Mar 16 - God is Love

Read Nehemiah 9:16-21

Context: The wall around Jerusalem has finally been rebuilt, and the people have spent more than a week honoring God in the Feast of the Tabernacle. They have gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads (v1). They have confessed their sins, and this is a segment of a prayer reviewing God's grace.

Text:
16 "But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, 'This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they committed awful blasphemies.
19 "Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. 21 For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

I think becoming a parent was a milestone to me in understanding God's love. Although our earthly parental love is but a smidgen of God's love, it gives us a glimpse into his devotion to us. Regardless of what my children do, I know that I love them (and I hope they know the same). I may not like them very much on a particular day, but I know in my heart that I would do whatever it took to help them if needed. Sometimes that help means standing by and watching as they make mistakes, then being there to help them pick up the pieces. Other times it means punishing them and making them hate me for a time.

God does the same to us. He is our greatest supporter, and he always wants the best for us regardless of how many times we fail him. Thank goodness!!!!