Nehemiah 9:32-38
Having pointed to the mighty and compassionate God, they now appeal to Him to not take lightly all they have been through in their exile. “However You are righteous in everything that has happened to us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.” (33) They continue to confess the sins of their fathers and their failure to respond to God’s great goodness as He extended to them time after time. They also confessed they are slaves on the very land God gave their fathers. “And its abundant produce is for the kings Whom You have set over us because of our sins; They also rule over our bodies And over our cattle as they please, So we are in great distress.” (37) True repentance requires we turn to God taking full responsibility for the distress caused by our sin. We should note they did not even blame the wicked kings for their situation. They concluded their petition to God by making an agreement that was signed by all their leaders. When we are in distress it is useless to blame others, even our enemies, but even worse we should not blame God. May God give us the wisdom and grace to always take full responsibility for the sinful behavior that leads to our distress.