Thursday, August 18, 2022

Second Chance – Nah, I’m Good

August 18, 2022/ in Week 2, Bible Study

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How many times in your life have you wished for a second chance?

There have been plenty of those times in my life. I’m quite happy to play golf with partners who agree to allow mulligans—a second chance to hit a better shot. Second chances in life are great, but we don’t get them nearly as often as we’d like.

Fortunately for Jonah, he was given a second chance by God.

Jonah 2:5-6

5 “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!”

Now Jonah was saved from death, but he found himself in another dire situation. He was trapped in the belly of a large fish, where he spent three days, alone with his thoughts. Lead Pastor Ben Snyder explained he was not in trouble—he was in a “time out” to hopefully learn from his mistakes.

God created us with the necessary intelligence to learn from our mistakes, but he didn’t stop there. God is the master of second chances, but it’s up to us to repent our mistakes and receive that gift of mercy he gives us. As Jonah spent time contemplating inside the fish, he learned this truth. God rescued you and me on purpose for a purpose. This truth helps us step out and follow him instead of saying, “Nah, I’m good.”

God gave Jonah new life. It’s the same gift that he offers to each of us, and it was only made possible when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When you put your faith in him, he gives us his spirit so that we can do God’s work here on earth.

Wow! A second chance.

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

While he was in the belly of the fish, Jonah realized God was not going to kill him, otherwise, he would already be dead. As Pastor Ben explained, “If you aren’t dead, God’s not done with you.” One of my favorite songs is “What If” by Matthew West, in which he sings, “The last I checked, this heart inside my chest is still beating. Well, I guess it’s not too late.” As I am in the twilight years of life, I find it particularly inspiring to know it’s not too late.

God meets each of us right where we are. He’s waiting to snatch us from the jaws of death with his gift of salvation and grace. And he wants us to accept it—only then can we live out our purpose on this earth, which he planned for us long ago. That is a second chance I don’t intend to waste! I hope you don’t either.

Questions:

When was the last time you felt like God was putting you in a time-out? How did you react?

How does it make you feel to realize God offers you a second chance?

Next Steps:

Imagine what it would be like to be in the belly of a whale and how you might react.

Tune in to the rest of this series to learn more about how to go from “Nah, I’m good” to “Yes, I will.”

Check out the song “What If” by Matthew West.

21 days of Prayer

Day 11 Focus – Our Schools (Mark 10:14;Matthew 5:16)

Dear God, you said to “let the children come to you,” showing that you have a big heart for children. I pray for safety for the children, teachers, staff, and administrators as they embark upon a new school year. I pray for the district leaders as they make crucial decisions, that you would grant them great wisdom. May your followers be salt and light in their schools, shining the hope that we have in you. Amen.

Today’s Parent Prayer