“I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people” (Jonah 4:2b, NLT).

God is EAGER to turn back from disaster. Let’s read Amos 7:1-2 again. “The Sovereign LORD showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king’s share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up. In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel is so small” (Amos 7:1-2, NLT). But now, verse 3, “So the LORD relented from this plan. ‘I will not do it,’ he said” (Amos 7:3, NLT).

The Lord didn’t send the disaster. He was eager to not do it. God doesn’t willingly afflict. That’s from Lamentations 3:33. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He loves you. He loves us. He loves the whole world. That’s God’s heart. Never think that God is out to get you. His thoughts toward you are peace. His plans for you are good—Jeremiah 29:11.

He might be pruning you, but it’s because He loves you! He disciplines us because He’s answering our prayers to be brought to Him in eternal dwellings, to be like Jesus, to be used by Him. He’s working His good purposes in us. He’s never getting us back or giving us what we deserve. We deserve hell, and we’re not getting that!

Also, notice how Amos prays and God relents. Moses prayed and God relented. Pray for your nation! It is likely that your nation deserves wrath. You can pray and stay God’s hand, for a time. In the end, the nations will be judged, but today, God is eager to relent from disaster. He is patient. I’m convinced God’s the biggest optimist there ever was. He’s always hoping we’ll repent and He’ll get to relent. He will wait; He will patiently wait, hoping.