The Compassion of God Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: The Compassion of God-------------------------- Date: 4/6/2001 Keyword: "compassion" "repentance" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. For the first several days of April 2001, the eXXit studies will zero in on the experiences of the Old Testament prophet, Jonah. Hope you enjoy and find these studies helpful as you seek to stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Jonah 4:1-11* 1. But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. 2. And he prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3. "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." 4. And the LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?" 5. Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. 6. So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. 7. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered. 8. And it came about when the sun came up that God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life." 9. Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death." 10. Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11. "And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" Questions 1. When the Ninevites repented, God declared that He would not destroy them. How did Jonah take this change in plans?   2. What does God’s "change" tell us about God?   Practical help Jonah wanted the Ninevites destroyed! For a variety of reasons, he did not want them to repent and be saved. Not so, God. Whatever we might think of God’s servant, Jonah, it is clear that God Himself loves His creation, loves to extend kindness, loves to forgive, loves to be compassionate. For every man or woman addicted to the porn habit, here is the best news available: No matter how much you may despair of ever finding freedom, know this — God, through His Son Jesus, offers freedom. He does not throw in the towel on you any more than He did on the Ninevites. They turned to Him, and He freely forgave them, giving them a new lease on life. There may be some who condemn you, wanting nothing but your destruction — but don’t count God in that crowd. He wants you to turn to Him, because in your turning to Him you will find the freedom from porn you have been longing for. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."