December 12
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WHEN JONAH OBEYED
A poem by ILMA
Once again the LORD spoke to Jonah and said “Go to Nineveh
Proclaim to the people the message I have given you.”
So, Jonah obeyed the LORD and went to the big city
It took three days to walk through the whole Nineveh
Jonah proclaimed, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed!”
The people of Nineveh believed God’s message
They decided all should fast from the greatest to the least
They put on sackcloth, each one of them, to show that they had repented
When the king heard about it, he got up from his throne
He took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat down in ashes.
He sent out a proclamation to the people of Nineveh
“This is an order from the king and his officials
No one is to eat anything; all persons are forbidden to eat or drink
Each person and animals must wear sackcloth
All must pray earnestly to God and give up their wickedness
Perhaps God will change his mind and stop being angry
Then the whole city will be saved and we will not die!”
God saw what they did, he saw that they had given up their wicked behavior
So, he changed his mind and did not punish them as he had said he would.
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MEMORY VERSE
So, Jonah obeyed the LORD and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to walk through it. – Jonah 3:3
Read: Jonah 3:1-10
When Jonah finally obeyed the Lord after he was spitted from the fish, a miracle happened. The wicked people of Nineveh, repented. All from the king and everyone.
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REFLECTION
• What stops people from walking in obedience?
• What happened when Jonah finally obeyed the Lord after running the first time?