JONAH

 

Have your parents ever told you that you or one of your brothers or sisters were going to be punished for something and didn’t do it? Have you ever seen a friend or schoolmate do something wrong and not get punished for it?

Sometimes when that happens, we get upset because we think everyone who does something wrong should be punished. If someone cheats, he should be punished. If someone lies, she should be punished. If one person hits another, that person should be punished.

In our reading from Jonah (3:1-5, 10), God told his prophet to give a message to the people of Nineveh that their city was going to be destroyed because the people were so evil. So, he did.

When all the people felt sorry for what wrongs they did, they showed God how sorry they were, and God did not punish them. So, how do you think Jonah should have felt about that?

Jonah thought that this was very wrong and he was very angry and extremely sad. He left Nineveh and he pouted … big time! And he complained to God.

God told Jonah that he cared for the people of Nineveh as much as he cared to him. Do you know that God cares for the person who should be punished for breaking His commandments as much as He does for you? Do you know why? Because God is good … all the time. And all the time, … God is good!

I would like you to remember that phrase. So, we’re going to practice it with all the people in church today. Repeat after me: “God is good … all the time. … All the time … God is good.”

Alright, let’s see if everyone knows it. First part: God is good all the time. Second part: All the time, God is good. One more time…

You say that prayer throughout the day, no matter what happens, and soon you will start to see life like God does. Amen!