“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:1-3 ESV).

Turning My Page: Is it Right for Me to Be Angry?

I am angry at God. Probably the emotion will bleed into
tomorrow and the next day. Lots of reasons that
he and I will hash out, but the fish guts
hit the fan Sunday.

“Woman overboard!”

God had the audacity to
compare me to Jonah. I haven’t run from him—
lately— but his mercy. The word
is like placing a sour warhead in my mouth.

“I want justice. I want a front-row seat to ‘every knee
shall bow, and every tongue confess!” Hurt. The
pain rolls around in my soul like a stirred-up
sea.

“How can God ask me to do justice but love mercy?”

Eventually, I must let it go because it isn’t right for
me to be angry. Sin tainted, I will always misjudge myself and others.
God shows mercy to me,
even in my questioning His justice.

If I hold onto anger, then I take hope to the grave with me.

Turning Your Page

Anger is a tool. Nothing more, and nothing less. It points out that there is something not right in the world, but there are several crucial things to remember when feeling anger:

• Clearly identify the source of your anger
  • Is this something that makes God angry?
  • What does God say for me to do with my anger?
  • Am I dealing with my anger or nursing and stirring it up?
  • Is God using this person to reveal my own sin?
• You are not God, and therefore, your anger is often faulty
  • tainted with sin
  • meant to tear down rather than build-up
  • lacks mercy
  • forgets God’s forgiveness for your own sins
• God has a long-term plan, as well as a short-term plan for humanity
  • He will use whatever means necessary to bring His people into humble obedience to him
    • He uses evil men to do this. Some of our greatest stories of hope come at the hands of evil men
      • Joseph
      • Moses
      • Any of the Prophets
      • Daniel and his friends
      • Jonah
      • Hezekiah
      • Jesus

Lord, help me to put away my anger and to love mercy. Amen