Jonah Learns About Love

You'd think Jonah would be happy that the people were saved, right? But Jonah was MAD!

'This is exactly why I ran away!' Jonah complained to God. 'I KNEW You would forgive them! I don't WANT You to be nice to these bad people!'

Jonah was so angry he said, 'I wish I were dead!'

God asked, 'Jonah, should you be angry?'

Jonah went outside the city and sat down to pout. It was very hot. So God made a big leafy plant grow up to give Jonah shade.

Jonah was SO happy about the plant! 'Ahhhh, nice and cool!'

But the next day, God sent a little worm. The worm ate the plant, and it died. Now the hot sun beat down on Jonah again. He was sweating and grumpy.

'I'm so angry about my plant!' Jonah said. 'I wish I were dead!'

Then God asked Jonah an important question: 'Jonah, you're upset about a plant that you didn't make, that only lived for one day. But you don't care about thousands and thousands of people in Nineveh? Those people didn't know about Me. Shouldn't I care about them? Shouldn't I want to save them?'

God was teaching Jonah that He loves ALL people—not just some people. God wants EVERYONE to know Him and be saved!

God's love is bigger than we can imagine. He loves people from every country, every city, everywhere in the world. And He wants us to love them too!