For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
God gives Jonah his job a second time — and this time Jonah goes. What happens in the city of Nineveh is one of the biggest turnarounds in the whole Bible.
Today's Story
God spoke to Jonah again: “Go to the great city of Nineveh, and tell them My message.” And this time — Jonah went!
Nineveh was huge, so big it took three days to walk across. Jonah walked through the streets calling out God's warning: “In forty days, Nineveh will be destroyed if you don't turn back to God!”
And then the most amazing thing happened. The people of Nineveh BELIEVED God! From the greatest to the smallest, they were sorry for the wrong they had done, and they stopped their bad ways. Even the king got up off his throne, took off his royal robes, and said, “Everyone, turn from your wrong! Call out to God! Maybe He will have mercy on us.”
The whole giant city turned back to God — all at once.
And when God saw that they truly turned from their wrong, He was filled with compassion. He did not destroy the city. He forgave them. God's heart is to forgive, not to destroy — and a whole city got to start fresh.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- The whole city turned back to God, even the king! Is anyone ever too far gone to come back to God? (No!)
- God forgave Nineveh instead of destroying it. What does that tell you about God's heart?
- Jonah got a second chance to obey, and this time he went. Have you ever gotten a second chance to do the right thing?