to sail away in the opposite direction.
After Jonah endured a storm, was thrown off the ship, swallowed by a whale and then finally delivered safely to shore, he agreed to go to Nineveh. But his attitude was terrible.
He delivered God’s message, but secretly, he hoped that God would burn the city. He even found a spot to watch the fireworks! He was so focused on himself that he wasn’t even thinking of the 120,000 men, women and children whose lives could be spared. Actually, he was more concerned that the little shade plant God had provided for him had died, and he was too hot in the desert sun.
Although Jonah eventually obeyed, every step he took was for himself or his reputation. Serving God is great, but attitude is everything. If you are serving Him but are resentful about it, it’s time to get into His presence and get your heart right.
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