August 21

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: — Jonah 3:1 BSB

Jonah had failed the first time—but God gave him a second chance. This demonstrates divine patience. Strict justice would have left Jonah at the bottom of the sea or in the jaws of the great fish, but God showed mercy. Jonah had gone through discipline, and now he was ready to obey.

This is often how God deals with people. When they disobey or rebel, He doesn’t cast them off but subjects them to discipline—sometimes severe and painful—to teach them obedience. Then He gives them another opportunity. Many of us need to be corrected before we learn our lessons, but how blessed we are that God is so patient with us! Most of us owe whatever good we are to God’s discipline. “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6). Even our failures can become blessings through God’s loving correction.

We should be thankful for these second chances when we’ve failed to make the most of our first opportunity. Very few people achieve the life God initially intended for them, but He graciously gives us new tasks to fulfill His purpose. While the second chance may not be as grand as the first, it is still good, and we can create something meaningful if we are faithful. Most of us are sent on more than one errand for God. Happy are we if we obey at the second bidding, though it’s always better to go at the first.