Real Hope: Second ChancesSample

No One Else. Only God

Exodus 34:6 is one of the most quotable quotes from God Himself. It makes me think about how Moses might have felt climbing Mt. Horeb, carrying the two newly-chiselled stones to replace the ones with the Ten Commandments etched upon them that had been broken previously. Moses had done this walk before to receive those commandments from God, but by the time he had returned to the people in the camp, they had already made a golden calf to worship and had thus broken the most significant command—to love only God. I wonder if Moses was tired of leading people who kept going astray or if he was scared that God would be angry.

God’s first response is to let Moses know that He is not angry. Here is a God who in the face of being betrayed by His own people provides a second chance. Not only that, God tells Moses how He will respond, not just in this moment, but every day. That means that today our God wants to relate to us with compassion and graciousness. We can trust our God is still slow to anger and has an abundance of love for us. Our God is faithful even when we are unfaithful, and His desire is to forgive us.

This verse is worth remembering and repeating. If you need a second chance or if you care about someone else who needs a second chance then be like Moses. Climb to wherever you like to spend time with God. It may be the chair in lounge room, or it might be on a mountain top. Then pray to the God of second chances and call on God’s compassionate forgiveness and pray for God’s presence to continue to guide and lead you and the people you know who are in desperate need today.

Written by KATH HENRY