They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV)
Our God is praiseworthy because He is a forgiving God. Even though we are stiff-necked people, He fought on our behalf, winning the victory for our salvation through the atoning propitiation of His son, Jesus Christ. God forgives us, supplying us with the Holy Spirit to help us along our journey. God wants us to succeed in living a holy life that is pleasing to Him, supplying us with everything we need, including forgiveness.
In Nehemiah, we get a picture of a forgiving God who graciously guides and provides for His people in spite of their forefather’s repeated rebellion. Our God is gracious and merciful, ready to forgive. He is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love for us. He has not, does not, and will not forsake us.
God stands ready to forgive us. Are you ready to receive His forgiveness?
Forgiveness is fundamental to living a godly life that is filled with abundance. Forgiveness helps us cash in the riches of joy and love. When we need healing and restoration for the words we said, both to others and ourselves, prayer is the place we must start.
The tongue is a powerful tool. You can weaponize it and destroy others. Once the words leave your lips, you can’t unsay them. How you speak to yourself matters too. Your self-talk can damage your self-image and demolish your self-confidence.
Do you need to forgiveness for yourself today?
Heavenly Father, hallowed be your name on Earth as it is in Heaven. I know that words matter. I realize that the names I call myself matter. I ask your forgiveness for the negative, harmful words I have spoken today. I ask for your forgiveness for the mean, harsh words I spoke to others. I pray for your forgiveness for the harmful way I spoke to myself today. I don’t want to abuse others. I don’t want to abuse myself. You knit me together in a wonderful, beautiful way. Transform my heart and my mind so that I use my tongue to speak truth and favor into my life. In Jesus’ name, by the power of the Spirit. Amen.
A church is made up of imperfect people, like you and me. It doesn’t matter what position you hold or role you play in your church body or how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, none of us achieve perfection this side of the Pearly Gates. When a brother or sister in Christ fall, it can be tempting to ostracize them, ridicule them, or banish them from our lives. After all, we don’t want to go hang around sinners now do we? The problem is, we’re all sinners. Being saved and becoming a Christian neither immunizes nor incubates us from sin. Such is not the nature of the world we inhabit.
As a Christian, I’ve made a conscious effort to walk a different road than the one I ventured down before I encountered Christ. Having a relationship with Christ makes me think about sin and view my shortcomings differently than before I knew Christ on a personal level. Yet, daily, I find myself dependent on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my way. I don’t want anything to come between me and God. That doesn’t mean that nothing will be vying for my attention. To the contrary, it seems like the opportunities to mess up and fall amp up dramatically the more pronounced in my faith I become.
There’s a reason that the Apostle Paul urges us to put on the full armor of God every day. He understood better than most that ours is a daily battle to pursue the righteousness of God versus succumbing to the vices and devices of the Enemy. There’s a reason Scripture instructs us to be careful about assessing judgment on the words and deeds of others. It’s no accident that the Word emphasizes us to treat others like we would want to be treated.
Ephesians 6:10-12English Standard Version (ESV)
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
When a brother or sister in Christ falls, they need our love, not our condemnation. Who can they rely on to love on them in the hour of their greatest need if not us? This is what it means to be family. We love one another because God first loved us while we were yet sinners. God demonstrated that love through the atoning sacrificial offering of His precious Son, Jesus Christ and He continues to show that love through the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in us.
As a friend of mine once encouraged me: If you find a perfect church, don’t start attending. You’ll just mess it up.
