DefendingChrist.com Blog

Reading bedtime stories to little kids is a custom that will always stay alive and exciting. These stories have a very significant part in building up the personality and values of younger generation and hence, the complete nation. Little kids tend to take their story heroes as their ideals and wish to be just like them. These stories generate, a sense of good and bad in young ones and enhances their character. This is why, it is essential to be very wise while looking for the appropriate stories to read to your kids. These stories should give a message of honesty, valor, obedience, audacity, faith and respect. The greatest book you can get for such stories is the Holy Bible. You can get many Christian books for children that tell the Jesus story and many stories from new and old testament in a very simple and inspiring way.

Of course, there are many other stories in Bible, other than the the Christ’s. One of such stories is the story of Jonah and the big fish. Jonah was a prophet of God who was born in Israel during 780 B.C. At the time of Jonah, there was a powerful evil nation, Assyria. Assyrians, had a strong animosity against Israel. The Lord told Jonah to travel to Nineveh, the capital of Assyrians, where the Ninevites locals were involved in many sinful acts. God told him to preach the Ninevites and ask them to repent and warn them about the consequences of their ignorance.

Yet Jonah was reluctant to go there as it was his enemy nation. Perhaps he wanted them to bear God’s rage or may be he was afraid of getting killed. Instead of heading for Nineveh, Jonah went aginst God’s will and got on a ship that was going to Spain. While he was on his journey to Tarshish, a great storm surrounded the ship and started flipping it wildly. It was a tradition in those days that in case of such storms, the crew used to cast a lot. Who ever the lot fell on was supposed to be the one to blame for the trouble.

The crew of Jonah’s ship planned to cast a lot too and unfortunately the lot fell on Jonah. The crew asked, Jonah about what bad deed he has committed to cause such trouble to all of them. Jonah confesses that he had tried to disobey God’s order and suggests that he should be thrown overboard in order to save everyone else on board. The sailors threw him overboard and the storm calmed down. Before Jonah could drown, God sent a big fish which swallowed Jonah alive. Jonah was protected and alive inside the fish’s stomach. According to the Bible, he stayed there for three days and three nights. He did not whine nor did he fear, instead he prayed all the time and praised his Lord for his generosity, thanked his God for sparing his life.

When passed the three days and three nights, God ordered the fish to spit Jonah out on the land. Jonah now followed God’s order and went to Nineveh where he preached to the people. Surprisingly, the people of Nineveh, along with the King, listened to Jonah and asked for forgiveness. In this way, God brought deliverance upon the Nineveh using Jonah who was not happy with this fact and showed his rage by running away to a distant shelter. Living in rage there, he questioned God why He saved the evil nation. The God replied “But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:11 NLT) The story of Jonah, hence, is one amazing story about obedience and God’s kindness upon his people. It definitely teaches us a lesson about conforming to God’s order and not questioning His will.

Tags: Christian books for children, Jesus story
Filed under: Christian Living, Religion