The Hot Head

Posted by Dion Todd October 4th, 2024 1,077 Views 28 Comments

Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city. Yahweh God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine. But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered. When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." Jonah 4:5-8 WEB.

A mighty prophet of God a few days before, Jonah now sat in the blazing heat and wished that he was dead. He actually prayed to die. Jonah had been through a long journey to get to Nineveh and even spent a couple of nights in a custom-made fish hotel. Now, Jonah was so angry that God had spared the city he had prophesied the destruction of that he sulked in anger.

Jonah could have been glad that over 120,000 people had repented at his preaching, and they had turned to the Lord in prayer and fasting. His preaching had sparked one of the greatest revivals of all time, but Jonah was not happy about it.

Jonah was unconcerned about the death of 120,000 others. What concerned Jonah the most was the blazing sun on his head, and the plant which had been providing shade for him had died. Jonah was upset over a small plant's death but was angry at God for showing mercy and sparing an entire city.

Every parent knows that their children need to be disciplined at some point, for when left to themselves, they rarely turn out well. And when discipline becomes necessary, it is the parent's job to provide it. So God provided everything Jonah needed to have the right outlook on the situation.

While Jonah sat there and pouted, God provided blazing heat from the sun and a scorching east wind to blow on the prophet's head. Then a plant grew up to give him cool shade. But the next day, the Lord provided a worm to eat the plant so that it died. After all of this and Jonah's ensuing temper tantrum, the Lord spoke to Jonah once again. Would God bring an attitude adjustment like that? Apparently so, and without ever being seen.

Our Heavenly Father will also provide everything we require to maintain a proper attitude. Sometimes that involves withholding something we think that we need. Or something else comes along we don't think we need.

God loves you and wants you to grow and fulfill the plans He has for you. Therefore, He will not leave you to grow like a weed (Hebrews 12:6) but will provide whatever it takes along the way to fulfill your destiny. He loves us and only desires the best for our lives, but when you submit your life to Him, He can be relentless in bringing that to pass.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You today. Let me learn lessons quickly and not be stubborn and unchanging. May Your perfect will be done in my life. Please give me the grace to accept change and help me keep a positive attitude today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.