Jonah 3:1–3
This devotion is about one of the characteristics of God I’m most grateful for, and I’d guess that you are too. God is a God of second chances. I’ve needed them. You probably have too. Maybe you blew it in a relationship, made a mess of your finances, or walked away from something God called you to. We’ve all been there. And one of the most comforting truths in all of Scripture is this: God doesn’t give up on us.
Jonah 3 begins with these powerful words: “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” That phrase should stop us in our tracks. This is the same Jonah who ran in the opposite direction from God’s call. The same Jonah who boarded a boat to Tarshish, was thrown overboard, and spent three days in the belly of a fish. He disobeyed God, rejected his calling, and nearly lost his life. And yet… “the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.”
Friends, this is who God is. He is the God of second chances. And third chances. And fourth chances. This second word from God boldly declares that you are not disqualified by your failure. Your past doesn’t cancel God’s purpose. Jonah’s story proves that.
What’s beautiful is that the call in chapter 3 is nearly identical to the one in chapter 1: “Arise, go to Nineveh…” Same call. Same city. But this time, Jonah’s response is different. Verse 3 says, “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.” I think we’re seeing a little bit of growth; maybe even transformation. As we’ll see, Jonah’s obedience this time isn’t perfect – he still has some heart issues to work through but it’s real. He’s learning to say yes. And that’s what God is looking for: not perfection, but progress.
So here’s the good news today: If you’ve been running, you can stop. If you’ve failed, you can get up. If you’ve disobeyed, you can come back. The word of the Lord can come to you again. God is not just the God of the first chance, he’s the God of another one. And maybe today is your second time. Where do you need a second chance today? What would it look like to say “yes” to God this time?
Pastor Ryan Paulson