The Book of Jonah

A personal reflection about The Book of JONAH

The 32^nd book of the Old Testament

Can you remember the first book you ever read from cover-to-cover? I sure can. I was eight years old and the book was Crackerjack Halfback, by Matt Christopher. The main character (Freddie) loved football, but he was afraid to tackle. In the story he and his football coach went to a football movie, but on their way home they had to swerve out of the way of an oncoming truck and skidded into a river. This experience taught Freddie some lessons and helped him overcome his fears. It was a great book. I even skipped dinner so that I could finish it. I believe that from this point onward, I developed a love of reading books.

A short time after this delightful experience, I decided that I wanted to read a whole book of the Bible in one sitting. I systematically paged through my Bible looking for one that wasn’t too long and stumbled across the book of JONAH. In this book of the Bible, I read about a person who also was afraid, learned a lesson in the water, and ultimately accomplished a victorious feat. As a young boy, I was cut to the heart by the story of Jonah. Reading all four chapters in one sitting was not easy for a child, but it revealed to me the power of God’s Word if I was just willing to read it. I believe that from this point onward, I developed a love of God’s Word.

As an adult, I still love to read the Book of JONAH. It teaches about how our disobedience to God results in consequences. It also shows how God listens to our prayer of repentance and is ready to deliver us from sin and its consequences. Furthermore, it reveals how quickly we forget God’s goodness after He works in our lives and yet He is willing to show us loving kindness.

Whether you are eight or eighty years of age, I encourage you to read the Book of JONAH all in one sitting. May God richly bless you as you do.

“I cried out the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me.”  – Jonah 2:2

meet the reviewer: jon schommer

Jon Schommer grew up in Calumetville, Wisconsin (dairy farm country) and currently lives in Woodbury, Minnesota. He has been married for 21 years to Lisa and they have two children; Dave aged 16 and Emily 14. Jon’s hobbies include gardening and hiking. During the summer, he enjoys golfing once or twice and during the winter he enjoys ice fishing a few times. Jon earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and currently is a professor at the University of Minnesota.