I have been working on a study of Jonah. When I got to this third chapter and read that first verse, my mind thought of all of the second chances God has given me. Maybe you, like me, can think of a lot of times when you wish you could go back and have a do-over. A second chance to make something right. A second chance to do something a little different.

It’s funny the things that come to mind. I remember as a little girl my parents and another couple they were friends with really enjoyed going to gospel singings. One of those singings took place at a big coliseum. For some reason, I vividly remember exiting the coliseum. It was late and it was dark. Lagging behind as we walked as a group back to the car, I remember my mom asking if I wanted to be carried. Trying to be a big girl in front of the children of the other couple, I said no. But by the time we got to the car, I was so tired. I remembered later thinking, if I could do it again, I would have let them carry me!

Then there are all those many times when I made mistakes – said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing – and wishing later I could go back and change it all.

So, it’s wonderful knowing that when we do mess up, God can give us a second chance. When we come to Him in repentance, He willingly forgives and gives us another chance to serve Him.

But there are some other very significant “seconds” I’d like to look at. Without these seconds, we would be hopeless.

God made a covenant with the Children of Israel. Because of sin, that covenant could never be kept. God made a way for a second covenant that can never be broken.  

• “For if that first covenant had been free of fault, no circumstances would have been sought for a second.” Hebrews 8:7 (Read the whole passage – Hebrews 8:7-13)

God created man in His image, desiring to fellowship with us. Because of sin, God sent a second man to give us a chance for a new nature and life.

• “The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:47 (Read the whole passage – 1 Corinthians 15:42-49)

There were two veils in the temple. Behind that second veil was the presence of God. When Jesus died on the cross, that second veil was torn and we have permanent access to the very presence of God!

• “Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Most Holy Place.” Hebrews 9:3 (Read the whole passage – Hebrews 9:1-28)

There are two births we must experience. The person who experiences only one birth will have to experience two deaths.  

• “Jesus responded and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” John 3:3 (Read the whole passage-John 3:3-7)
• “The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”  Revelation 2:11 (Also read Revelation 20:14)

I’m glad Jonah was given a second chance. I praise God that He sent a second man to initiate a second covenant. I’m grateful we can go beyond that second veil because of the second birth. I’m in awe of the God who will pick me up and carry me the distance when I’m tired or weary or have made mistakes. And I’m looking for His second coming to carry me home for all eternity. Yes, I thank God for seconds!

Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving us second chances when we mess up. I’m grateful that through my repentance and trust in You, I can serve You again. And oh, Lord, how I praise You for all the seconds revealed in Your Word! Not because Your first plan failed, but because You already knew we would need that second chance, that second Man, that second covenant… and, that second birth, to prepare us for Your second coming. Thank You, Jesus, for coming second! For it is in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

We don’t realize how much we take our physical senses for granted until we lose them.  Like many others that dealt with Covid, I lost my sense of taste and smell. It was really strange looking at a particular food, knowing exactly how it was supposed to taste, but then putting it in my mouth and tasting absolutely nothing.

Not being able to taste and savor the flavor of what I was eating took the enjoyment out of eating.  I ate because I knew I needed to, but I did not have the craving or desire for any certain food since I knew I wouldn’t be able to taste it anyway. I just went through the motions of eating without the tasting.

But not really tasting our food doesn’t just happen when we have lost that physical sense.  I’ve noticed that sometimes I will go through a meal, and because of being in conversation with someone, or because we are watching television, after the last bite has been eaten, I will realize I had not fully savored the meal because I had been distracted.

At other times (especially if you set a nice piece of cheesecake in front of me!), I will take a bite and really allow the full flavor of that creamy goodness to ignite all my taste buds. I may even close my eyes to fully experience the taste with no other thoughts in my mind except for how good it is. However, as much as I love cheesecake, I had absolutely no desire for it while my sense of taste was gone.

As I was reading through the Psalms and came across the well-known verse of Psalm 34:8, I thought of it in a new way. It made me ask myself: how often do I just go through the motions of being a Christian, without actually tasting, really experiencing, the goodness of God?

The greatest joy of being a child of God, is having that close, loving relationship with Him. Jesus stated it this way:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3 NKJV

To truly know God means really experiencing Him and His presence. It’s having the hope and peace that comes from Him in spite of what may be going on around us. It’s the assurance that we will spend eternity with Him because of trusting in Christ as our Savior.

But how often do we allow the cares and concerns of life take away that peace? How often do we allow doubts to creep into our minds that cause us to question the assurance of the hope that is within us? Just as truly savoring a bite of food involves us intentionally thinking about what that food tastes like to fully enjoy it, we need to do the same with God. We have to learn to not allow the distractions of life rob us of enjoying the goodness of God.

And for those who have never received the Lord as their Savior, they are like someone who has no sense of taste.  They will have no desire for Him. They will have no knowledge of how good He is. Only when we have repented of our sins, and received Christ into our hearts can we truly experience Him.

Have you truly tasted the goodness of God? Do you find you have lost some sense of His goodness? Be intentional in feeling His presence today. You will be fully blessed for doing so.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me when I allow the distractions of life to cause me to not fully realize the goodness of You. Even when things are going wrong, even in the midst of sickness or trials, Your love and mercy still surrounds me. Help me to be intentional in recognizing Your presence. May I allow You to have full control at all times so that I can fully savor Your goodness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

My husband and I recently visited a small park in which there is a pond.  There is a walking trail around the pond and a couple small piers that extend out over the water.  There are ducks, turtles and fish that call the pond their home.  On one of the piers, there was a small coin operated machine in which a quarter can be placed, and in return, out comes a handful of pellets on which the ducks could snack.

My husband invested a quarter and the ducks who were near the pier were the happy recipients of that snack tossed into the pond. I even noticed that as he was turning the knob on the machine, the ducks must have heard the sound and started gathering close to the pier.  They were shaking their little tail feathers excitedly and quacking, as if they were telling their friends. 

It caused me to remember the value of a few coins in my hand as a child when my brother and I would stay with my grandmother.  My aunt, my grandmother’s youngest child, is just a couple years older than my big brother, so the three of us enjoyed time spent together.

My grandmother would place a couple coins in each of our hands.  A dime and a nickel, maybe a few pennies, and off we would walk to the corner store.  That was the era when children could roam the neighborhood out of sight of their parents with nothing to worry about. When we got to the store, it was amazing how much those few coins could buy.  One penny could buy three to five pieces of bubblegum.  Suckers and candy bars could also be bought with that small budget.  We would each leave the store with a small poke full of various kinds of candy. (If you don’t know what a poke is, it was a brown paper bag. Another memory of days gone by.)  To us, those few coins allowed us to be the recipients of wonderful treats.

My husband also recalled the value of a single coin.  When he was young, he said he could buy twenty-five cents worth of gas and have enough to mow several yards. That one quarter would allow him to become the recipient of three to five dollars per yard.

There was also some other coins whose value allows us all to become recipients of this world’s greatest gift.  Thirty pieces of silver.  That was the cost for the Lord Jesus to be delivered into the hands of Roman soldiers by His betrayer.

Jesus came into the world to become our sacrifice on the cross so that salvation could be ours.  So even though the plan of salvation was in place before the foundation of the world, those coins began the end of Jesus’ life on earth.  They were the value that Judas found worth turning away from his relationship with Christ; but to us, those coins were invaluable. It set in motion the events that had to take place so that Christ could fulfill His purpose.

We may not be selling Christ out for a few coins, but what are we willing to accept in place of Him?  Do we really place great value on our relationship with our Lord? Do we give Him our time, our talents and our treasures?  Or do we allow things to keep us from giving Him our all?

When we become the recipient of His forgiveness and grace, then we will realize that nothing else is more valuable than a relationship with Him. All the silver and gold this world can offer will mean nothing. And when we spend time with Him in prayer and through the reading of His Word, it will bring more excitement than a bunch of ducks shaking their tail feathers. May we all share the Word and tell others about the great treasure Christ has to offer.

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing Your Son to become our sacrifice on the cross so that we could be saved. Help us to not allow things in this world to come before our relationship with You.  When we look at our coins, may it cause us to think of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Help us to share with everyone the eternal value of receiving Christ as our Savior.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

I love reading the Psalms of David.  He knew well how to praise the Lord, even when being pursued by those who wanted to kill him.  It would do us good to follow his example and learn how to praise God, no matter our circumstances.

I have often felt like the reason David was able to be so close to the Lord was because He learned early how to praise God in every circumstance.  As a young shepherd boy, he spent time alone in the fields watching the sheep.  David said there were times he had to fight the lion and bear to protect the sheep.  There must surely have been long, dark nights when the only company he had, other than the sheep, was God.  He must have felt lonely, or even scared, at times.

Then when he began serving King Saul, David had to run for his life when Saul became jealous of David’s popularity with the people.  So again, he had only the Lord to look to for comfort and protection. 

Psalm 103 is one of many that I love.  This Psalm reveals one reason David was able to always praise the Lord.  He did not allow himself to forget what all God had done for him. 

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.”  Psalm 103:2

David goes on to list the things God had done for him.  That list included these continual blessings: God forgives; He heals; He redeems; He offers love and compassion; He satisfies your desires, and renews your strength. 

The Psalm goes on to say that God does not treat us as our sin deserves.  If we are honest with ourselves, we could all say we do not deserve God’s forgiveness.  Yet He offers it anyway. And the reason God offers that forgiveness is because of His love for us.  We need to remember that David understood that even before the death of Christ on the cross.  We have even more reason today to proclaim to everyone God’s love for us.  He allowed His only Son to be sacrificed for our sin so we could be saved.

Psalm 103 also points out how our life is so brief, but the Lord’s love is everlasting.  And His love and righteousness are promised not only to us, but also to our descendants, if we will but keep our covenant with the Lord.

We haven’t had to fight off lions or bears, or hide in caves from an enemy.  But during an official order to stay home, we feel threatened by an unseen enemy.  We feel that we are in a fight.  So, we should also remember the things God has done for us. We need to know and remember that God has always been faithful to take care of our every need.  We need to remember that our life is too brief to complain about our struggles, but instead, praise the Lord for His love.

Read Psalm 103 and do as David did.  Make a list of all the things the Lord has done for you.  Take time to praise Him for Who He is. 

Heavenly Father, I do praise Your holy name.  You have always taken care of my every need, both spiritual and physical.  Help me to remember and recall those benefits when I feel threatened by life’s enemies.  I praise You for the offer of forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus.  Praise the Lord, my soul!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

During the time of the corona virus, I was reminded of other times in my life when I felt stuck.  Have you ever had times in your life before when you felt stuck?  Maybe feeling like there was no way out of the circumstances you found yourself in?  I would dare say that most everyone, at some time or other in their lives, have felt this way, even before we were told to stay home because of a pandemic. 

In Jeremiah, Chapter 29, God is speaking to a remnant of His people who had been exiled into Babylon.  They had been warned over and over that God would scatter them and send them into captivity if they would not repent of their sins.  The people refused to heed the warning and continued living in sin until God made good on His promise.

God spoke to Jeremiah and told him to take the people a message.  God told the people that even though they were being held as captives, they were to build houses, plant crops, allow their children to marry and have families.  They were even told to pray for their captors and to live peaceably among them, and to help the city to prosper.  I would think that this message wasn’t exactly what they wanted to hear.  The people would be longing to return to their homes, their own land.  But God told them it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

I can think of a couple present day sayings that someone could have said to them, like, “Bloom where you’re planted,” or, “You got yourself into this situation, now just make the best of it.”  Not exactly the encouraging or supportive things you want to hear when the place you’re in is unfamiliar and binding.

But God didn’t say those things.   In Jeremiah 29:10, God tells the people that at the end of 70 years He would bring them out of exile and back into their homeland.  That was a long time, but at least they knew there would be an end of their exile.  They had a hope, an assurance that things would be better.  In fact, not only would things be better at the end of their period of exile, but God told them in verse 7, that if they did what He told them to do, to settle down and to seek the prosperity of Babylon, then they would also prosper as the city prospered.  So even in the middle of their situation, God was still planning to bless them.

Sometimes we do find ourselves in hard situations.  It could be because we are reaping the consequences of sin like the Israelites.  At other times, those hard places are not because of sin in our lives, but because God is allowing those things to happen in order to teach us something.  Whatever the case may be, if we will look to God, strive to be faithful to Him and do the things He has asked us to do in spite of our time of trouble, then He will bring us through that situation.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love! Thank You for the forgiveness You offer when we come to You in repentance.  I praise You for promising that even when things are hard, You are still with us and desire to bless us.  May we always seek after You!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

Maybe it’s my age.  Maybe it’s nearing the end of another year (already?).  I’m not sure of the reason, but I’ve found myself being really contemplative here lately about the brevity of life.  During times of trials, time has passed slowly.  But seeing my grandchildren growing like weeds, proves time is flying by.

It’s easy to become depressed when I think about how quickly time passes.  I start thinking about all that I haven’t accomplished.  I think about all I’d like to do but probably never will.  It’s not real uplifting to dwell on all those things.

It appears the Book of Ecclesiastes contains a lot of the same type of thoughts.  It starts like this:

“The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher.  ‘Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.’”  Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 (NIV)

Solomon seems to be thinking back over his life.  He talks about his accomplishments, but then concludes that it’s all vanity.  He talks about his vast wisdom and says it only brought him sorrow.  He talks about all he has and about those he sees that have very little.

One conclusion he comes to that he repeats several times in different chapters is that a person should work at whatever task God has given them to do.  He makes that statement in Ecclesiastes Chapters 2, 3 and then again in these verses in Chapter 5:

“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”  Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (NIV)

Solomon doesn’t deny that people have to toil and labor in this life.  But he was saying that we can have happiness as a result of our toil.  We ought to recognize it is God giving us the strength and the ability to do the things we do.  By doing the work we have before us, we can please God and bring Him glory. 

Also, when we allow ourselves to be satisfied with what we have, whether a little or a lot, that satisfaction is, in itself, a gift of God.  And when we accept what God has given us, we won’t be pondering over the sadness of life, because we will instead be pondering over the blessings of God. 

So do you, like me, find yourself contemplating life?  It’s okay to wonder about things.  It’s okay to review things in your life and even question if this is all there is.  Solomon was the wisest, wealthiest man who ever lived and he did.  And what did he conclude?

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.   For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NKJV)

When we have those moments of reflection in our lives, may we ponder more on His blessings and less on the struggles; more on His provisions and less on our unmet wants.   May our desire be to please Him more, and in doing that, we will have a satisfied life.

Heavenly Father, sometimes it seems life is passing way too quickly.  I often regret the time I’ve wasted and mourn over things not yet accomplished.  Forgive me Lord, for putting such emphasis on myself.  Help me to capture each moment and dedicate it to You.  May I offer myself daily to serve You while there is still time.  Allow me to seek that satisfaction of doing the work You have planned for me to do, and to lay aside the striving towards anything other than You, which is all vanity. I praise You, Father, for the opportunity to toil in Your kingdom.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.