The Story of Jonah

Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh, but he fled to Tarshish in a ship.  He tried to hide from God, but God is all-knowing, and He knew where Jonah was. God stormed the waters and the other men on the boat threw Jonah into the sea, and Jonah then got swallowed by a big fish, where he spent time praying to God. After three days and three nights of being in the belly of the fish, the fish spits Jonah onto dry land. God then gave Jonah a second chance to preach His message to the evil Ninevites. Jonah obeyed God and preached His word to them. The Ninevites finally repented and turned to God.

Even though the people of Nineveh had been extremely disobedient, God still forgave them. The story of Jonah shows us two things: that hiding from God is impossible, and God is willing to forgive those who repent.

God needed to show Jonah the consequences for his disobedience.  Sometimes we try to hide from God, but He still knows where we are and he knows our heart.