Bible story "Lessons From a Worm" | Primary Year C Quarter 1 Episode 13 | Gracelink - YouTube

Hello everyone, it's Aunt Frenita.

And we're studying Lesson Thirteen.

"Lessons From A Worm"

The message for this week is: I am happy when others join God’s family.

The memory verse is from First John, chapter 3, verse 1.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

"What’s wrong?”

Mom wanted to know, looking at Caitlin’s face as she and her brother Jeremy climbed into the car.

“I got a horrible grade on my spelling test again!"

"And you said you were going to punish me if I got another bad grade in spelling."

Caitlin sighed.

Jeremy grinned to himself.

He remembered when Mom had grounded him for not studying his spelling.

“I’m sorry, Caitlin!” Mom said sympathetically.

“I’ll help you study your words after supper.”

Jeremy began to feel hot and angry.

Why wasn’t Mom going to punish Caitlin like she’d said she would?

Jonah was feeling much like Jeremy. Let’s look in on him:

Jonah’s face grew red. He gritted his teeth.

God hadn’t destroyed the people he didn’t like.

God was not going to destroy the city of Nineveh after all!

Jonah was so mad!

“I knew You would act like this!” Jonah fussed at God.

“That’s why I tried to run away to Tarshish!"

"You are a loving and merciful God. You are patient and kind."

"I knew You would not destroy these terrible people! Just go ahead and kill me!"

Jonah shouted.

“It would be better if I died since nothing I predicted is going to happen!”

The Lord answered Jonah,

“Is it right for you to be angry like this?”

Maybe something will happen to Nineveh after all, Jonah thought.

He decided to walk out to where he could look down on the city and watch.

It was very hot up on the hillside.

Jonah made a little shelter with tree branches to protect himself from the sun.

Then he sat down and waited.

Then the most unusual thing began to happen.

God made a vine with big green leaves to grow beside Jonah’s shelter

Jonah stared at the plant. He had never seen anything like it!

He had never seen anything grow so fast!

Up and up and up it went.

The stem grew longer and thicker.

Big leaves appeared and uncurled one after another.

The vine climbed all over Jonah’s little shelter.

It made a wonderfully shady place to sit.

Jonah smiled to himself.

It was nice not to be baking in the sun!

He was very pleased with the plant.

Jonah spent the whole night in his little shelter.

Early the next morning, God prepared a worm that ate right through the stem of Jonah’s plant!

Of course, the plant died, and it shriveled up.

It could no longer protect Jonah from the sun’s rays.

The day got hotter and hotter, and God sent a scorching wind to blow on Jonah.

The wind blew and blew, and the sun beat down.

Jonah was miserable and angry.

“It would be better to die than endure this!” he exclaimed.

Then God spoke to Jonah. “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes!” Jonah shouted.

“You feel sorry about the vine, but you did nothing to make it grow."

"And a plant doesn’t live very long anyway,” God said.

“Nineveh has many people living there, plus all the animals."

"I made them all, and I love them."

"Don’t I have more reason to feel sorry for them than you do to feel sorry for the vine that died?”

Jonah was confused.

He didn’t understand why God spared the people of Nineveh.

But he knew about God’s love and mercy.

Years later, Jesus spoke of the work Jonah had done.

This story shows us how loving and patient our God is.

He wants us to follow His example—

to be loving, kind, and patient to the people around us.

He wants us to be happy when others join His family.