Explore the Book of Jonah

Explore the Book of Jonah is a plain and simple devotional written by Chris Dalton. The 30 very short Bible reflections are easy to read, concise, and accessible.

The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) of the Bible is used—a simpler and shorter version of the NIV. Each devotion is about two pages long and includes things to notice, questions to think about, and words to pray.

Belief, Mercy and Grace

I was actually surprised by the depth of the questions. For example, when I read that Jonah said he worshiped the Lord but was running away from Him, I was challenged by the question: “What do I believe about God? Does it match up with what I do?”

The book presents theological concepts in a straightforward way. When comparing mercy and grace, it explains: “Mercy is when God doesn’t give us a punishment we do deserve. Grace is when God does give us a blessing we don’t deserve.”

This book is perfect for children and youth who want to begin the habit of daily devotions. It also works well for adults who find reading to be a challenge. Explore the Book of Jonah will help open eyes, hearts, and minds to God’s Word.

I received a media copy of Explore the Book of Jonah and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep

I’m very excited about this new “Plain and Simple Devotions” series from The Good Book Company. They are just that - plain and simple - without being shallow or fluffy. It’s great for kids and teens and those new to the faith. It would also be good for family devotions with kids or those just looking for a simple devotion. This book includes the Bible verses which is helpful to take with you or use on the go.

This devotional works through the book of Jonah, which helps build a good habit of daily Bible reading as you progress through one book verse by verse. This is something I was never taught as a child and think is so important for my children.

I love this excerpt from the author’s bio on the website: “passionate about making gospel truth clear, using everyday language and ideas”. Honestly, that’s exactly what this book does.

This book starts with introduction and why to read this book. It also gives a brief overview of the 4 gospels and the context for how this book is written, using passages from each of the gospels to look at the life of Jesus from different angles.

This devotional has a two page spread for each of the 30 days with various ways to engage with the Scripture. There are also pages at the end to jot down your own thoughts and prayers.

The only small negative I can think of is that the Scripture is NIrV and I’d prefer it to be ESV or CSB. I understand NIrV is probably used because it’s “easier to read” but it can be oversimplified. Layout wise, there’s no space to write answers to the questions in that section. You’d need to use the blank pages throughout the book. Very minor, but I’d have preferred if they allowed space within the question section.

I’m always on the lookout for new materials for my growing children and am so pleased with this new series!

I received a complimentary copy as a reviewer and all opinions shared are my own.

Sometimes, you just need a very simple set of devotions that take you to a simple, biblical truth and help you to apply it. These notes by Chris Dalton take away anything too unnecessary and help you to focus on the Bible passage for the day, questions that unlock some of its meaning for us, and space to pray too. We're looking at these as options for our youth group gifts, as they're great ways to help those who are a bit nervous about Bible reading to get started! This edition, focused on Jonah, will help them to realise that ...the Old Testament is still so valuable to us today, and to see some of the connections to Jesus too. They'll understand salvation more deeply and also wrestle with some of the more unusual details of the book (including the infamous Jonah 4!). We'd really recommend these!