Today’s Reading:
Read Jonah
Give everyone in your family a sheet of paper. Fold it down the middle so that there are two parts. Think of a time when someone hurt you or did something mean or hurtful towards you. On one side of the paper draw a picture of what happened in the situation and how you handled it. On the opposite side, draw a picture of how God would have handled the situation.
We have been reading about how the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms- Judah and Israel. Today we will read about a city that is not in either of these kingdoms. Instead, the city of Ninevah is the capital city of the Assyrian empire, Israel’s enemy! Jonah was a prophet that had counseled King Jeroboam II of the Israel kingdom. (II Kings 14:23-25) God called Jonah to leave Israel and travel to Ninevah to tell them about God and tell them to turn towards God and repent or their nation would be destroyed. Jonah did not want to do that. The Ninevites were not Israelites, they were not God-honoring, and they were enemies of Israel. Jonah knew that God was loving and forgiving and if the people of Ninevah turned towards him, God would forgive them. Selfishly, Jonah did not want that to happen. So, Jonah tried to hide from God and he ran in the opposite direction. He got on a boat to Tarshish.
A great storm came up and the sailors determined that Jonah was the reason they were in danger. They threw Jonah overboard. God did not allow that to stop Jonah, though. God still had a plan for Jonah so God allowed for a giant fish to swallow Jonah. Remember, if we read about it in the Bible, it is true! So we can trust that a big fish actually swallowed Jonah. While Jonah was in the belly of the fish, he spent some time with God. He prayed and asked for forgiveness. God caused the fish to spit Jonah out and Jonah went to Ninevah.
God did save the people of Ninevah. Jonah was still unhappy about that. Jonah cries out to God again. God reminds Jonah that He is in charge and ultimately forgiveness is up to God not Jonah.
Application/Prayer:
Take the time to discuss the pictures your family drew at the beginning of our reading time today. What are the differences between the way we handle situations and the way God would want us to handle situations? Spend some time allowing for honest conversation about these situations. It is hard to forgive or see God bless someone who has wronged or hurt us. Thank God for his forgiveness that he extends to ALL people!
June Memory Verse:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
June memory verse coloring sheet
June Fill-in the blank activity