“Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. ‘Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?’
Jonah answered, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.’
The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. ‘Oh, why did you do it?’ they groaned. And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, ‘What should we do to you to stop this storm?’
‘Throw me into the sea,’ Jonah said, ‘and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.’ Jonah 1:7-12, NLT
Activity from the Hands-On Bible
Want to read a cool story? Go read all of JONAH 1. Then come back to make something fishy!
- Cut a piece of paper to look like a special diamond gemstone. Draw Jonah on this diamond shape to remind you that Jonah was a special prophet of God.
- Fold the paper in half to remind you that Jonah hopped on a boat to try to hide from God.
- Fold the long end down to remind you that Jonah went overboard. Then flip the paper upside down to see the fish that swallowed Jonah.
PRAY TODAY
Now you have your very own Jonah storyteller! But that’s not the end of this tale. Read JONAH 2 to see what happened next. Jonah prayed to thank God for another chance to follow him.
Think about all the second chances God gives you to obey him. Then write a note to God on the fish’s belly, thanking him for fishing you out of your troubles.