The God of Second Chances

2 Chronicles 7: 14 says, “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray; if the seek my face and call on my name, I will hear, I will forgive, and I will heal their land..”

Flash back: Garden of Eden; Adam and Eve sin. Pride first, then sin, after that they immediately feel shame, then they try to cover their sin, and along with that they hide from God. And they are about as “God’s people” as they come!

What would have happen if they had gone right to God with their mistake?
What would have happened if they humbled themselves and prayed?
What would have happened if they called on His Name??

IF you are looking for answers I don’t have one. But I do have some observations.

First of all , God knew! Second, He asked questions that he already knew the answers to! Third. I believe he did that so that Adam and Eve would have the opportunity to be reconciled to God.

Until today, I never gave it much thought but Adam and Eve are not recorded as having said, “I’m sorry to God.” What’s up with that? When confronted with the truth they bailed and played the blame game instead.

Excellent opportunity for a demanding self centered god to display his omnipotent powers and just end everything right then and there because he was as we say today “diss’ed” Just destroy the human race blow up the world and say, “next.”

But he didn’t.

Don’t miss this: right in Genesis we see evidence of a God who does not want to cast us aside but wants to be in a loving relationship with us. Yes, there were consequences to pay, a curse as a result of the sin. God none-the-less in his steadfast love did not destroy them but instead, in what could be a nearly overlooked act, initiated sacrifice to cover their sin. He killed animals to use their hides to cover them. He did something on their behalf. Right there in the opening pages of Genesis is the foreshadowing of the future coming of Christ.

So even today, we have the opportunity to do things a bit better than Adam and Eve when it comes to staying reconciled with God when we sin.

2 Chronicles will hold true for us if we humble ourselves, pray, ask forgiveness and seek his face. He will still hear and forgive and heal us.

Seek Him while He might still be sought.

Stay close to Jesus

REG