Nehemiah 9:16-25

16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 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. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

22 “And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. 24 So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. 25 And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time


Israel’s continued prayer now admits that they have a history of rebelling against God. God had remembered them and brought them out of Egypt but they refused to obey God and did not keep in mind the wonders that He had performed amount them. Instead, they stubbornly appointed a leader to lead them back to their slavery in Egypt. In the midst of their rebellion and sinfulness is this beautiful sentence, “But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.” Even though they had made an idol in the form of a calf, declared that the god that had brought them out of Egypt and blasphemed against God, He did not forsake them and leave them. No matter how grave your sin, no matter how grave your return to sin, God abounds in mercy and steadfast love and will not forsake you!

Instead of abandoning Israel in the wilderness, He led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He instructed them by His spirit, He fed them with manner and provided water. For forty years He sustained them in the wilderness and they lacked nothing. Their clothes didn’t wear out and their feet didn’t swell. Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years because of their sin. God didn’t ignore their sin. They didn’t receive the fulness of His blessing but He continued to look after them very well.

Then God led His people into the promised land and they took possession and grew as a nation as promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They took possession of cities, land, and houses. They were given everything they needed including houses full of good things and established orchards and vineyards. They arrived and had everything they needed. They enjoyed the good things of life and delighted in God’s great goodness.

Think back over your life. How has God continued to show you His goodness and blessing in spite of your sinfulness? God isn’t about dwelling on the past but about moving you forward and conforming you into the image of His Son (Psalm 103:10-12; Romans 8:28-29).