Have you ever wanted a second chance at something?
I am so thankful we praise and serve a God who gives us
second chances. Sometimes even third and fourth chances too. What is it that
you greatly desire to have another chance at? Tell God right now, and let him
hear your heart. Or, maybe you already
have story of how God has mercifully given you a second chance. Have you ever had
an opportunity to encourage others about God’s grace from your second chance
story?
Ladies, we serve a remarkable Savior, who doesn’t favor one
person over another, unlike some people we might know (Romans 2:11). He is a God of redemption (Ephesians 1:7),
forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and faithfulness (2 Thessalonians 3:3). He loves us
so much that he won’t let us stay where we are. But, he is always lovingly,
moving us forward to the destiny he has for us. (Jeremiah 29:11).
I have so many second chance stories of how God has brought
praise and glory to His name. Years ago,
back when I was in my freshman year of college, I was dealing with a lot of
hurt that had built up. I had internalized it for years, and didn’t feel safe opening
up about it to anyone, for fear of it spreading around like wild-fire, and also
fear of rejection. That year, because
the words kept cutting deeper and deeper, I didn’t have time to heal. So I
started doing physical damage to my body, thinking if I feel physical pain,
that will take away the constant (it felt at that time) emotional pain I was
feeling. That led me into a state where
I ended up deciding to end my own life. I thought if I ended it all, I’d be in
heaven, safe with Jesus and the continual verbal abuse would stop, and I wouldn’t
have to deal with it ever again. So, one night I decided to overdose on some
pain meds. Little to my knowledge, God
had another plan than what I had, and I woke up the next morning shocked I was
alive. I found myself starting to pray, as if the Holy Spirit was praying for
me. I told God, if he has given me
breath in my lungs to breathe today, obviously he has a bigger, greater plan to
use me. I realized he wasn’t through with me yet, even though I thought he was.
It was then, that I decided after God giving me a second chance; how can I not
want to live a life that pleases and glorifies God. He had given me my life
back, and I wanted to bring glory to His name doing that.
I share this to encourage you ladies, God loves you soo
passionately that He won’t allow you to stay in that pit of despair and hopelessness.
I have met a lot of women who have struggled with depression and other similar
issues, due to abuse and neglect as a child. God isn’t out to hurt or punish
you. Jesus knows what it’s like to feel sad and cry (John 11:28-36). He loves
you and wants nothing but the best for your life! He wants us to run to him
with our problems and issues, not internalize them and keep them confidential. Little
do we know, our testimony of God’s work in our lives, might be the miracle God
uses to bring someone out of their despair.
Since that early time in college, God has restored to me the
joy of his salvation. Just ask anyone of my friends, and they’ll tell you what
an outgoing, joyful person God has made me to be. I wasn’t always that way; I was shy and
somewhat introverted as a child. Also, the verbal abuse and pain has greatly
diminished, and I have found a healthy way of dealing with it when it occurs.
Thanks be to God for healing my brokenness and restoring to me the cherished
joy, of a relationship with Him. I know I can come to God about anything (big
or small) in my life without fear. Ladies, it is SAFE to trust God! I’ve also discovered what ‘true Christianity’
is as well. I grew up with a legalistic view of Him, and now understand the
freedom of walking with Him in complete openness and honesty, and what he
intended a relationship with him to be all along.
It is not just today that God is transforming broken people
into beautiful blessings for Him. In the Bible, many people were given a second
chance. Aaron, Moses’ brother was the spokesperson before Pharaoh, while the
Israelites were in captivity. He was the person who spoke what God had
impressed on Moses’ heart, ‘Let my people go’ (Exodus 5:1). After many plagues that God sent to get
Pharaoh’s attention, ending in the death of Pharaoh’s son, Pharaoh finally let
the Israelites leave. While the
Israelites were in the desert, Moses appointed Aaron and his sons as priests of
the Tabernacle. Aaron was the high priest and ended up creating golden idols of
worship for the Israelites, after Moses had left to be with God on the
mountain. After Moses returned from Mount Sinai, he was shocked at the site.
But God gave Aaron another chance, and still got to be high priest,
experiencing God’s presence in the holy place of the Tabernacle.
Another example is Sarah, Abraham’s wife. God promised her
and Abraham that she would bear a son. Sarah, who was beyond child-bearing
years, decided she had a better plan than what God had. She encouraged her
husband to commit adultery, and take Hagar (Sarah’s Egyptian servant), and have
a child that way. I assume Sarah had given up on the promise of God, and
thought the timing had run out and was impatient. Hagar ended up giving birth
to Ishmael. But God, gave Sarah a second chance. Some years later, she finally gave
birth to Isaac in her old age (Genesis 21).
Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, a fisherman at trade, denied
Jesus three times. Yet after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus gave Peter a
second chance (John 21:15-17).
Also, Jonah a prophet was told by God to go and speak with
the people of Nineveh. Jonah for whatever reason, saw it as an interruption in
his life, rather than a divine intervention and opportunity from God. It would’ve
taken him about 500 miles to Nineveh. Instead, he fled about 2,000 miles in the
opposite direction. He ended up being swallowed alive by a huge fish (an act of
God’s grace to preserve Jonah’s life; he wasn’t through using Jonah), that
brought him back to where he had started. Then Jonah obediently went to Nineveh
(Jonah 3) by God’s grace that granted him a second chance.
Are you feeling like you have gone so far that God can’t
forgive or give you a second chance? You
might want to think again. Our God, is a God who wishes that no one perish. Maybe you’ve never even stepped foot inside a
church before, or ever prayed before. The most amazing thing about God is his
unconditional love. There is nobody on earth who can give you that unconditional
love, except the one who created you, God. You are special and treasured by
him. He chose to create you, he has a magnificent plan for your life. He sent
his son, Jesus who is perfect, to take on all the sin (past and present) of you
and I, upon himself on the cross. He did that so that you can enjoy salvation
and a forever friendship with him. You don’t have to do a bunch of good stuff,
hoping that will outweigh the bad, or jump through hoops in hopes of attaining
salvation. All you have to do is ask. Just be honest and open with God. He is a
gentleman so he won’t force himself on you. He’s waiting for your request to
let him be a part of your life. He’s the giver of second chances.
