A gracious and merciful God

Nehemiah 9:31

Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

If there has ever been anyone who has turned their back on the mercy of God and the goodness of God, it would be the nation of Israel. If there has ever been a nation or a people that has been given a second and third chance to mend their ways, it would be the nation of Israel. But if there was ever a people who continued to turn back to the Lord and recognize their iniquities when they found themselves in distress, it is the nation of Israel. In the record of Nehemiah, Israel assembles together with prayer, fasting, and sackcloth because they see the sins that they and their fathers have sinned, and they desire to turn back to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul. The wall of Jerusalem has been rebuilt after desecration of the wall and the city by the Babylonians. The Lord graciously allowed them to return to their beloved city and revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish that had been burned.

And now, after looking back at the Lord’s goodness throughout their history, and seeing how He protected them from the enemies during the construction of the wall, their own shortcomings seem to be on full display. And it is ever so, for when the goodness of God is evident and obvious, it brings to light our own imperfections for “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:4). The light reproves. God’s love discovers our secrets. God’s grace illuminates our wrongs in light of His holiness. His mercy brings to light our habitual disregard for His ways and His laws.

But I am come this morning, dear friend, to proclaim the goodness of the Lord to you. For see! God is a God who is gracious and merciful! He is ready to pardon! He is of great kindness! See verse 17. He is a God of great mercy! His grace is greater than your sin! Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound! Have you sinned? There is abundant grace for you. Have you backslidden? There is abounding mercy available for your use! Have you become disobedient to His Word and His goodness? Have you disregarded His leading? There is forgiveness with the Lord! He will not forsake! For He has promised so! See Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5 et al. If God never forsook Israel as this passage has told us, why would He forsake you, who are also His people! Here is a word of consolation: “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid…God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew” (Romans 11:1-2).

God is good, and ready to forgive! See also Psalm 86:5. Lean on Him now; go to Him for forgiveness. Get complete cleansing this day from all sin. For He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we are not cleansed, it is because we have not sought it. Ask for it today. Seek it today. He will not forsake His people whom He foreknew, but is a gracious and merciful God. Find His mercy this day to be sufficient!

“Father in Heaven, how we praise Thee for Thy mercy! We need it this day! We rest on it this day! We rejoice in it this day! Please thoroughly forgive us and cleanse us by Thy grace and mercy! Many times we have neglected your grace by sinning against it. We have forgotten your wonderful works toward us. We have forgotten that you have never forgotten or forsaken us. We praise Thee and we thank Thee for Thy goodness. May the blood of Christ, your precious Son, cleanse us fully this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.