In His Great Mercy
Words of Faith 8-7-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 9
[26] "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. [27] So you handed them over to 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. [28] "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. [29] "You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. [30] For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. [31] But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Genuine worship recounts both the victories of God and the failures of man in His presence. The victories may be part of our praise, but the failures are what we call confession. While confession is often about personal failures, it is also about the larger patterns of life and history. The worship leaders of Jerusalem had recounted God's amazing faithfulness to His people. They were chosen, freed, identified, fed, protected, and then brought into the Promised Land through stunning victories. But they were disobedient.

The worship leaders also had to recount the cycle of disobedience, oppression, cries for mercy, rescue, and then disobedience again. This confession was broad and without detail, but it was a pattern they were all familiar with. After the people entered the land, for some reason they rebelled against God, put His Law behind them, killed God’s prophets and committed awful blasphemies. And because of this, God would turn the people over to their enemies. The people would cry out, and then God would deliver them again out of His compassion.

Eventually, this cycle of disobedience resulted in the ten tribes of the north being scattered and polluted by the Assyrians, and finally, the two tribes of the south being exiled to Babylon. It was at the end of this exile that Nehemiah responded to the call of the Lord to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and establish the city once again for God’s people.

The wonder of God’s faithfulness is beautifully expressed in verse 31. “But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.”

If we are honest, authentic worship will bring us to a similar conclusion. If we recount ALL our days, not just the ones we like to talk about, we see a similar pattern. In our brokenness, we are attentive to God when we need Him and neglectful when we feel we don’t. In our frail sinfulness, we are most faithful when we are in trouble, but we often abandon His ways when times are good. In our self-absorbed condition, we are generous in our concern for worship while our supplies are abundant, but we are tight with God when things look scary or uncertain.

If we were to draw a spiritual map, some would recount a pattern of rebellion and failure followed by a season of rescue and revival— only to be followed by yet another time of rebellion and failure. Yet God is patient. God is faithful. In His great mercy, He does not put an end to them or abandon them, for He is a gracious and merciful God.

Authentic worship brings us to our knees as we are undone before Him. When we see this pattern of life, we realize how completely we are at God's mercy. We bring nothing before Him by which we can claim rights or strength or righteousness. When Isaiah was in the presence of the Lord, he cried out— "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Have you come to the realization that the pattern of your living, at its very best, is not a path of righteousness before God? Have you come to realize that even the best-lived life is but dust before the majesty of God? Have you seen that our most articulate praise echoes with rebellion against His ways? It is here that we discover the most amazing truth— In His great mercy, He does not put an end to us or abandon us, for He is a gracious and merciful God.

Father God, I get it. I am undone before You. Even on my best days, there has been the rebellion in my heart that has sought to look good in the eyes of others rather than simply to glorify You. My pattern of rebellion is evident to me, but so is Your pattern of mercy and grace. In Your great mercy, You did not put an end to me or abandon me, for You are a gracious and merciful God. Walk with me today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.