Your Good Spirit

You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. ... But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors--all of your people--from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now. Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. Nehemiah 9:20, 31-33 NLT 

God was so gracious and merciful to the Hebrew people as they made their great exodus from Egypt and throughout their history. Sure He punished them, as Nehemiah observed, when they deserved it. But God is not a mean God. He didn’t destroy or abandon them. He has promised again and again that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5). He sent the good Spirit to teach, train and educate those precious people that God called His own. That is very parental of Him. He knew that they needed some guidance. We do, too. But even though the Spirit instructed them, they still didn’t follow God’s plan—His guidance, better known as commandments, so He punished them. That is the result of sin. God in His mercy had a plan.  

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Romans 5:17-19 NLT.

Jesus Christ is that obedient one. Will you be among the righteous—the forgiven—in the end? 

Prayer ~ Dear God, thank you for Your plan for mankind—for the knowledge that the Holy Spirit has taught us—and the obedient example in Jesus Christ. Create in me a clean heart and a right spirit—that I would continually follow You and be found pleasing in your sight.

© 2015 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.