#DailyDevotion Confessing The Lord Jesus Is The Creator Is To Confess Our Sinfulness And His Mercy
September 23rd
Read Neh 9:1–21
Neh 9:1-3 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. (2) And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. (3) And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God… Neh 9:6 “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you… Neh 9:17-19 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, …. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them… (19) you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.
Having been returned to the land promised to their fathers by the Lord, their fathers having had lost it by their sins and rebellion against the Lord, the Jews assembled together, fasted in sackcloth with earth on their heads. They confessed their sins and their fathers’ sin. They listened to the Law of the Lord their God read to them and they praised the Lord who had brought them back to their land.
One of the ways they praised the Lord was they recognized He created the heavens, the host of heavens and the earth and all that is in them and preserves them even to this day. It kind of goes contrary to the way a lot of people think today. They do not recognize God nor do they recognize the Lord created them, their cosmos, everything in it and cares for them and preserves them. Yet the scriptures are clear. What we live in is not by chance. The first couple of chapters of the Bible tell us that the Lord God created everything. Psalm 148 sings about how and what God created. Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Isa 42:5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: Isa 45:18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the LORD, and there is no other. The New Testament also confesses this. Col 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Rev 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
To praise God the Lord is to acknowledge He made all things, us and preserves us to this day. If the Lord Jesus created us and all things and we believe this, this will affect what we think and how we order our days. On top of that we are told, “But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them…” The Lord Jesus still speaks this to you today, that you may confess your sins put your trust in Him.
Lord Jesus Christ, through you all that exist was created and preserved to this day. We your creation have rebelled against you. Remember your Word and be merciful and abounding in steadfast love towards us, the people made in your likeness and image. Amen.