“O Yahweh, the God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”
Ezra 9:15, LSB
As the people of Israel were confronted with their sins, these words of confession came forth. This is what our Lord desires of each of us as our sins are brought to light in our lives. God desires for us to know His righteousness and realize our lack thereof. When we fully realize our guilt, we are meant to know we have no ground on which we can stand. In this realization, we are called to repentance and to cry out for mercy. “Have mercy on us, Lord,” is the only thing we can cry out, for we have no justification. We are sinful and broken. We have been unfaithful. When we reflect, we may find that we are not much different from the people of Israel, and even though we know Christ, we often forget the blessings of Jesus Christ in our lives. It is good for us to take our time in the Word in order to reflect and see His hand at work. In these moments, we may find His grace.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.