Second Chances

Have you ever done something so terrible that when you think about it, even much later, you're still ashamed?  Or you cringe?  Or you feel as if you're standing naked and everyone sees you're naked?  Or you feel everyone's eyes on you, pearing through you from front to back (or back to front) with every pore of your skin a gaping hole, and all of your life's secrets are spilling out? You might even shiver a little bit and wonder “however could I have done that?”  Something that you’re absolutely not proud of and you a very ashamed of?  It just makes you groan inwardly when you hear about it or even think about it.  It just tears your heart out.  

We have all done things of which we’re not proud, of which we’re ashamed.  But there’s some good news here.   A few years ago my pastor gave us a message of hope.  It was all about second chances.  In this sermon were mentioned several folks in the Bible who are just like us.  They have lives with problems and obstacles and challenges and successes and not-quite successes --  and relationships.  And some of those folks abused their relationships and the people in them, took them for granted, or just really messed over them, really bad.  But at the same time, those folks --  when they realized the wrong that they had done -- were grievously sorry for their wrongdoing.  Do you know what they did?  They confessed to God and asked Him for forgiveness.  And you know what?  In God’s infinite grace and mercy, seeing them in their sorrow and knowing their hearts, forgave them and gave them another chance.

I'm reminded of a song that refers to "the God of second chance."  Actually I don't think it's Biblically sound, especially since most times we need a third, fourth, or fifty-fifth chance.  That's nothing new, though.  Have you ever read the book of Judges?  Chapter after chapter starts with a verse that begins:  And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.   And time and time again they called on God to deliver them from their bondage du jour.   

Isn’t that wonderful to know, that there is Someone to Whom we can go, Wh0 will wipe our slate clean and tell us “here’s a new sheet of paper; write that story again.”