We should rejoice in the fact that we serve a God of multiple chances. One thing that is true for everyone is that we’ve all failed God. We have all fallen short (Romans 3:23) and God is not obligated to forgive us, but He does anyway!
Throughout the Bible we see example after example of God giving people second chances, but for the focus of this devotional we will highlight one of the minor prophets.
The book of Jonah is a well known story about a prophet that refused to what God told him to do. God gave him a specific mission to tell the people of Nineveh to repent or be destroyed. But Jonah didn’t like Nineveh and wanted the people to experience God’s wrath and judgment. So Jonah ran away from God and ended up spending an all
inclusive 3 day/night stay inside the belly of a fish or as some theologians say, “The Whale’s Belly” (Jonah 1:17).
Still, God gave him a second chance! In Jonah 2 we find the Prophet praying and then shortly thereafter in verse 10 God kindly check’s him out of his amazing bed and breakfast stay.
After his wonderful aquatic stay, Jonah posted a 5 star Yelp and Google review, but not before he obeyed God’s command and completed the work that God originally called him to do.
Contrary to Jonah’s desire, Nineveh responded positively to God’s admonition (repented) and in Jonah 3:10, “He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened.”
Hence my point of encouragement, the only thing that beats failure is another chance.
4GIVEN 