Nehemiah 9:29-31
"You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, 'The person who obeys them will live by them.' Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God."
God warns His people, are we listening? We see the LORD continually warning His people to turn back to Him. He doesn't just do it once or twice, but it says He was patient with them for many years, warning them time and time again to turn from the sin that will destroy them and turn to the God that will save them. Yet they refuse, so He hands them over to the nations around them, knowing that when they are oppressed, then they will return.
Both of these truths point to His great love for us; they both have the same intended outcome; repentance! God in His great love tries to woo us with His kindness, but if we refuse His kindness, He is not afraid to bring judgment if it ends in our repentance and eternal salvation. If God warned them, then you can be sure He is warning us. Like Israel, we are a nation that has forsaken the God who brought us out into a spacious land we did not know, and blessed us with a life of freedom and abundant provision.
We, too, have turned our backs on God; we are stiff-necked and refuse to admit we are wrong but rather call light darkness and darkness light. How do we expect this will end? With continual degradation and rejoicing in our flesh? No, with weeping and mourning when the mighty hand of judgment comes to rest on us. We will be left with a choice: cry out for His mercy or suffer in His wrath. It may or may not happen in our lifetime, but we can rest assured it won't go on like this forever; one day, enough will be enough.
The encouraging and great news is that our God is merciful and faithful above all! Because His character does not change, we too can rest in His mercy. He did not wipe them out but left a remnant of His people, and I believe He will do the same for us. The question is, will we be the repentant remnant or the obstinate objectors to the truth? God is warning; will we listen? Lord, give us ears to hear you and a heart that is broken over our sins!
Psalm 51:17- The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Luke 13:2,3- "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?" Jesus asked. "Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God."
God bless! I love you all, but His love warns us and leads us back to the Father! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Nehemiah 9:33
In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.
How thankful I am that my sins, my choices, my desires, and my circumstances will never change or determine the character of God! No matter where I go or what I do, it will never change who He is!
We live in a world where people will flip on each other in an instance. Families torn apart, businesses crumbling, races divided, and classes of society at each other’s throats, and some of that can be attributed to us giving people what we think they deserve or have earned. We say things like, “Well, they deserved it,” or, “You should have known better.”
What if the Lord did that to us? What if He said to us while we were still alive on earth, “I gave you the prophets, I gave you the Word of God, the Living Word of God, my Holy Spirit, and you still missed it, so I’m done with you!”? What if God treated us the way we treated each other? What if God determined Who He was to each of us on the basis of who we are. I, for one, am terrified at that thought because I know that I’m a broken, sinful individual who is only saved by the mercy, grace, love, and blood of Jesus Christ! I am no better or no worse than anyone else, for ALL have sinned. There are no classes, no races, no cliques, no segments. but one Body, one God, one Son, and one Spirit!
We have to start responding the way God responds to us with love and truth. We don’t make excuses for our sins, but we extend grace and a helping hand up to the altar! Do you want to do something pleasing in the Lord’s sight today? One way is to respond like Christ in situations that your flesh is screaming to dominate and control! But crucify that flesh and let the Spirit lead you in a beautiful act of worship!
Galatians 5:24 - Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Romans 3:22-24 - This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
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