God’s Property 神的属性

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Dexu Xia

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Aug 14, 2025, 8:53:26 PM8/14/25

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You are a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:31

Today's Scripture Nehemiah 9:1-2, 13-21

Today's Insights Nehemiah lived and wrote in the post-exilic era—the period when Israel was returning in stages from their seventy-year captivity in Babylon. He’d formerly been the cupbearer to the king and had been sent at his own request to oversee the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 1-2). In chapter 9, the people are called to confess and mourn over their sins as God’s chosen people (vv. 1-2). This call came following the reassertion of the law of Moses in chapter 8. In light of that law, the Levites and singers recounted the sins of the nation all the way back to the wilderness wanderings of their ancestors and their spiritual failures there. And they praised Him for His grace and mercy (9:31). He extends those things to us as well

Today's Devotional What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word property? Your mind may go to a piece of real estate. But you might also consider “a quality or trait belonging to an individual or thing”; for instance, the property of a certain type of wood provides insight about it. What is the wood’s texture? How prone is it to shrinkage? Is it water-resistant? In other words, what are the qualities of the wood you can depend on?

My wife and I attend a church with a traditional feel—corporate prayers, kneeling, Scripture reading, Communion. One of the prayers we pray each Sunday holds this phrase: “But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.” Not God’s real estate but a quality or trait belonging to God—to have mercy not just once in a while but always.

Nehemiah 9 gives us a picture of the Israelites gathered together, fasting, wrapped in sackcloth and covered in ashes (v. 1), confessing their sins and the sins of their ancestors (vv. 2, 16). They praised God for His patience in Israel’s history: “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them” (v. 19). God could have put an end to them or abandoned them, but He never did. Why? That’s not God’s property, for He is “a gracious and merciful God” (v. 31).

In our prayers of confession, let’s include praise for that dependable property of God—His mercy.

Reflect & Pray

What properties of God can you think of? How will You praise Him for those?

Thank you, Father, that Your property—Your character—is always to have mercy.

By John Blasé

祢是满有恩典和怜悯的神。尼希米记 9:31

今日经文：尼希米记 9:1-2, 13-21

今日心得：尼希米生活和写作的时代正值以色列人从被掳七十年巴比伦归回的时期。他曾是王的酒政，他却自愿要求王差派他去监督重建耶路撒冷城墙（见尼希米记 1-2章）。在第九章，作为神的选民，以色列民被呼召承认他们的罪，并为此哀恸（1-2节）。这呼召是在第八章重申摩西律法之后发出的。按照律法，利未人和歌唱者讲述了以色列民族的罪孽，从他们的祖先在旷野漂流的日子，追溯以色列人属灵的跌倒。他们为此赞美上帝的恩典和怜悯（9:31）。上帝也要将这样的恩典和怜悯赐给我们。

今日灵修当你听到“Property”这个词时，你首先想到的是什么？你可能会想到一处房产。但你也可能会想到“属于某人或某物的品质或特征”；例如，某种木材的属性，木材的纹理、收缩的程度、木材的防水性等，可以让你了解这种木材。换句话说，你知道这种木材的哪些品质是可靠的。

我和妻子参加的教会很有传统风格，集体祷告、跪拜、读经、领圣餐。我们每周日的祷告中有一句是：“但你是不变的主，你的属性就是常施怜悯。”这不是上帝的房产，而是上帝的品质或特征，祂不是偶尔怜悯，而是始终如一。

尼希米记第九章描绘了以色列人聚集禁食的画面，他们披麻蒙灰（1节），承认自己的罪孽和祖先的罪孽（2、16节）。他们赞美上帝在以色列历史中展现的忍耐：“你因大施怜悯，不离弃他们”（19节）。上帝本可以毁灭他们，或离弃他们，但他从未这样做。为什么？那不是上帝的属性，因为他是“有恩典、有怜悯的上帝”（31节）。在我们认罪的祷告中，让我们赞美上帝那可靠的属性——他的怜悯。

反思与祷告 你能想到上帝的哪些属性？你会如何赞美他呢？天父，谢谢你，因为你的属性即你的品格，就是永远怜悯。