Jonah 3:1-3
We often think God was relentless in His pursuit of Jonah. He was, but only because He was relentlessly in love and pursuing Nineveh. God wanted Jonah to preach repentance to them. And when Jonah is finally ready to do what the Lord wanted, we get to see the beginning of that message.
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.’ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk.” -Jonah 3:1-3 [NASB]
So Jonah arose, and instead of running this time, he went to Nineveh.
God’s compelling and compassionate call is the reason why Jonah got a second chance. And if you’re reading this today knowing you’ve failed the first time, know that God offers you a second chance too.
Be Thankful and Accept God’s Second Chances
I love how God gives Jonah the exact same call a second time. He didn’t give up on His servant. God could have allowed Jonah to die in the water but He let him start over.
Jonah disobeyed. He got thrown into the ocean. Waves are crashing over his head. He is brought to the brink of death. He repents, and the whale spits him out. Now, dedicated to obeying the Lord, Jonah is given his second chance.
Maybe you’ve messed up in life or made a mistake in a relationship. If that’s you, you need to let go of any pride and say sorry. Repent and give it to God. When Jonah overcame his personal barriers and let God move in him, he received another chance to obey.
Consider Paul in the New Testament. Before he was saved, he martyred Christians. He was one of their greatest threats. When God met him on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Paul received the Gospel and gave his life to Christ. He was given a second chance and changed the world through Him.
We have all received the first chance. We were born in sin, and we’ve messed up every day. We are all in the same boat. It’s only through salvation that we can be cleansed and walk in Him— a second chance.
Maybe you’re dealing with something big. Perhaps it’s a broken marriage, and you want a divorce. You think it’ll be better that way. But God hates divorce; he says it in His Word. He wants your marriage to be a success. You need to pray for restoration and give Him control. God can provide a second chance in your marriage.
Today, we can be thankful and even have the option to start again. God has given us a great gift, and we can take the same second chance He gave Jonah.
Respond to His Authoritative Call
Do you need to be humbled to ask God for a second chance? Yes, you’re going to have to own up some stuff. It may take counseling; it may be something that’s hard to go through, but if you give everything to the Lord and choose to walk in Him, you can start again.
God wants to restore it, but you have to let Him. The same Lord who extended a second chance to Jonah. God gave Jonah an authoritative call with three commands: arise, go to Nineveh, and proclaim God’s message.
We need to recognize the “authoritative” aspect of His call. He is the same God as Jonah’s. God is our creator and ruler of our lives. While He loves us relentlessly, we must also recognize His power. We need to obey His call and let Him lord of our lives.
We need to get off our bottoms if we want what God has for us. Arise, He tells Jonah. Jonah’s disobedience prevented him from acting, but now he had another chance to do God’s Will. When God gives you a call, you are supposed to arise and obey.
What’s interesting is that God gave Jonah a second chance and was also offering Nineveh a second chance as well. But think about Jonah. He jumped on his second chance from the Lord because he didn’t want to die. But he was hesitant to preach it to others.
Who in your life are you treating like Jonah treated Nineveh? Why are you withholding the Gospel from them? Is it prejudice? Hatred? Unforgiveness?
Tell me why that message of repentance and salvation is good enough for you, but it’s not good enough for them. There’s no good reason. We’re too quick to turn our back on people. God loves them.
Surrender to God’s Compelling Call
Jonah responded to God’s compassionate, authoritative and compelling call.
Will you surrender to His compelling call into salvation? If so, that’s the first, second chance you need to take today. As a believer, will you surrender to His compelling call to give you a second chance? Will you seize it today?
Whether God is calling you to a neighbor, a content like Asia, or anywhere in the world, you need to answer His call. You are given a second chance, and so are the people He’s called you to impact.
Listen to what God has for you. Maybe you don’t have to go to Nineveh. But you can go to your roommate. You can go to your teammate. You can go to your friend.
If you messed up in your life, it’s not too late. God is the God of second chances. He can use you just like Jonah. Jonah did the opposite of what the Lord asked and did the wrong thing countless times. But God still gave him a chance. He had him start right from where he was.
Pray and ask God for a second chance today. What does He have planned for you today?
