Auburn’s quarterback last year, Bo Nix, transferred to Oregon during the offseason. Rather than work with yet another new offensive coordinator at Auburn, Nix entered the transfer portal and ultimately decided to reunite with his former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Kenny Dillingham, who now coaches for the Oregon Ducks.
Dillingham and Nix had a pretty good run at Auburn. During his lone year at Auburn, Dillingham helped Auburn to a 9-3 record and helped Nix become SEC Rookie of the Year.
Nix hopes they can recapture some of that magic.
I hope Bo Nix does well at Oregon. I believe he deserved a do-over. Now that he has one, I really hope he makes the most of it.
A lot of characters in the Bible received second chances.
Think about Rahab. Her story is recorded in Joshua 2.
As Joshua and the army of the Lord prepared to attack the City of Jericho, they sent spies into the land. Somehow Rahab ended up offering them lodging (Josh. 2:1). Unfortunately for her — or maybe providentially — word got back to the King of Jericho that two spies were staying at her house. So the king sent a messenger to order her to turn them over (vv. 2-3).
Instead of turning them over, however, Rahab hid them up on her roof under some stalks of flax (vv. 4, 6). She then lied to the king, saying,
“Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” (vv. 4b-5)
That night she went up on the roof and said to the spies:
“I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. {10} We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. {11} When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. {12} Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign {13} that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” (Josh. 2:9-13)
Upon hearing this the spies agreed that they would make sure that both she and her family were spared (v. 14).
We don’t know much about Rahab’s life before this time except what the Bible says: she was a prostitute (v. 2). No doubt she had lived a sinful life.
But at some point Rahab began to believe in God. She’d heard stories about the great things God had done for His people (cf. vv. 9-11) and she came to believe with all her heart that her land would become their land — because the Lord had given it to them (v. 9).
Perhaps this belief is what led her to take the spies into her home in the first place, and then to hide them when the king’s men came looking for them. It was certainly her belief in God which led her to lie to the king and so protect these men of God.
Once Rahab came to believe in God, her life was forever changed.
It was a total do-over!
James 2:24-25 says of her:
“You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. {25} In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?”
When the city of Jericho was destroyed, the spies kept their oath to her and Rahab and all her family were spared (Josh. 6:25). As the army of God entered the city, they burned everything around her but left Rahab’s house and its occupants alone. Her house was identified by a scarlet cord which she had tied in the window (Josh. 2:17-18).
The next time we read of Rahab is in the genealogy of Jesus Christ recorded in Matthew. Matthew 1:5-6 says,
“Salmon was the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, {6} and Jesse the father of King David.”
Did you catch that? Rahab ended up marrying Salmon and together they had Boaz. Of course, Boaz married Ruth and they had Obed. And Obed was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David — King of Israel and forbear of Jesus Christ!
Talk about a do-over!
Rahab went from living as a prostitute in the City of Jericho to marrying a godly man named Salmon and becoming the great-great grandmother of King David himself!
Rahab is also mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 alongside some of the greatest of God’s people of all the ages — like Moses and Abraham and Sarah.
What a transformation!
But I want you to understand something: God wants to bring about no less a transformation in your life and my life. Each day that the sun shines and there remains breath in our lungs, we have an opportunity for a do-over.
In Lamentations 3:22-23, we read:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; {23} they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
How wonderful is that! God renews His mercy each day and we receive a clean slate with a chance to start again.
I don’t know where you are in life, but perhaps you are in need of a do-over. Claim yours today! Break free from your sinful past. Start anew. Give your heart and life to Jesus Christ.
God has the best “transfer portal” out there! It’s time we take advantage of it.