Devotion 6: God Of Second Chances

Pastor Gary Wright

“Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’” Jonah 3:1-2

After graduating high school, I went to a trade school where I learned to be a diesel mechanic. One of my first jobs as a diesel mechanic was at a trucking company in Detroit. The company hired me to get their trucks caught up on oil changes. One night, after I drained the engine oil from one of the trucks, I tightened the drain plug on the oil pan finger-tight, but forgot to go back and tighten it down completely with a wrench. I proceeded to fill the engine with oil, thinking all was good. The next day, the truck went on the road and the drain plug fell out and all the oil drained out of the truck. The engine was destroyed! When my employer shared with me what had happened, I thought for sure I would be fired. To my surprise, the company kept me on and gave me a second chance, even though I had made such a huge, and very costly, mistake.

Jonah had also made a huge mistake. God had called Jonah to go and preach in Nineveh, but instead Jonah ran from God and ended up in the belly of a great fish. Jonah’s situation seemed hopeless. When we fail the Lord, our situation can seem hopeless too. It sometimes might even feel as if we cannot go on. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is the God of second chances.

When it comes to second chances, there are a few things we can learn from Jonah.

First: Pray! The first thing Jonah did when he failed God and it seemed hopeless was to ask the Lord for help. “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress” (Jonah 2:2). Jonah knew his only hope was to cry out to God. Jonah still trusted God, even though he had totally failed Him.

Second: Remember you are not alone! God never left Jonah. Jonah 2:2 continues, “You heard my voice.” As rebellious as Jonah was, God was still there and listening.

Third: Repent! The last thing I want you to see is that Jonah repented. “What I have vowed I will pay” (Jonah 2:9). Jonah understood that he had sinned and he was willing to turn back to God and do what God had called him to do. After Jonah repented, God spoke to the fish and the fish vomited Jonah onto dry land. God then repeated His call to Jonah a second time. God gave Jonah a second chance.

I was surprised when my employer gave me a second chance after I had made such a huge mistake. I believe Jonah was probably surprised when God gave him a second chance as well. God is the God of second chances. When we belong to Him, He will never leave us. We can cry out to God when we fail Him. When we let Him know we have messed up, ask for forgiveness, and turn from our sin back to Him, God will forgive and give us another chance.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9