With Jesus, no failure is final if we are willing to repent and once again follow. Jonah discovered this about his God having prayed the prayer of a man in deep need. And so we read at the end of Jonah 2 and the beginning of Jonah 3, And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

Notice that God’s call and instructions had not changed. What had changed was Jonah’s willingness to listen and obey. I don’t know about you, but I am a member of the second chance club. Maybe the third or fourth chance group. Life gives us plenty of opportunities to fail and start over. That has been my story and I suspect you have your own stories on this front. 

I remember a time when I had gone through a very traumatic season and I questioned whether God could still use me. A friend flew halfway around the world to spend a weekend with me, listen to my story, pray with me and encourage me. I will never forget his words. God is a God of second, third, fourth, chances. People may not want you to succeed but He always does. Don’t worry about what people think, but only what God thinks. He is the God of second chances, third chances. He wants to use you and He wants to bless you.

I know many who carry great wounds. Some are self-inflicted, some are inflicted by others. Some are even inflicted by God’s people who can be cruel and unkind. They make you question your usefulness to God. They make you question your worthiness to serve Him. Sometimes the shame, real or imparted on you by others, just wants to make you curl up in a ball and become invisible. It can be deeply painful. But wait!

I think of Jesus and Peter. You remember that Jesus had told Peter that he would betray Him and Peter said that would never ever happen. Yet it did on the very night of Jesus’ crucifixion. When Peter realized what he had done he was devastated. I cannot imagine the guilt, sadness, and depression that Peter must have felt over his betrayal of His Lord. In terms of screwing up, it doesn’t get much better than this.

In one of the most poignant scenes in the New Testament, Jesus meets His disciples on the beach. You remember that he called out to them in their boat and asked if they had caught anything. They said no. He told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and they were nearly swamped with fish. Peter immediately realized it was Jesus, jumped into the water and swam to shore. 

After eating breakfast together on the beach, we read this account. It is found in John 21 and is the close of the Gospel of John. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”  Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

You remember that Peter had betrayed Jesus three times. Now, Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?” There were no words of recrimination, no accusations, no reminding Peter of his betrayal. Just three questions and His final statement. “Follow me.” That is the God of second chances. That is grace. That is mercy. That is God’s love. 

Can you i