Let’s review Jonah’s track record. God gave him one job. Jonah said no. He ran in the exact opposite direction, got a whole boat full of innocent sailors caught in a storm, and had to be rescued by a fish. At that point, you’d think God would have just found someone else to do it, right?

Nope. God came back to Jonah and said the same thing He’d said before: “Go to Nineveh.” Same mission. Same guy. Second chance.

Now, to be fair, Jonah had real reasons to be scared. Nineveh was a scary place to be sent. It was the capital city of an empire famous for being cruel to everyone they conquered. But scared or not, God told Jonah to do something and Jonah ran the opposite direction. But God gave him a second chance at getting it right.

This is one of the best things about God. Messing up does not put you outside of His grace. Not the first time...or the fiftieth time. Maybe you promised you’d stop losing your temper with your little brother, and you already blew it twice this week. Maybe you told God you’d read your Bible every night, and you’ve missed nine nights in a row. Maybe you said something mean to a friend and you’re sure you’ve used up all your chances. You haven’t. God is the God of second chances. All He asks is that you turn around and come back.

Take Action: Think of one thing you’ve given up on because you already messed up at it. Start it again—TODAY! If you promised God you’d pray every night and quit after four days, pray tonight. It’s more important that you come back to Him right away, not just when you think it’s the right time. The right time is right now.