2 minute read
Book in Review
from His Grace Magazine
by His Grace
May 2022 His Grace Magazine! Page 7
God Gives Second Chances
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How to Get Up, Dust off and be Used Again Book by: R.T. Kendall
Written by: Lynne Wood
God Gives Second
Chances is written by R.T. Kendall. He is an internationally known speaker, author and teacher; he was also the pastor of Westminister Chapel in London, England for twenty-five years.
Does God give second chances? Absolutely He does; we're given numerous examples where God has done just that in the Bible. There was Jonah, God wanted him to preach to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn't want anything to do with that, Jonah said, no; God said, really. He left on a ship sailing to Tarshish; a wild storm came up. Jonah knew it was from God because he disobeyed Him. Jonah told them to throw him overboard and a great fish swallowed him. Jonah prayed and prayed for God to please let him do the very thing he had refused to do.
God didn't have to give Jonah a second chance, but He did. Moses was born a Hebrew; he was raised as an Egyptian. One day, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and he committed murder. God still used Moses to deliver the Hebrews to the promised land. King David committed adultery when he was with Bathsheba. David loved God and he truly repented of his sin and God forgave him. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times just before He was crucified. Jesus forgave him and Peter went on to become a great leader among the disciples.
Billy Sunday was a well known evangelist who said, the reason Christians fall into sin so often is because they treat temptation like strawberry shortcake rather than a rattlesnake. Romans 13:14 says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
So to avoid falling into sin, you need to avoid the temptation. Joseph faced sexual temptation when he worked for Potiphar in Egypt.
Potiphar's wife was flirting with Joseph. He refused her advances because God would know what he did.
Because of his faithfulness to God, He prepared Joseph for greatness; he would become the prime minister of Egypt. God prepares us for things to come, trials and even temptation. God never tempts us but He will allow temptation to come into our paths, it's how we respond to the temptation that determines the next step in God's plan for us. God will definitely help you to get up and dust yourself off when you have sinned, if you are willing to ask for forgiveness. Don't try to run from God, you can't and you will only feel worse. Just remember, even if you went down the wrong road, God can get your feet on the right path. God loves you and He will forgive you. God is our loving Father who wants to see us make all the right choices in life, but if we fall into sin He is right there with open arms ready to forgive. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
