Manifold Mercies

"Thou art the Lord the God who didst choose...and madest a covenant...and didst see...and shewdest signs and wonders...and thou didst divide the sea before them...moreover thou leddest...thou camest down... and gavest them...and they refused to obey neither were mindful of thy wonders...but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness and forsookest them not." Nehemiah 9:7 - 17



Sometimes it is easy to judge the Israelites harshly. We read about all the miracles that God did for them and then see how they turned their backs on God and did their own thing. Yet, too many times we are guilty of doing the same thing. God answers our prayers. He supplies our needs and life is going great. Suddenly, we are faced with a new set of problems, a storm, or situation that seems to have no answer. It is then easy to develop tunnel-vision and see only the problem in front of us. It is the tendency of mankind to forget the help God has given in the past and feel like there is no answer to the problem we face now. We must work at remembering the victories that God has already given us. In Deuteronomy, chapters 4 - 8 God admonishes the Israelites again and again to remember what He has done for them. He says, "Beware lest thou forget..." "Beware that thou forget not...." "Thou shalt remember..." God knew there was a danger in forgetting the works God had done for them in the past and forgetting the true greatness of God, Himself. Consequently, they would be doomed for failure if they forgot God and His ways. God is still the same today. He still is the Almighty God and will not fail. He wants us to remember what He has done and how great He truly is. God wants to work in our lives just as He did in days past. His mercy is so vast we cannot comprehend it. God was continually there for the Israelites, even though at times, they didn't see or feel that He was there. God loved his people. In verse 19 of Nehemiah 9, it says "Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not.....vs 20 says, "Thou gavest....and withheldest not. As we continue reading this chapter we see again and again that God does not forsake them. His mercies were given over and over to them. The word manifold means abundant in quanity or to increase in size. Mercies mean a compassionate, loving response to the undeserving. The abundance of God's responses to us with his love and kindness is so great. What a great God! "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalm 145:8 & 9. 'This God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.' Let's remember and forget not who God is and all that He has done.