While so many of us like to consider the gifts of God the Father in terms of tangible and measurable substances, one soon realises the profoundness of the giving nature of God because it spans across the most unlikely stretches of our existence. While the hallmark of the giving nature of the Father is articulated through His amazing grace we soon discover that not only is this so but the profundity of it when explored to the fullest measure, might be conceived by most minds as an overstretched truth or exaggerated benevolence of our loving Father.
This grace is beautifully packaged in the second chance that God so compassionately gives His children is sometimes bewildering. Consider the story of the prodigal son who at some point in his life thought he had everything all worked out and didn’t think he needed the overbearing tutelage and covering of his father. He simply and audaciously demanded for his birthright far in advance of the time that his father had set. Though his father obliged him He was definitely not pleased that his son had wrongly rated his own ability for a self directed life.
The story as recanted by the Lord Jesus Himself told of how this young man wasted his resources in a strange land, joining himself to strange associates. Soon, his life descended into squalor and despondency. He became a casual worker doing a demeaning job that stripped him of every strand of dignity he possessed. In time he began to wallow in depression and helplessness. He was eating the food of pigs and did not have anyone to turn to as no one offered him help.
One day he came to himself and returned home. It was not like he went excitedly or with a rush of positive emotions. He did so as a last resort, preferring to become one of his fathers hired servants than to continue to wallow in despair. He must have wondered what type of reception he would get from the father that loved him so much that even when he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do with his life the man respected his decision and gave him a premature inheritance.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of the crossfire of our mistakes and waywardness.
We are demoralised and sometimes even demobilized by our failings, our infidelities, our insecurities and our arrogance. We squander precious opportunities that are God given and allow our lives to assume unscriptural ordinariness that reeks with mediocrity and tasteless existence. In these moments we ignore God and allow ourselves to be baited by base and banal urges that only plunge us deep into the ocean of uncertainty. We are tossed back and forth by unfriendly circumstance because like Samson we fail to keep the covenant we have with God, or like Peter we find ourselves denying the master that we once sang “hosanna in the highest” to, or like Onesimus we become dissatisfied with the conditions of our service and we abandon our master to his own elements.
Or should I mention John mark abandoning the cause when evidently the labourers are few and the Lord is counting on us to support his servant in the work of the ministry. Or just go the way of Demas who allowed himself to be drawn away by the cares of this world when the Lord had given him a place beside the great apostle Paul. Maybe you do not fall in this category. Perhaps in your case the ugliness and the pain of your recent past has caused you to slip into a spiritual comatose. You have become indifferent and possess no motivation come out of the pigsty that you strayed into.
Your indifference has starved you spiritually and you have resorted to fill the place of God in your life with friends, material things and human accomplishments. In time you have become despondent, discouraged, bitter and internally angry. This is not the time to start looking for someone to hold responsible for your mess. Not your parents, not your spouse, not your leaders and not the devil.
Things may look very messy for you right now but you must know that God loves you and he is not mad at you. He wants you to have His gift of a second chance. Do not believe the lie of the devil. Say like Job said “I know my redeemer liveth”. Samson though became blind got his second chance. Peter truly did deny Christ but he also got his second chance and what about John Mark and Onesimus? They too got their second chance. Stop the self pity, dump the cloak of disappointment and regret and embrace your second chance. You see, we serve the God of a second chance! The bible says “it is the Father’s good pleasure to give gifts unto his children who we are! Halleluyah! Celebrate. You are in your season of second chance. Therefore arise, shine for your light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you!
For further Study
Luke 15:11-23
Personal declaration for the day
Today, I will start again with a new commitment.
Questions for you to reflect on
Have you messed up before?
Have risen above the mess and make a new commitment?
Comments & Testimonials