IF NOT FOR GOD

Where Would I BE? (Psalm 124:1-8) "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Nehemiah 9:1-37) We see here in this porton of scripture a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God as the people were assembled together. It was like they were in church, like we do today. THe scriptures say, they listened to a reading of “the Law of the Lord their God from the scriptures” they heard, they acted and the confessed with their mouth their sins and then they worshiped and praised “the Lord their God” (v. 3). Isn't it about time, we as His people today follow suit and get back to God get back to prayer worship and praise? WE find it hard to sit for an hour. If thats all we can do at a time, we won't be ready for heaven. Were we will never stop sitting at the feet of Jesus and praising Him, singing His praises. As the Israelites wondered in the wilderness for 40 years, God looked after them.(v. 21), We must remember that time in the wilderness came about because of disobedience and tgghis wondering was a consiquence (a discipline) because of it. They were a complaining, faithless group that failed in being thankful for what God was doing for them and had given them, just for the taking.. But did they take it, NI, they complained instead. (how about us, are we any different?) But even in those forty years, and in thier disciplines, God's love for them never swayed, He still cared for them, they were His children and was disciplining them in LOVE. And now, they had returned to the boarders of the Cannan land once again, and the next generation, were to enter the promised land from their exile with their parents who would not be entering the promised land, because they had all died in the wilderness. But through all of that time of wondering the bible tells us, it was His love for them that faithfully cared for their every need.Friends listen, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all the same back then, today and next year. They do not change, God still loves us as His created people, people who are His children by choice. Yes, God still shows His care for us in the details of our lives. Love is in the details. Yes it is. Think about this, scripture tells us of God’s love as seen in the Israelites wondering in the wilderness: their clothes and shoes never wore out, but think of this, in those forty years, the children would have grown and it seems like their shoes and clothes must have grown with them. In those forty years, those who were children at the time they began their wondering, by now would have been full grown adults. Yet, throughout the forty years of walking, their “clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on [their] feet” (Deuteronomy 29:5). and it also says their feet did not get sore of swell while this was happening.(8:4). It is amazing how God's people still today as back then continue from time to time to be unfaithful, but God continues to discipline and to show “great compassion,” in the process by not abandoning them, or giving up on them.(Nehemiah 9:19). The bible tells us "they lacked nothing"(v. 21). God provided their needs, nt thier wants. Like they needed His presence, and He was there. They needed the counsel of His Spirit, He was there. They need food and water. He provided it. (vv. 19-20); They needed clothes and shoes, and they never wore out, even with all of the washing that would have taken place, the clothes remain wearable all of those long years. MY friends, we need to be more grateful then we are, we serve a good and loving god. A God who shows His love in more ways then we acknowledge, in ways that we overlook and are totally oblivious too. Such as His love that is woven into every fibre of our body, soul, and spirit.. Both physically and spiritually. God takes care of it all, He is in every detail of our lives.. Heavenly Father, thank You for Your enduring, unending, everlasting love that you bestow upon in us every day of our lives. IT is in loving GRATITUDE that we say, thank you. It is in the loving name of Jesus we pray, AMEN.