The Old Testament book of Jonah has many important truths to teach anyone who wants to live for God.

The book starts with the word of the Lord coming to Jonah, telling him to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and preach. Instead, Jonah went in the other direction, booking passage on a ship. But God wasn’t going to let Jonah get away that easily. The Lord caused a violent storm that threatened to break up the ship. Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the water to calm the sea. They did that, and Jonah prayed a sincere prayer as he sank in the depths of the sea. But God provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah. The fish eventually spit Jonah onto dry land and the word of the Lord again came to Jonah, telling him to preach to Nineveh. This time he obeyed, and the wicked city of Nineveh repented and turned to the Lord. Instead of being happy that the Lord had used him in such a great way, Jonah got angry and pouted. The Lord told Jonah that he was concerned about the people of Nineveh, and that Jonah should have the same concern.

Here are some of the lessons we can learn from Jonah. First, the Lord expects us to obey him. He is the Lord, and we are his creation. Therefore, he has the right to tell us what to do. God gives us commands, not suggestions, and he expects us to do what he says.

Second, we learn that God is full of grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It cannot be earned; it is a free gift. God gave a second chance to his wayward prophet and to the wicked city of Nineveh. Through Jesus, the Lord gives second chances to all who will believe in him and respond to his grace.

Third, we see the necessity of repentance. Jonah had to stop running away from God and turn to go in the opposite direction. Nineveh also had to do an about-face and start to live for God. Jesus says that unless we repent, we, too, will perish (Luke 13:1-5). Anyone who finds themselves running from God must, like the prodigal son, come to their senses and turn toward our heavenly Father.

Another lesson we learn from the life of Jonah is the importance of prayer. Like so many people today, Jonah waited until he was in dire straights before he prayed. How much better off we would be if we did not wait until it is a last resort to pray! When we do pray, God hears the prayers of his children and answers them without fail.

We also learn here of God’s mighty hand to save. God provided salvation to Jonah in the belly of the huge fish. He also relented from destroying Nineveh and saved them from being annihilated. God is able to save all those today who will turn to him in faith and give their lives to his Son Jesus.

A final lesson to learn from this book is that we need to see others through the eyes of the Lord. We should have concern for their salvation just as the Lord does. We can’t be content to experience our own salvation. We must strive for the salvation of others and rejoice when they turn to the Lord.