A SECOND CHANCE

DAY 52/366

Jonah 3:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time...

There are times we wonder why some things are recorded in scripture. We consider why certain accounts are available, why particular stories are documented the way they are with that amount of detail. The core of this reflection is Jonah’s second chance.

We may ask: ‘why did Jonah need a second time? Or why did God have to return with the same instructions on another occasion? This was because at the first time of asking, Jonah blew it. Yes, he disobeyed his instruction to go to Nineveh and instead fled the opposite way to Tarshish. Through  that action, he lost the opportunity that was given to him.

However, beyond Jonah’s decision, God was considering the number of lives that would suffer loss because of his actions. In fact, the destiny of an entire nation rested on his obedience. Therefore, in mercy, God sent his word a second time, and even today, he does not cease to do this.

He finds a way to reroute our way back to encounter the opportunities, instructions and even the people we missed on our way. Whether we lost them because we were careless, unprepared, afraid or disobedient, God knows many others have a stake in our response and so He comes again at a second time. But mind you, this won’t be on repeat because ‘the second time’ may not be in the quick chronological manner we may expect.

Stay discerning because there are many things you will have to get right the first time, else many could suffer loss.

#sly