U-Turn
Opening Prayer
Lord, this is Your beautiful, marvelous world. Help me to see glimpses of it with Your eyes, and not my own.
Read Jonah 4:1–11
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
[1] But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. [2] He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. [3] Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” [4] But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” [5] Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. [6] Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. [7] But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. [8] When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” [9] But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” [10] But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. [11] And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left-and also many animals?” Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Have you ever thought that God was making a mistake? Our perspective in life is necessarily limited. We are conditioned by our biology, our experienceand our culture to see things a certain way. Our vision is narrow, and usually more than a littleself-centered. God’s vision is so much bigger than ours. He has the good of his whole creation inview. That’s why we can trust that his actions are right.Jonah struggled with this. His fears from the outset were realized. Jonah felt deeply that thepeople of Nineveh deserved destruction. He answered God’s call, proclaimed repentance to thecity and God forgave. Now his enemies were enjoying God’s favor. Again we find Jonahwallowing in anger.There are many times in life when God’s actions are confusing to us. We do not understand whyhe doesn’t simply hate the things that we hate and love the things that we love. At these times,like Jonah, we need to be reminded that God’s view is bigger. His compassion is wider. He seesthings we cannot see, and he will do things we cannot grasp. He is God. And he is good.Our perspective in life is necessarily limited. We are conditioned by our biology, our experience and our culture to see things a certain way. Our vision is narrow, and usually more than a little self-centered. God’s vision is so much bigger than ours. He has the good of his whole creation in view. That’s why we can trust that his actions are right.
Jonah struggled with this. His fears from the outset were realized. Jonah felt deeply that the people of Nineveh deserved destruction. He answered God’s call, proclaimed repentance to the city and God forgave. Now his enemies were enjoying God’s favor. Again we find Jonah wallowing in anger.
There are many times in life when God’s actions are confusing to us. We do not understand why he doesn’t simply hate the things that we hate and love the things that we love. At these times, like Jonah, we need to be reminded that God’s view is bigger. His compassion is wider. He sees things we cannot see, and he will do things we cannot grasp. He is God. And he is good.
Apply
Is there a situation in your life that is particularly frustrating? Ask God to help you see it from his perspective.
Closing prayer
Lord, when I don’t understand what You do and want to head in my own direction, help me instead to walk in Yours.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.