Today was all about second chances.  Jonah was our main focus but be sure that all of scripture tells one story after the other of second chances.  We often talk about redemption in terms of our initial salvation experience but it also refers to those who are given an opportunity by God to overcome past failures.  All of us need grace to do more than save us.  One can never really get a grasp on who God is without thinking through His patience to see us through to new days.  I wonder how we would do if the patience we display toward others were the patience God chose to show to us?  My guess is we would be in deep trouble.

Beginning again is not even just for sinners who disobey.  Seems to me that Job is given a fresh start following that cosmic trial played out in his life.  Moses finds a new chapter of his life many years after taking matters into his own hands.  We need to nail down the truth that God often enjoys making a way for us to start over long before we recognize our need.  David would learn this the hard way.  His biography tells us that it took just about a year before he saw the error of his ways.  I sometimes wonder how often God tried to get into his mind and heart before the King got a full view of his failures?  All of this is said to remind us how incredibly dependent we are on the kindness of God beyond our mistakes or sins. 

Jonah would go through the white hot heat of God's grace until he is again given that task of going to Ninevah.  Storms, conflict, fish and so many other tools are used by God to get his attention.  Now be sure that the response of Jonah may lack much to be desired but he does come around.  Our danger is we want to pretend things never happened without any genuine resolution for our disobedience.  Denial is a tool human beings develop at an early age.  We do far better at hiding from God, others along with our mind and heart.  Adam and Eve would tell us such an attempt is futile.  God already knows who we are for reasons that escape us.  Redemption always means God takes the first step to bring us to His grace.  We could not ever be saved without a second chance.  Neither could we ever follow through in our spiritual maturity without its constant presence.

I was reminded of second chances on Saturday night.  My mind went blank upon reading of the death of Whitney Houston.  Few people ever expressed that talent as well as she.  Who can forget those early performances of her songs that just blew us away?  But who can overlook the years of all kinds of abuse her body endured by her own choosing?  Time will tell whether or not her lifestyle directly contributed to her early death.  She had many second chances to recover from her addictions.  There were multiple stays at clinics along with other attempts at sobriety.  Some say she was on the road to recovery.  Only time will tell.  Her hopes of starting over ended in that hotel room Saturday.  My conclusion this morning was more than asking what would we do with a second chance.  We need to ask what are we doing with those opportunities already given to us by God.  It may not be a matter of life or death for us but it will determine how we do in this life now. 

Bro. Trey