Ngunit ikaw ay Diyos na mapagpatawad at mahabagin,hindi madaling magalit at sagana sa wagas na pag-ibig.

Nehemias 9:17c

We all go through times kung saan overwhelmed tayo sa mga problema at para bang kahit anong gawin natin, ayaw tayong tantanan ng mga ito. God is a great source of comfort and hope. Pero paano kung pakiramdam mo, hindi mo kayang lapitan si Lord?  

Ikaw ba ito? Do you feel like you’ve failed God too many times kaya nahihiya kang lumapit sa Kanya? Kung ganun, you’re just like the chosen people of Israel. Noong panahon ni Moses, the Lord orchestrated 10 plagues to force the pharaoh to set them free from slavery in Egypt. Pero nakakailang araw pa lang sila na nakakalaya at  naglalakbay sa disyerto, nagsimula na silang umangal. They started to doubt the Lord, at hindi nagtagal, they ended up worshiping other gods.

Dahil dito, instead of just 11 days, the journey to the promised land took 40 years. But the pattern of doubting and disobeying the Lord, followed by asking for forgiveness, and then disobeying the Lord again, continued for 1,000 years. Sa panahon ni Nehemiah, binalikan ng Israelites ang panahon kung kailan na-trap sa disyerto ang kanilang mga ninuno. They acknowledged na ginawa ito ng Panginoon para disiplinahin sila. But even then, hindi Niya ipinagkait ang Kanyang guidance and protection in the form of the pillar of cloud during the day, and pillar of fire sa gabi (Nehemiah 9:12). At sa 40 years ng Israelites sa disyerto, the Lord sustained them with food and water (v. 15).  

Paulit-ulit na nagkasala ang mga Israelite and yet, paulit-ulit silang pinatawad at kinalinga ng Panginoon. Kaya huwag kang mahiya o matakot na lumapit sa Diyos. There is never a bad time to call on Him.