May 24th & 31st: Jonah

About This Bible Story:

The story of Jonah may be one of the most exciting and dramatic stories in the Bible. Jonah knew the right thing to do, but rejected God’s request to go to Nineveh. To run away, he boarded a boat and fell asleep as a mighty storm created panic in the sailors. They prayed to their gods and tossed the ship’s cargo into the sea. When the captain woke him, Jonah realized, “It is because of me that this great storm has come upon you” (Jonah 1:12). The sailors threw him into the sea—and then turned to the Lord.

Jonah was held in the belly of a great fish for three days and nights. During this epic time-out, Jonah realized he could never escape God’s command, so he prayed and repented. Once he was spewed out of the fish, he traveled to Nineveh after all. After hearing his prophecy, more than 120,000 people turned their hearts to God. An entire population was saved from destruction!

A Child’s View of the Story:

The story of Jonah can be an exciting one for young children. They may have been on a boat, or at least seen pictures of one. They know what stormy weather looks and sounds like. And their imaginations can take them inside the belly of a giant fish. Preschoolers will enjoy playing the larger-than-life parts of this story. But we can also introduce the reason behind all of this fleeing and fishiness. God called Jonah to do something challenging, and Jonah said, “No way” at first. Jonah’s refusal led him to a ship’s hold and a fish’s belly.

Preschoolers are familiar with saying, “no way” too. They need to hear the important message in this story: Just as Jonah prayed for forgiveness, we can say, “I’m sorry” when we have defied God. We can always return to God, a place of forgiveness and safety.