June 26, 2009 Love For The Lost
Today’s Bible Reading: Jonah 1, 2, 3, 4; 2 Timothy 2
Scripture Focus:
Jonah 4:10–11 But the LORD said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
2 Timothy 2:8–10 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Observation:
There is such a difference between Jonah’s view of the lost and Paul’s view. Jonah didn’t want to preach repentance to Ninevah and did his best to avoid God’s command to do so. When God made it clear that he wasn’t going to let Jonah off the hook, Jonah did preach to Ninevah, but he wasn’t pleased when the people of Ninevah repented, and God had mercy on them.
God demonstrated that Jonah was more concerned about his own comfort and reputation than he was about the lost, and he reminded Jonah that he is a God who has pity on the lost.
Paul, on the other hand, was so concerned for the lost, for the ones who didn’t yet know God, that he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort and even be taken prisoner for the sake of spreading the gospel, that he might lead the lost to salvation through Jesus Christ.
Application:
God wants me to be concerned for the lost. I’ll admit, this isn’t an area where I shine. I must ask God to give me his love for the lost. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Prayer:
Father God, You gave your only Son for the lost. Please give me your love for the lost.
