A few years ago I was complaining in my spirit because I was struggling with living in a house still under construction. Yet there are many who live in uncompleted houses, live in construction, and live in that condition far longer than I did. I was convicted then. And now I am convicted every time I want to complain about things not being just so. Who am I and why do I deserve to have a comfortable life? Our lives are comfortable, much more comfortable than so many in the world. We have so much and so many conveniences. God has blessed so much. We take things for granted and we forget to be thankful.
Living in an unfinished house under construction for two years makes one thankful when it is done. Living in construction makes one thankful for peace and dust not in the air all the time when that phase passes. We had no running water then and now we do. It’s a whole lot more work when one has no running water or indoor plumbing. I am so thankful for running water. I am so thankful for a wonderful shower that we didn’t have for over a year. An indoor shower is so much better than spit baths while being pregnant, bending over on the floor, and washing my hair in a tub, and freezing. I am so thankful for heat. This is the first place we have lived in Moldova that has adequate heating in the winter. It’s so much better to count our blessings than to complain about our nit-picky discomforts. Who are we and what has God poured upon us? Let’s take a good, long look at our cups that are running over with His goodness.
I read Nehemiah 9 today about the Israelites hardening their necks against God. I love the passages that talk about God’s characteristics. It’s all through Nehemiah’s prayer/covenant in this chapter.
Verse 17, “but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.”
Verse 20, “Thou gravest also thy good spirit to instruct them”
Verse 21, “They lacked nothing: their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.”
Look at God’s goodness to them already!
Verse 26, “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee”
Verse 27, “Thou gavest them saviors”
Verse 28, “But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee”
Verse 29, “Many times didn’t thou deliver them according to thy mercies”
God delivered. God had mercy on them again and again amid their rebellion and unthankfulness.
Verse 32, “Our God, the great, the mighty, and they terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us.”
Nehemiah knew God was so great and powerful and just and holy that these big problems would seem as nothing to Him. Nehemiah had the right perspective. He was thankful for God and not demanding his right to be comfortable as these others were.
Verse 33, “Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:”
We deserve all that comes upon us. Nehemiah knew the sins of his people. I thought of the elections coming up. We know the sins of our people and if we get a godless president who will bring terrible legislation, we have brought it on ourselves as a country. God has done right, but we wickedly. We need to humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways so that we can have God’s blessing on our lives and on our nation. God, start revival in me, and start a great revival in my country!
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