Rescued!

The story of men and nations is that either they discipline themselves, or God is forced to discipline them. Such is His love for us that He does not want us to drift forever into greater and greater sin, rebellion, and disobedience.

There may be times when He allows us to experience hardships that will help us wake up! To realize that we need to change and be restored to a right relationship with Him.

Nehemiah recognized this truth about the history of his people. He acknowledged that “they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets … they committed awful blasphemies.”

He realized that they had no one to blame but themselves. That their disobedience was the reason why God “handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them.”

Nehemiah also knew that everything would change once they turned to God. He had seen how “when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.”

The Bible reminds us that all of us have sinned and “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But He has provided a way for us to be restored: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

If we are wise, we will turn to God in these moments. We will examine our lives, and cry out for forgiveness, and be cleansed and restored.