A HISTORY LESSON—GOD IS EVER FAITHFUL Ezra recounts Israel’s history and her struggle to remain obedient to God. He tells how through grace and mercy, God constantly provides for the people of Israel, how God forgives them, and how he is longsuffering. God would sometimes turn them over to their enemies in response to their disobedience and rebellion. Yet, despite their sinfulness, God has been faithful in rescuing them when they call out to him. Turning the pages of history is not always a pleasant task. In the case of the children of Israel, they have a checkered past, littered with seeds of disobedience and abject misery. Other pages show them living in the light of God’s grace and forgiveness. But these pages ultimately revert to the ones showing rebellion. As the people listened, how they must have cringed to realize that their ancestors were largely responsible for the difficult situations they often found themselves in. Yet, the one constant in this history lesson was the central figure—God. He was ever faithful, waiting for his people—wayward men and women—to turn back to him. Why do you think God remained faithful to the people even after they had sinned? Have you experienced God’s faithfulness in that way? In what ways can you demonstrate faithfulness and commitment as a member of your community? Pray: God, help me to let my word be my bond. Let me be faithful to uphold that which I have promised. “You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. (Nehemiah 9:9 NIV) In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them. (Nehemiah 9:15 NIV) “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. (Nehemiah 9:26, 27 NIV)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:59:46 +0000
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