Have you ever participated in one of those throwback posts? You know the ones. This was me or us, five, ten, or even fifteen years ago.
These “blasts from the past” moments can bring smiles to our faces. Some for the fondness of the memory presented. Some, let’s be real, because we can’t believe we wore our hair that way or dressed like that, and so on.
These moments can be fun but viewing bygone days can also be a time of sobering contemplation. It was something the Israelites became acutely aware of years after returning home from their captivity.
Reading in Nehemiah 9, the priests and the Levites recorded Israel’s history. In telling their story, they showed the ups and downs of what their nation experienced.
Starting with Abram and how he became the one through whom God would establish His covenant, through their time of Egyptian slavery, wilderness wanderings, and beyond, the testimony of their story was written.
Noted in the recitation of their history was the many times Israel chose disobedience rather than God’s Law, their way opposed to His, and because of that, many times it is recorded they faced enemies and had to deal with life in the less-than-ideal way God intended.
But, in contrast to their faithlessness, God continued to show Himself faithful. While they strayed and suffered the consequences due to it, God turned to them, kept His covenant, and showed them mercy time and again (Vv. 17, 19, 27-28, 31-32 – verses can be found below). God stepped in the middle of their mess and restored them.
His history of mercy is mind-boggling, not only for Israel but for us as well.
Anyone in a true relationship with Christ will readily admit that we had much litter trashing the roads of our past. The history of the streets we have walked has not always been the cleanest they could be.
Our personal testimonies tell the story of what once was, the choices we made, and the grace and mercy God performed in our lives.
While our history may not be the best to look at, God’s mercy is.
For in it, we find God’s love working in ways human love cannot fathom. We see Him giving us blessings and care we didn’t deserve (grace) and withholding things we do deserve (mercy).
If we took the time as the priests and Levites did, and recited our personal histories, how often do we see the hand of God show up with mercy in tow?
The longer I live, the more chances I have to reflect. In that reflection, I see new, and even more ways God has shown up when I did not deserve it.
Today, I truly thank God for His mercy shown.
When you look back on your history, can you see those mercy moments you’ve experienced? Thank God for each and every one for they are a sobering reminder of His unfailing love.
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Psalm 86:5
Nehemiah 9 verses from above:
“And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.” (Nehemiah 9:17)
“Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.” (Nehemiah 9:19)
“Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies.” (Nehemiah 9:27-28)
“Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.” (Nehemiah 9:31-32)
Thank You, God, for all the mercies shown in our bygone days, for the mercy of salvation, and for the mercy of today:
“(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” Deuteronomy 4:31
“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.” Psalm 116:5
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;” Daniel 9:9
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Micah 7:18
“And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;” 2 Corinthians 1:3
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” Ephesians 2:4
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” Titus 3:5
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