Nehemiah 1:5-11

Nehemiah 1:5-11
English Standard Version (ESV)

 I love Nehemiah's prayer.  I think it captures the human condition so well.
  He begins by praising God, rooting his prayer in a reminder of how awesome God is and how dependent we are upon him.  He then moves to confession, recognizing that we have not lived in the way God has called us to live -- we have fallen short, and much of the pain and brokenness in the world is a direct failure of our inability to live together.  But, remembering the grace and mercy of God, Nehemiah still calls upon God, trusting that our God will forgive and restore, so that we may still move forward, rather than being forever trapped in our sin like a fly in a spider web.

  There is always a way forward for us.  God restores, redeems and resurrects.  No matter what our past contains, individually and collectively, there is a way forward for us to find life and redemption in Christ Jesus.