When was the last time God's plan collided with your agenda? when life crushed your expectations. Meet Jonah, a prophet who threw the ultimate temper tantrum when God showed mercy instead of judgment. Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl peels back the layers of this ancient story to reveal a man burning with racist rage, demanding that God kill him rather than forgive his enemies.
Sounds shocking? It should.
So let's consider four simple truths that can transform your daily experience from resentful pouting to genuine peace. Chuck titled today's message, The Grumblings of an Angry Prophet. He is one resentful, pouting prophet. Angry to the core. The change of plans greatly upset Jonah, he became very angry.
And he says, I'd rather be, end of verse 3, I'd rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen. Guess where his eyes are? all over himself. I told them they were doomed. And you turned around and changed the plan.
I knew you'd do that. It was just like you. It's just like you. If you won't wipe them out, wipe me out. What God does do is pull him aside.
And ask him a question. I like to think of God here in human terms as. putting his great arm around the shoulder, of his Angry, complaining, pouting prophet. pulling him up close and saying, Is it right for you to be angry? about this.
Is that right? Interesting, in Hebrew there are only three words in that question. The first is the word right. are good. The second is the word angry.
And the third is the word You out of place for emphasis purpose. purposes. Is it right for you of all people? people. To be angry.
Jonah. Think about it. Look where you've been. Look where you are. Look at what's happened.
120,000 plus. Have bowed their knee, not to bail. Not to some idol But to me. whom they didn't even acknowledge. until you deliver my message.
Do you have a right to be angry about that? What does Jonah say?
Well, I'll tell you ahead of time before we get there. Down in verse 9, he answers impudently. I have a right. Like a spoiled child would say. But here, you know what he does?
He zips it. He has nothing to say. That arm around his shoulder and that question question made him think. I'm not going to answer.
So what does he do?
Well, in his refusal to answer, he decides to build. A uh Placed as salt. Verse five. Then Jonah went out to the east side. Interesting, isn't it?
the east side of the city. If my geography is correct, I believe it is, Jerusalem. is here and you travel due east northeast to get to Nineveh. If you go east, you're going even further out of the city.
So he. He now distances himself, perhaps, to a mound Out further. Then he had been walking. And there it builds a little lean to, we would call it. Little shelter, a little booth.
And what does he do? He sits under it and waits to see what will happen. to the city. Give me a little Preacher's imagination license here. I think he's still hoping for calamity.
Just maybe. This repentance nonsense They've gone through. That's That that's gonna wear thin. And when they change back. Boom.
I want to see that happen. Maybe it wasn't for that reason, but What else would he be waiting for? He's certainly not waiting to watch the blessings unfold. He hates these people. I'm not going to leave us here.
I'm determined to come in through the back door and apply it in a way that's very positive. Because I am determined that you and I not live like that. That you and I are better than that. Let me start with the truth about where we are. Each one of us is selfish.
and short-sighted. We are. We are by nature, by birth, and by choice. We fight selfishness. Throughout our lives.
Number two. When we don't get our way, we don't like it. We don't like it. At all. And we feel resentful.
In that state of mind, we're neither open nor teachable. That explains how you can come to a church service. Sunday after Sunday, week after week, Bible study after Bible study. Year after year, and you're still resentful. Because you're not listening.
The resentment has deafened you. and blinded you. God regularly steps in and very patiently says to you, Is it right for you to be so resentful? I mean, is that the way you want to treat your family? Is that what you want to be remembered for when they put you six feet under?
and cover you with dirt and grass. Really? And truth be told, Most people live their lives. in lonely desperation.
So rather than go there, I want to offer an alternative way of life. And I say this to every one of us. I have every person here in mind. including, of course, myself. I'm no exception.
I want to talk about how you can start your day, live your day. End your day and enter into your night on your bed. in a different frame of mind. Then this. Here we go.
Start each day Remembering I'm not in charge. That will relieve you. I'm not in charge. I went to a pastor's conference at Moody Bible Institute a number of years ago. Happened to have been invited as one of the speakers.
I was there with a number of other pastors, and the place was filled with pastors. And a few students, there were 1,500 and more, some were even standing, it was so full. And there was a huge banner. that hung across the front of the room. I loved what it said.
Speaking to the pastors. Relax. For once you were not in charge. Isn't that a great line? How come pastors are in charge?
Whoever told pastors they're in charge? I'm not in charge of you. You don't answer to me. This isn't my church. Hear me when I say this.
I'm not in charge of my wife. You could say that again. And I've got a great loving and usually submissive wife. Unless I need to be stood up to. Had a couple stop me out front before we started church service and He said, My wife and I have had a talk about you and Cynthia.
I said, Oh, really? And here's a guy that's honest enough to tell me. And I said, What was that about? He said, Well, Uh you know what? I wonder if if uh Cynthia Evers says to Chuck, no, you know what you said Sunday?
That was wrong. That was not what you should have said. And his wife said, Oh, she would never say that. And he said, Do you know Cynthia? And he said, yes, she would.
And I said to him, You were right, your wife's wrong, but let me tell you the difference. She'll never do it in public, and she'll wait for the right time. She won't do it on the way home from church. Pastors are usually really sensitive about comments that are made. that are critical.
right after a Sherman. But maybe Monday or Tuesday, she'll slip into it with You know about Sunday, And let me be honest with you, it'll be the most insightful criticism that I need to hear. that I would have been able to hear from anybody, and I'm grateful for it.
So having said all of that I'm not in charge. I'm not in charge of you. You don't owe me an apology for living like you're living. You're not going to answer to me in eternity. I'm too busy answering for myself.
So relax. You're not in charge. Start every day reminding yourself Today From start to finish. From the moment my little Tootsies Step on the carpet. Until the end of the day when I Slip off my slippers and crawl to bed.
I am not in charge. It me doesn't mean you're not responsible. For things in your life, it just means you're not in charge of the outcome. You couldn't change that if you tried.
Now, the way you think you're in charge of that, which is part of what I'm talking about.
So get a hold of your thoughts and tell yourself. As I begin this day, I'm not in charge. It's a nice relief. Here's the second. As you live.
your life Remembering I'm really blessed. That'll make you thankful. Tell yourself over and over, I am really blessed. Oh, I know, I I know you. You're not as rich as you wish you were.
You don't have as much as you wish you did. Or you're not as young as you wish you were. Or you're not as pretty as you wish you were. Could have been, and you're not as intelligent as so and so.
So give all that hot. I'm talking about real deep meaningful blessings. You got your eyesight? Can you hear fairly well? Got most of your teeth?
Have a pretty good appetite. I can tell by looking. You have a pretty good appetite. You do you starve? Most of us have not missed a meal.
Are you blessed with a few people who really love you? You are. You are. You have a good church, you've got a great church. You got a great church.
You have folks who care about your soul, you sure do. We couldn't care more. We can't change you.
Well, we care about you. We're not in charge of you, but we care. You're blessed.
So as you live your life, say to yourself, I'm a blessed. Person. I can walk around. I'm not paralyzed.
Some are in bed all their lives, all their adult later years, year up and around. I can dress myself. I can spend time with those I love. How blessed. I'm a blessed person.
So I live my day reminding myself. Like the psalmist says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that's within me, bless his holy name. who forgives all your sin. Just start there. How good is that?
Not a sin you can name he doesn't forgive. How blessed we are. That cross made that possible.
Now, as you end your day, Remember, I did not get what I deserved. That's a great line that I picked up from Dave Ramsey. The financial consultant that you all know about. I never thank Dave for this, though I've stolen the line. When I'm asked, how are you?
My answer is usually, better than I deserve. And I mean it with all my heart. I don't deserve this life. I don't deserve disposition. I don't deserve our magnificent staff.
And team of pastors. I don't deserve this wife. I don't deserve our family. But I have been. And I don't deserve any of it.
I don't deserve good health. I mean You have no idea how wrinkled I am.
Well, one of you does, but she's not telling anybody. Amit. Literally, most guys my age have hung it up. I'm not hanging anything up. And listen, no, wait.
Wait. I think, I I think. I don't deserve this help. I don't deserve this age. But I have it.
And so you've got your list. You guys still got little kiddos. I know you could pinch their heads off sometime. I understand that. But you've got them, and someday you'll absolutely adore the memories.
And they'll grow up and love you. you'll have a great thing going.
So that's grace. That'll swarm you with grace at the end of the day, sometime in the day. rehearsing some of this and I'll cry. I just cry. with gratitude.
And then when I lie down before I go to sleep. Cynthia's right there by me. I lie down. And I remember I can leave everything in God's hands tonight. And he won't be asleep.
He neither slumbers nor sleeps. Isn't that great? I don't ever have to say Dear Lord, and here. He's never snoring. He's never asleep.
He says Yes, Chuck. What? I'm here. I'm protecting you. I'm watching out for your house.
I'm caring for you. And so I can leave it all with him, so I'm free of worry. What a way to live. What a way to live. Relieved because I'm not in charge.
Thankful because I'm really blessed. Filled with grace because I'm not getting what I deserve. and free of fear because I have no worries. He's taking care of everything. day and night, 24-7, 365.
Sometimes 366. He doesn't take a day off and leap here. He's there. Jonah. Guess what you're missing?
Your little tiny radius of a world is like a rat. in a sewer pipe. Turn it a little world. revolves around what you didn't get. And you're telling God to kill you.
Don't say it too much. Or he may take you up on it. How about counting your blessings, Jonah? How about being grateful you're alive? Let it go, man.
I spend my life letting go. I close with this wonderful piece. To let go doesn't mean I stop caring. It means I can't do it for someone else. To let go is not to cut myself off.
It's the realization that I can't control another. To let go is not to enable. But to allow learning from natural consequences. To let go is to admit powerlessness. Which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another. I can only change myself. To let go is not to care for, but to care about. To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive. To let go is not to judge.
but to allow another to be a human being. To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes. But to allow others to affect their own outcomes. To let go is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality. To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold. Or argue but to search out my own shortcomings. and to correct them. To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes. To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone.
But try to become what I dream I can be. To let go is not to regret the past. but to grow and live for the future. To let go is to fear less and love. More.
You know when you learn to do that? When you turn your life over to Jesus Christ. When you cling to him, You let go of everything else. You hold it all as Corey Tin Boom taught me. You hold it all very loosely.
Let it go. Bow your heads, will you, please? Let's not move about. Let's sit quietly. Whatever may be your lot in life, And it may be pretty painful right now.
It may be terribly unfair. Maybe have been a life marked by abuse, misunderstanding. Mistreatment. Hatred from others, whatever. I want you to know Christ stands ready with arms open.
to accept you just as you are. You don't have to get dressed up. You don't have to get cleaned up. You don't have to make a lot of promises. He's there.
His arms are open. And he's waiting for you to come. Just Like You R. Simple words. I'm sinful, short-sighted, and selfish.
I messed things up. and I've messed it up for others. I'm here because I can't keep doing that. And I don't want to. But I can't stop on my own.
So please take over. Become my Savior. And then as my Lord. Take control. I leave it all with you.
as you cleanse me. from deep within. Start there at the core of my being. And clean me by your blood. Clean me from sin.
Cleanse me. If you made that decision, you made the best decision you could ever make. Need to tell another Christian so they can help you get started. Need to start the growth pattern or you're going to stay in the sandbox. And you'll keep throwing your little fit.
You'll keep wanting to do your will. But there is a way to live beyond that. It's called the power of of the Holy Spirit. You need to be instructed in that. We'll help you.
Dear Father, thank you for today, for your ministry to us. In the midst of a man, who never got it. May we learn some lessons in an alternative course. That will set us in the right direction. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Christ. Everyone said. Amen. You're listening to Insight for Living and the seventh message in a biographical study of Jonah presented by our teacher, Chuck Swindahl. To purchase the nine sermons in this series on C D or MP three, or to access other Bible study tools for our study on Jonah, just go to insight.
org slash offer. You know, from Jonah we learn that to see the world as God sees it we need more than good eyesight, we need divine heart sight. Chuck titled this study Jonah the Reluctant Prophet, and you can purchase these resources by calling us at 800-772-8888. In addition, we're pleased to offer a popular new booklet by Chuck Swindall. Last October, Chuck preached his last sermon as the senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church.
It was the weekend of his 90th birthday. In his final sermon, Chuck reflected on the last words of the Apostle Paul, who in his letter to Timothy looked back on his lifetime of service to Christ. We'd love to send you a copy of this booklet containing Chuck's compelling farewell sermon. It's called Look Beyond. Will you focus on eternity?
And we're pleased to send a copy to your home when you include a donation to support the Ministry of Insight for Living. Let me say a word of thanks to all those who consistently support Chuck's teaching ministry. Because of your generosity, Insight for Living is available to millions of listeners on the radio, YouTube, our website, our mobile app, and all the different digital platforms that are so popular these days. We couldn't provide these resources without your support. Be sure to mention you'd like to receive Chuck's booklet called Look Beyond when you write to us at Insight4Living.
Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. To make a donation online, go to insight.org slash donate. or call us at 800-772-8888. Yeah. I'm Bill Meyer.
Join us next week when Chuck Swindahl presents the final messages in his biographical study of Jonah. Right here on Insight for Living. The preceding message: The Grumblings of an Angry Prophet. Was copyrighted in 2018, 2019, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindahl Incorporated.
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