Jonah's Run

Jonah was a prophet of God. God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. But Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh. He disliked the people there and didn't want them to repent and be forgiven. Instead of obeying God, Jonah ran away in the opposite direction. He went down to the port city of Joppa and found a ship sailing to Tarshish, a place very far from Nineveh. He paid his fare and went aboard, hoping to escape from the Lord.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh?
2. Have you ever felt like you didn't want to do something God asked you to do? What happened?
3. How do you think God felt when Jonah disobeyed Him?
4. Can we really run away from God? Why or why not?
5. What are some ways we might try to avoid doing what God wants us to do today?

Prayer:

Dear God, we thank you for your Word and for the story of Jonah. Help us to learn from his mistakes and to always have a willing heart to obey your commands, even when it's difficult or we don't understand. Please give us the courage to do what is right and to trust in your plans for us. Amen.

Based on The One Year Bible Storybook by Virginia Muir.