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.