Word for Today, Fri, 25 Jan 2002: Getting a Second Chance

#1 · January 25, 2002, 10:12 am

Quote from Forum Archives on January 25, 2002, 10:12 am
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Isn't it nice to get a second chance? Don't we often need a
second chance - or a third, or a fourth? Today's message comes
from the Quiet Walk Devotional series. The messages in that
series have been coming from the first book of the Bible, the
book of Genesis. The book of Genesis is a historical book. It
records the earliest events in human history. Ultimately,
Genesis points to Jesus Christ. It provides the very first
prophesy of how Jesus will come to save God's people from their
sins.

The story we pick up on in this message is about Judah, the
oldest of Jacob's sons. Jacob, renamed Israel, is the father of
the nation we still call Israel. Judah was the first born son,
the heir to the future of the family line.

Judah really blew it - you can read the entire story yourself (if
you don't have a Bible, look it up using The Bible Gateway,
bible.gospelcom.net/ or the Online Study Bible from the
Bible Study Tools at Crosswalk.com, bible.crosswalk.com/).

David, the second king of Israel, a man after God's own heart,
was a man of second chances, too. He dearly loved God, but he
got himself into trouble on numerous occasions, sometimes of his
own doing, sometimes because of others. His prayer is recorded
in Psalm 51 after realizing the gravity of one of his biggest
blunders - an affair and a coverup that killed a man.

Can God forgive such offenses? Both of them were no small
deeds. They were murderous events, deserving death. Did God
forgive? Yes, He did. What did Judah and David have in common?
Both of them turned away from their evil acts, sincerely
repented, and chose a different path. They recognized their
failure, sought forgiveness, accepted forgiveness, and changed
their behavior.

I believe these lessons are at the core of what our response as
people of God is intended to be. God does not expect initial
perfection. He made us as people who are dependent upon Him for
all things - our material possesions, but also a spirit and a
lifestyle that matches the ways of God. I do believe that God
does call us to turn away from our misdeeds, and He also gives us
His Word, so we know right from wrong. We are not expected to be
perfect, but we are called to seek Him, and He will direct our
ways, refining us until we become much more like Him.

Dear Lord,

It is a good thing that You give us second chances, for without
Your merciful ways and Your acts of grace toward us, we would be
without hope. I praise You, for Jesus Christ has provided
everything we need - an example of how You call us to live,
numerous demonstrations of His Power, and a miraculous
demonstration of Your love, as He gave His life as a ransom -
payment for our failures and "second chances". He proved to be
triumphant over all of it, conquering both sin and death, dying
to sin, yet rising again, once for all, in full payment for our
transgressions. I am forever grateful for Christ.

Help me and others to constantly remember what Jesus has done, as
a reminder of the great price He paid for the acts of ill we
commit against You and against one another. Please forgive us,
and change our hearts, that we may be truly renewed. Please make
this not only a once for all event, but also a constant reminder
in the day to day things that confront us. May Your way permeate
the very fabric of who we are, for Your eternal Honor and Glory.
Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

BIBLE READING

Genesis 44

OVERVIEW
Joseph's older brothers are tested.

INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is
important to seize the opportunity.

Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph,
Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing
Joseph.

Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective,
Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on
the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account
in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in
the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.

Throughout life we are given second chances. We should
take these chances and set things right.

PRAYER

* Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to
the God of grace:

You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His
holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).

* Now pray this confession to the Lord:

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your
righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm
51:14-15).

* As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings
to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

. health and strength to serve Him,
. His will to be done on earth,
. today's activities.

* Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God
and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting
consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our
hearts and establish us in every good word and work
(based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Walk Thru the
Bible. Copyright 2001 Walk Thru the Bible. All
rights reserved. See www.walkthru.org/ for more
information about Quiet Walk and other devotionals from
Walk Thru the Bible.

You can purchase the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible Hardcover and
other titles at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors -
CBD). < shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/bible_nkj >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

-----------
For Copyright Terms go to www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

____________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO_______________________

* To subscribe, send an email to:
< SUBSCRIBE-quietwalk@lists.crosswalk.com > or go to
< www.crosswalk.com/lists > for a complete list of
our newsletters.
* Copyright 2001 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.

____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Isn't it nice to get a second chance? Don't we often need a
second chance - or a third, or a fourth? Today's message comes
from the Quiet Walk Devotional series. The messages in that
series have been coming from the first book of the Bible, the
book of Genesis. The book of Genesis is a historical book. It
records the earliest events in human history. Ultimately,
Genesis points to Jesus Christ. It provides the very first
prophesy of how Jesus will come to save God's people from their
sins.

The story we pick up on in this message is about Judah, the
oldest of Jacob's sons. Jacob, renamed Israel, is the father of
the nation we still call Israel. Judah was the first born son,
the heir to the future of the family line.

Judah really blew it - you can read the entire story yourself (if
you don't have a Bible, look it up using The Bible Gateway,
bible.gospelcom.net/ or the Online Study Bible from the
Bible Study Tools at Crosswalk.com, bible.crosswalk.com/).

David, the second king of Israel, a man after God's own heart,
was a man of second chances, too. He dearly loved God, but he
got himself into trouble on numerous occasions, sometimes of his
own doing, sometimes because of others. His prayer is recorded
in Psalm 51 after realizing the gravity of one of his biggest
blunders - an affair and a coverup that killed a man.

Can God forgive such offenses? Both of them were no small
deeds. They were murderous events, deserving death. Did God
forgive? Yes, He did. What did Judah and David have in common?
Both of them turned away from their evil acts, sincerely
repented, and chose a different path. They recognized their
failure, sought forgiveness, accepted forgiveness, and changed
their behavior.

I believe these lessons are at the core of what our response as
people of God is intended to be. God does not expect initial
perfection. He made us as people who are dependent upon Him for
all things - our material possesions, but also a spirit and a
lifestyle that matches the ways of God. I do believe that God
does call us to turn away from our misdeeds, and He also gives us
His Word, so we know right from wrong. We are not expected to be
perfect, but we are called to seek Him, and He will direct our
ways, refining us until we become much more like Him.

Dear Lord,

It is a good thing that You give us second chances, for without
Your merciful ways and Your acts of grace toward us, we would be
without hope. I praise You, for Jesus Christ has provided
everything we need - an example of how You call us to live,
numerous demonstrations of His Power, and a miraculous
demonstration of Your love, as He gave His life as a ransom -
payment for our failures and "second chances". He proved to be
triumphant over all of it, conquering both sin and death, dying
to sin, yet rising again, once for all, in full payment for our
transgressions. I am forever grateful for Christ.

Help me and others to constantly remember what Jesus has done, as
a reminder of the great price He paid for the acts of ill we
commit against You and against one another. Please forgive us,
and change our hearts, that we may be truly renewed. Please make
this not only a once for all event, but also a constant reminder
in the day to day things that confront us. May Your way permeate
the very fabric of who we are, for Your eternal Honor and Glory.
Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

BIBLE READING

Genesis 44

OVERVIEW
Joseph's older brothers are tested.

INSIGHT
Sometimes we get a second chance. When we do, it is
important to seize the opportunity.

Judah did. When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph,
Judah intervened. But he still fell short of rescuing
Joseph.

Judah's second chance came when, from his perspective,
Benjamin's life was in danger. Judah put his own life on
the line. Perhaps this commitment was taken into account
in the blessings he passed on to his sons, resulting in
the Messiah coming through the tribe of Judah.

Throughout life we are given second chances. We should
take these chances and set things right.

PRAYER

* Daily we have the second chance to offer praise to
the God of grace:

You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints . . .
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His
holy name (Psalm 97:10-12).

* Now pray this confession to the Lord:

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,
O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your
righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise (Psalm
51:14-15).

* As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings
to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).

* As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

. health and strength to serve Him,
. His will to be done on earth,
. today's activities.

* Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God
and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting
consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our
hearts and establish us in every good word and work
(based on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Walk Thru the
Bible. Copyright 2001 Walk Thru the Bible. All
rights reserved. See http://www.walkthru.org/ for more
information about Quiet Walk and other devotionals from
Walk Thru the Bible.

You can purchase the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible Hardcover and
other titles at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors -
CBD). < shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/bible_nkj >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday,
go to religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/

-----------
For Copyright Terms go to http://www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

____________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO_______________________

* To subscribe, send an email to:
< SUBSCRIBE-quietwalk@lists.crosswalk.com > or go to
< http://www.crosswalk.com/lists > for a complete list of
our newsletters.
* Copyright 2001 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content
Providers. All rights reserved.

____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions!
auctions.yahoo.com