I am overwhelmed by the mercy God has shown. Especially when I'm stubbornly stuck in pride and self, over and over and over again.
The Old Testament is revealing so much of God's unending and never failing mercies. Time and time and time again, His people choose to turn from Him. His people choose their own desires and their own way, above His. They choose self.
After a time of God rescuing them {again} from the pit they threw themselves into, Nehemiah says,
But as soon as they were at peace, your people again committed evil in your sight, and once more you let their enemies conquer them.
They found peace in The Lord and felt "good" so they turned and did as they please. Oh how often do we do this? How often do we rely on God for a time, receive peace, and then go on living without Him as our driving force? How often do we find ourselves in a pit, a mess of dark despair, a hole of hopelessness, complete emptiness? And we realize we've been relying on our own strength. Our own desires. So we call for help again {which is good}. And The Lord hears us and answers us and gives us peace. But as soon as we walk in peace, we turn our own way and live by our own strength, pursuing our own desires, again.
You warned them to return to Your law, but they became proud and disobeyed your commands. They did not follow your regulations , by WHICH PEOPLE WILL FIND LIFE IF ONLY THEY OBEY. They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen. Nehemiah 9
How often do we ignore Gods Word? Hardening our hearts with justifications {pride}. His law to love Him first which results in us loving our neighbors? To not create idols? To trust Him for sustainability, not money, not goals, not dreams, not anything but Him? To spend time with Him, pray without ceasing, be thankful in all things? To honor one another? Really, all of those things give me LIFE when I choose to obey. They do! I am overwhelmed and swelling with life and joy and hope to share with all, when I obey His word. But in my pride and embarrassment, sometimes I turn away and remain stubborn.
Here is the beauty of it all that is overwhelming me currently:
Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from Heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times! ... In your love, you were patient with them for many years. Nehemiah 9:28b, 40
Friends. Are you stuck in a stubborn hole of self-pity? Are you swallowed up whole within yourself, feeling dark and lonely? Call out to Him. He will ALWAYS hear you. He will ALWAYS rescue you with His great and wonderful mercies and love. Every single day, call out to Him. Ask Him to put His heart within you, to give you His joy and be your strength. Don't be ashamed before Him - there is no shame nor condemnation for those in Christ Jesus {Romans 8:1}.
Call out for help: He is waiting in His patient love for you.
