5 reasons to be mad at God

Read Jonah 4.

Jonah became exceedingly angry.  He submitted to God's assignment.  He preached a message of eight words.  The entire city of Nineveh repented and put their faith in the LORD God.  After one of the greatest times of ministry results in history, Jonah was so distraught he wanted to curl up and die.

Why?  The Assyrians were Israel's enemies.  He wanted God to wipe them out.  Jonah knew all along that if he went to Nineveh and warned them, they would respond and God would be gracious to them (4:2).  God did not do what Jonah wanted done, so he sat pouting, mad at God.

In verse 2, Jonah gave five reasons for his anger.  Each of them relates to the LORD's character.
1. God is gracious.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve.  The Assyrians were so evil.  Jonah was correct.  They deserved to be destroyed.  But when they heard God's message, they turned to Him in hope of deliverance from His judgment.  Jonah expected God to be gracious to him but not to those sinners over there.

2. God is merciful.
Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.  When the Assyrians fasted, prayed, and turned from their sin, God showed compassion toward them.  Jonah lacked any pity for these people (v.11).

3. God is slow to anger.
If it were not for the patience of God, we would all be gone at our first sin.  "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

4. God is loving.
He abounds in love.  His love is steadfast or faithful all the time.  This is difficult to hold on to when things do not go the way one expected or wanted.  It is easy to bask in the love of God when life goes well.  But can we bask in that same love if life does not turn out the way we planned?  His love is over all His works.

5. God is tenderhearted.
God is not relentless in meting out punishment for sin.  His grace, mercy, patience, and love are shown in His willingness to relent and demonstrate compassion on those who respond to His offer of forgiveness.

Jonah cared more about himself, his reputation and his comfort, than he did about the eternal destiny of these people.  The question everyone must answer before God is, "How much do I care about the eternal future of the people around me?"