Hello Stars,
Do you know a man who got swallowed by a giant fish and stayed in its tummy for three days? Yes, it’s Jonah, the man who didn’t obey God right away! Jonah’s story is an amazing adventure that teaches us about obedience and God’s love. Let’s dive into his story and learn a valuable lesson.
A long time ago, Jonah was a prophet of God. A prophet is someone chosen by God to deliver His messages to people. One day, God gave Jonah a very important task. He told Jonah to go to a city called Nineveh. The people of Nineveh were doing many bad things, and God wanted Jonah to warn them to stop and turn back to Him.
But Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh. He didn’t like the people there and didn’t want God to forgive them. Instead of listening to God, Jonah decided to run away. He boarded a ship that was heading to a faraway place called Tarshish, hoping to escape from God’s plan.
As the ship sailed, a terrible storm came. The waves were so high, and the wind was so strong that the sailors were terrified. They thought the ship would break apart! They prayed to their gods and tried everything to save the ship, but the storm wouldn’t stop.
Jonah, meanwhile, was asleep in the ship. The captain woke him up and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and pray to your God! Maybe He will save us!” The sailors cast lots—a way to decide who was responsible for the trouble—and the lot fell on Jonah. Jonah admitted, “I am running away from God. This storm is because of me. Throw me into the sea, and the storm will stop.”
At first, the sailors didn’t want to throw Jonah overboard. They tried harder to row the ship to safety, but the storm only got worse. Finally, they prayed to God, asking for forgiveness, and threw Jonah into the sea. The moment Jonah hit the water, the storm stopped.
But Jonah didn’t drown! God sent a giant fish to swallow him. Inside the belly of the fish, Jonah sat for three whole days and nights. Imagine how it must have felt—dark, slimy, and smelly! But Jonah used this time to pray. He realized that running away from God was wrong. He thanked God for saving his life and promised to obey Him.
God heard Jonah’s prayer and forgave him. He commanded the fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land. This time, Jonah listened to God. He went straight to Nineveh and delivered God’s message.
Jonah walked through the city and called out, “In forty days, Nineveh will be destroyed if you do not turn from your wicked ways!” The people of Nineveh believed Jonah’s message. They stopped doing bad things, prayed, and asked God for forgiveness. Even the king of Nineveh humbled himself, wore sackcloth, and declared a fast for everyone in the city.
God saw that the people of Nineveh had changed their ways. Because of their repentance, He decided not to destroy the city. Jonah should have been happy, right? But instead, he was upset. He didn’t think the people of Nineveh deserved God’s forgiveness. He sat outside the city, sulking.
God used this moment to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion. He made a plant grow to give Jonah shade from the hot sun, and Jonah was happy about the plant. But the next day, God sent a worm to eat the plant, and it withered. Jonah was angry about the plant dying, and God said to him, “You cared so much about a plant you didn’t even grow. Shouldn’t I care about the thousands of people and animals in Nineveh?”
Through this, Jonah learned that God’s love and mercy are for everyone, not just for the people we think deserve it.
The Lesson We Learn from Jonah
Jonah’s story is a powerful reminder that we must obey God, even when it’s hard or when we don’t agree with His plans. The Bible says, “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). When we obey God, we show that we trust Him and believe in His wisdom.
The story also teaches us about repentance and forgiveness. Just as God forgave the people of Nineveh when they turned away from their wrongdoings, He is ready to forgive us when we make mistakes and sincerely ask for His forgiveness.
Finally, Jonah’s story reminds us to love and care for others, just as God does. Sometimes, like Jonah, we may find it hard to forgive or care for people who have hurt us or who are different from us. But God wants us to show kindness and compassion to everyone.
How Does This Apply to Us?
The Bible also tells us to obey our parents. Ephesians 6:1-4 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’”
Just as God speaks to us through His Word, He also guides us through our parents. When we listen to and obey our parents, we are honoring God. Think about Jonah’s mistake—he didn’t obey right away and had to learn his lesson in a smelly fish belly! Wouldn’t it be better to obey the first time?
Let’s Be Obedient
So, Stars, what will you choose? Will you be like Jonah, who learned obedience the hard way, or will you follow what the Bible teaches and obey God and your parents? Let’s make a promise today to listen and obey, trusting that God’s plans are always for our good.
Remember, God loves you and wants the best for you. Let’s pray together:
“Dear God, thank You for teaching us through Jonah’s story. Help us to always obey You and our parents. Teach us to show love and compassion to everyone, just as You do. Thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Let’s live every day remembering this lesson and choosing to obey with a happy heart!