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Nehemiah 8:13-10:39

Nehemiah 9:5b-7, “Then they prayed, ‘May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship You. You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.’”

Think

Have you ever fallen into the trap of repeating the same mistake twice? We’ve all done it, whether it was a simple mishap or one with grave consequences. Why is it so easy to forget about the implications of past errors and go down the same old trail again and again? The answer: We’re human!

However, in today’s reading, we can give the Jews a pat on the back. History proves that, for generations, they made huge recurring mistakes. Now, after being evicted from the Promised Land and living in exile, they were home again with a great new respect for obeying God’s commands.

As God’s Law was read aloud before all the people, they confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors with heartfelt conviction, praising God for His faithfulness all the way back to the time of Abraham. In doing so, they glorified God’s power, goodness, and unfailing love. Unlike before, they didn’t go hysterical, they went historical — recognizing the futility of repeated mistakes and taking God lightly. Now, their eyes were open to all God had endured with a heavy heart as His chosen people sinned continuously for hundreds of years.

There’s enormous power in praising God for all He’s done, what He’s rescued you from, and how He has blessed you. A great way to remember such things is to journal your prayers, which also allows you to look back and recognize how He’s answered in unexpected ways. So, next time you feel the sway to go astray, don’t get hysterical, go historical! In both the good times and the bad, look back and praise God for all He’s done. And, most importantly, remember that He’s not yet finished!

Pray

Dear God, Thank You for Your faithfulness. When I struggle to see it, help me to go historical. I praise You and firmly believe the best is yet to come! Amen.