Jonah

Jonah was told by God to go to Nineveh and warn the people there, but instead he ran the opposite way and boarded a ship. Soon a violent storm crashed against the boat, and frightened sailors threw cargo into the sea. Jonah knew he was the cause and told them to cast him overboard. The sea grew calm, but Jonah sank into the deep until God appointed a great fish to swallow him. After three days Jonah prayed from the darkness, and the fish spat him onto dry land. This time Jonah obeyed, and when Nineveh repented, God showed mercy. Jonah struggled to accept that mercy, so God used a plant, a worm, and the hot wind to teach him about compassion. His story reveals both God's persistence and God's tender concern for people.