Nehemiah 9 – Thoughts From My Devotions

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand 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; And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God. (Nehemiah 9:28-31)

I am again encouraged by the graciousness and mercy of God. If only I could be like Him. Too many times I turn people off and dismiss them as useless or “not going to make it,” or I think they will never come to understand. But God…. he is the God of many chances, not just second chances. This passage is the end of a loooonnnggg list of times that Israel failed God and He continued to work with them.