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“You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst…”
~ Nehemiah 9:20 NLT

Nehemiah 9 starts out solemn. The people of Israel realized they had fallen away from God again. They confessed their sins and worshipped their God. Then together in unison, the Israelites prayed to God and thanked Him for everything He had done for them.

Here are some of the things that they thanked Him for:

• He made a covenant with Abraham. (Neh. 9:8)
• He did what He promised because He was true to His word (Neh. 9:8)
• He saved the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt and displayed signs to Pharaoh (Neh. 9:9-10)
• He divided the sea and got the Israelites out of Egypt. (Neh. 9:11)
• He led the Israelites by a pillar of cloud and fire to their promised land.(Neh. 9: 12)
• He gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from a rock when they were thirsty. (Neh. 9:15)

God literally provided everything for the Israelites. Here’s the thing; in the midst of the miracles listed, they still managed to sin a lot:

• They completely disregarded God’s commands and forgot all He had done. (Neh. 9:16-17)
• They worshipped idols. (Neh. 9:18)
• They killed prophets who tried to warn them of the severity of their sin. (Neh. 9:26)

“Whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times.”
~ Nehemiah 9:28

It may be 2016 but sometimes I feel just like the Israelites. Life is like a roller coaster. Some days I feel like I do really good, while other days I feel like the worst human being on the planet. It’s an up and down ride of trial and error.

It’s in my darkest moments that I see God the most.

It’s when I am flat on my face crying out to God because trials come from every direction that I feel His presence more than ever. It’s in those moments that I can stand up and thank Him for every single thing that He has gotten me through and forgiven me for. I may forget sometimes but let me tell you friend, He’s done a lot;

• He’s gotten me through homelessness
• He’s walked with me through every single type of abuse
• There were times when I hated Him, but He pursued me with His whole heart.
• He’s been there when I was alone working full time trying to survive.
• He’s instructed me on how to live a Christian life.
• He’s taken me from Orphan to daughter.
• He’s made me a wife.

Every single time I mess up He’s been there holding me. When I say, “Lord, I’m just not good enough.” He says, “That’s okay. That’s why I died on the cross.” 

Nehemiah 9 was my reminder that every trial is a testimony. Every mistake holds an opportunity for growth. I can rejoice in the hard times because those are the moments that God holds me ever so close…

~ Lovelle ❤