God Will Give You Another Chance | The Edge Media Philippines

‘Turn back to Me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers.’ Jeremiah 29:12 CEV

Because they disobeyed God, the Jews spent 70 years as slaves in Babylon. They lost their joy, their freedom, and their identity; all the things that make life worth living. But God hadn’t finished with them. He told them this: ‘After… seventy years, I will be kind and bring you back to Jerusalem, just as I have promised. I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. You will turn back to Me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. You will worship Me with all your heart, and I will be with you and accept your worship… You feel secure.’ (Jeremiah 29:10–15 CEV)

Maybe you have wandered off course. We all have at one time or another. But when you read the Biblical stories of the people God blessed and used, you discover that failing isn’t unusual. Often, it’s part of the learning curve. The fact is, there is nothing in your past or present that God can’t use. When we come into this world, none of us knows exactly what we’re supposed to do with our lives. And that’s ok. Just start where you are right now.

When God puts your life back on track, He starts by giving you a sense of hope, because only God–given hope will sustain you through the rough times. If you’re wondering whether you will ever get to where you’re supposed to be in life, go back and reread what God promised His people: ‘A future filled with hope.’ (Jeremiah 29:11 CEV) And the God who gave Israel another chance will give you one, too, when you turn to Him.

SoulFood:

2 Chronicles 7:12–16 ()

12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

Matthew 6:5–15 ()

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

  “Our Father in heaven,
  hallowed be your name.
10   Your kingdom come,
  your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11   Give us this day our daily bread,
12   and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13   And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 18:1–8 ()

18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”