The worst kind of bitterness that can grow in our lives is a bitterness toward God. This happens n Jonah’s life. He will not let go of his selfish desires; prejudices; & ideas, no matter how miraculously God intervenes in his life! Jonah’s hold on these things is so severe that Jonah will not allow the awesome ways God saves him & instructs him “sink in” into his heart/life for any length of time that may actually change his heart/life for the good. Jonah has “seasons” of praise,& making promises to God (Jonah2:1-9,”In my distressed I called to the Lord & He answered...I called for help & you listened to my cry...when my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, & my prayer rose to YOU...I will sacrifice YOU...what I have vowed I will make good....”), but these seasons in Jonah’s life are not lang lasting! Jonah will not let go of his selfish desires; prejudices; & ideas long enough for God’s loving intervention to change his life for good! We do the same thing! God intervenes in our lives in so many awesome ways, and at the time we thank God & praise Him, & promise to make permanent changes in our life. But then we let those old desires; prejudices; & ideas creep back into our lives...sending us back to our “OLD SELF”! And in effect we become bitter about God’s Ways, & neglect His Word & His Spirit. After God miraculously intervenes to save him & then uses Jonah’s life to save Nineveh, Jonah quickly turns back into his “OLD SELF” & becomes bitter toward God & His Word! In Jonah4 God blesses Jonah with a means to be protected from the environment around him (Jonah4:6,”..the Lord God provided a vine & made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, & Jonah was happy about the vine.”), but Jonah doesn’t tend to/nourish in his life what God has given as care and provision! Jonah chooses to belly ache about selfish things instead of taking care of the vine that God has given him to protect him. And then when the vine withers (becuz Jonah neglected to take care of it), Jonah quickly turns on God! Jonah let his selfish desires; prejudices; & ideas turn his “attention” away from what God had been doing in his life, & back onto himself & what he “wanted”! Jonah brought on his own misery (brutal exposure to the World’s “withering effects”) by not “being concerned” about the vine (God’s intervention & provision in his life) & not tending to it nor nourishing it to make it grow (Jonah4:10). When we don’t take to heart what we know God is doing in our life & tend to/nourish what God is doing in our lives, we allow our “OLD SELF” to creep back...& we become bitter toward God & His Word just like Jonah! We have seasons of praise&worship just like Jonah! But unless we “nourish”ourselves with God’s Word & respond to/tend to the Holy Spirit n our life...we will “let the vine wither” just like Jonah did! Lord,I have many selfish desires; prejudices; & ideas in my life that endanger me & my relationship with You! Open my eyes to see these, & work in my heart the removal of these things...& replace them with all the RIGHT DESIRES that You knit into my heart before I was even born!