Boys and Girls Mrs Seaton

Dear Boys and Girls,

There was once a man called Jonah. God spoke to him and told him to go to Nineveh and tell the people of that city that God saw their wickedness and was angry with them. But he was afraid to go.

Jonah went down to the harbour and found a ship that was going to a place called Tarshish. He decided to run away, and go on board; but the Bible tells us what happened after the boat had set sail. "The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea," it says, " and there was a mighty tempest in the sea." The storm was so bad that all the sailors were terrified. Jonah realised that it was God who was in control of the great swelling seas, and his conscience started to trouble him.

How foolish he had been to try and run away from God. He knew that all the people in the ship were in this terrible trouble because of his disobedience to God, so he told the sailors to throw him overboard. The sailors prayed to God that he would not punish them for throwing Jonah into the sea, for, somehow they felt it was what they should do.

It was, of course, God's will, as Jonah came to realise. It was foolish of him to think that he could hide from God, but God was going to save Jonah from drowning.

God had prepared a great fish, the Bible tells us, and this great fish swallowed Jonah when he began to sink in the water. When Jonah found himself still alive inside the fish, Jonah began to pray to God. He confessed his sinfulness and disobedience, and he trusted that God would save him out of this terrible situation.

God then caused the fish to vomit Jonah up on the dry land, and when God spoke to Jonah again, then Jonah went to the city of Nineveh, and did what God had told him to do at the beginning.

There are lots of lessons to learn from Jonah boys and girls, but one of the most important is this: - when we hear God speaking to us, it is very dangerous not to listen. We cannot hide from God, and we will have no peace until we obey Him. When we obey God we have peace and happiness.

Love,
Mrs Seaton.