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The Second Chance Hand
Jon Burgess“In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.” Isaiah 11:11 NIV
The scattered will be gathered. The broken will be healed. Those who failed will be a given a future. This is what happens when the Root Of Jesse walks into the room. Impossible reconciliation and restoration becomes a reality in our midst! Just reading this prophetic promise in Isaiah chapter 11 sounds more like something out of a fairy tale then something in reality. Wolves and lambs living together? Leopards and goats lying down together? Who leaves their child with vipers and cobras? When Jesus shows up predators and prey find their natural inclinations supernaturally changed. The predator becomes protector and the prey leads the way! Fear is replaced with fellowship, harm replaced with healing, violence with virtue. Those who we thought would destroy us now dedicate themselves to defend us. He gives us all a second chance!
How is this even possible? The God of second chances has looked at us who are far off and has offered His hand to come home again. When we see Him and know Him it changes how we see and know each other. When we see Jesus has given us a second chance at reconciliation with Him we have hope for a second chance at reconciliation with each other. The turning point is the touching point where His hand touches ours and we are forever changed. Then we unclench our hands again. Our natural inclinations towards revenge, offense and self preservation become supernatural inspirations toward laying our lives down for others. We wont stand with fists clenched and arms folded when we have been embraced, received and forgiven by the Lord even though we have turned our backs on Him. To be embraced by grace is to walk in that same place. The power of the second chance when it is not earned and not deserved can turn a broken heart to wholeness and perhaps... a nation as well. Who do I need to give a second chance to? Who have I written off because of what they wrote about online? Who can I go out of my way to show kindness to even though it has not been shown to me? How can I put the power of the second chance into effect?
Lord, our country is being torn apart by fear. A justified fear because of human atrocities perpetuated by prejudice based on a man's skin or uniform. I read this passage this morning and I want to cry because it seems so impossible to see this kind of healing and wholeness in our country again. It's right here in Your Word, so I'm standing on it! I pray that those who are stomping on each other will stand for each other. That the innocence of a child would be restored to this country whose soul has been jaded and hardened by senseless violence and wicked retribution. Jesus, I'm asking You, the Root of Jesse, to walk into rooms all over this country and do what only You can do! Walk into lunch rooms, board rooms, living rooms and this room and show us the hand of the second chance. It's nail pierced and scarred and yet offered to all who want to know and show forgiveness. Where there's just a dead stump of relationship I pray You would reveal a sign of life. Where policy cannot prevail on the human heart Your healing hand can and will! Based on these promises this morning in Isaiah 11, I'm believing for the impossible. I'm asking for a second chance for our nation! I'm choosing to be a second chance hand to those around me today!
