Second Chances

Do you ever feel like you have completely blown it with God?  It’s almost like He’s thinking “I’ve had it!  I’ve already given you chance after chance. I’m done with you!”

You don’t have to feel that way any longer. The Bible teaches us that God is a God of  second chances because He knew that we might not get it the first time, the second time, the third, the fourth and so on. A God of second chances means the Almighty doesn’t give us just one shot at getting it right; He loves us even when we don’t get it right.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible that demonstrates our God of second chances is found in the book of Jonah. God called him to go to Nineveh to tell them of His judgement coming upon them. Jonah didn’t want to do that, so what did he do? He bought a ticket on a ship going the opposite way. The result…Jonah ended up in a storm and had a whale of a tale to tell his friends. He repented of his sin and our God of second chances did just that — gave him a second chance. After that Jonah went to Nineveh to tell them of God’s forthcoming judgement. His sermon was very short—a mere five words in the original Hebrew that translates as “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The people of Nineveh did repent and like Jonah, found that our God is a God of second chances. 

Perhaps today you are caught in a storm, crying out to God to forgive you and save you from the destruction your choices have caused.  It doesn’t matter how you’ve arrived in your storm; what matters is what you do next. Learn from Jonah and cry out to God. All is not lost. Don’t let past poor decisions keep you from making new good ones. Regardless of your past, Jesus can make all things new.  Isaiah 43:19 (NLT) says, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

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Yes, God is the God of second chances. He doesn’t give up on us. Imperfect people are always in need of a perfect God.

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