Rebels Get Another Chance

Prayer – Lord, I’m standing at Your door and knocking. I want to speak with You—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I have messed up again and need Your forgiveness. Cleanse my heart and remove my rebellious spirit so all that I think, say, and do would be pleasing to You. 

"Stand up, son of man," said the voice. "I want to speak with you." The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. "Son of man," he said, "I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day. They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them. Ezekiel 2:1-5

 

Meditate. Consider Ezekiel’s vision.

 

"Stand up, son of man," said the voice. "I want to speak with you." Did the voice get your attention? This could easily be the beginning of a good short story or novel—but it is real. “Stand up…I want to speak with you.” The prophet Ezekiel was filled with the Holy Spirit as the Lord God spoke to him and commissioned him to give God’s message to the nation of Israel. Those people had a history of rebellion against the Lord, but the Lord was calling them to repent and giving them yet another chance through the prophet Ezekiel. A chance…of innumerable numbers by this time. It was not just the second or third chance. God keeps opening His heart to His chosen people and they keep turning their backs on Him…or worse. They’ve taken up with idols as strictly forbidden long ago.

 

The butterfly emerging from its cocoon gets
another chance. A new life.
 

We feel good about being given a second…or even a third…chance when we make a mistake. Thank you…I’ll get it right this time. How willing are we to give others another chance to make things right with us? Do you have to deal with rebellious people—children, teens, or adults—in your life that you need to, want to, or have given a second or even third chance? Another do over? Talk to God about do overs. Just like the dad in story of the Prodigal Son, He’ll forgive and bring you back into His family. Just repent and start again. Rebels get another chance.

Verse of Salvation ~ As for us, we can't help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation--a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

 

© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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