Never Too Sinful

Hi, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Never Too Sinful, was written by Julie Schwab. If I touched a Bible, it would catch fire in my hands, said my community college English professor.

My heart sank. The novel we'd been reading that morning referenced a Bible verse, and when I pulled out my Bible to look it up, she noticed and commented. My professor seemed to think she was too sinful to be forgiven.

Yet I wasn't bold enough to tell her about God's love, and that the Bible tells us we can always seek God's forgiveness. There's an example of repentance and forgiveness in Nehemiah. The Israelites had been exiled because of their sin, but now they were allowed to return to Jerusalem.

When they'd settled in, Ezra, the scribe, read the law to them. They confessed their sins, remembering that despite their sin, God did not desert or abandon them. He heard them when they cried out, and in compassion and mercy, he was patient with them. In a similar way, God is patient with us. He won't abandon us if we choose to confess our sin and turn to him. I wish I could go back and tell my professor that. No matter her past, Jesus loves her and wants her to be a part of his family.

He feels the same way about you and me. We can approach him seeking forgiveness, and he will give it. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Nehemiah chapter 9 verse 17 through 31. 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.

And now verses 27 through 31. So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies who oppressed them. But 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. But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven.

And in your compassion, you delivered them time after time. You warned them in order to turn them back to your law. But they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands.

They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, the person who obeys them will live by them. Stubbornly, they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years, you were patient with them. By your spirit, you warned them through your prophets.

Yet they paid no attention. So you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them. For you are a gracious and merciful God. Let's pray. Dear Father, Thank you for forgiving our sins and for your assurance that no one is too sinful to be forgiven. Help us to be fearless when you give us opportunities to share about who we are in Christ. And fill us with grace and courage and show us how we can be a light to someone who doesn't know you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.