hey! just wanna share what i learnt from my QT.

[Ezra 9:13-15]
"What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds, and our great guilt, and yet, our God, You have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.
Shall we again break Your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would You not be angry enough to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor?
O Lord, God of Israel, You are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in Your presence."

all of us are so sinful, we did so many countless things that are evil in God's eyes. we disappointed Him many times committing the same sins over and over.
But despite all this, God treat us so much better than what we actually deserve.
By right, we are supposed to be destroyed and punished because of all the sins we've committed, instead, God treats us well. God still loves us so much no matter how much we hurt Him. i think that's very amazing.
None of us deserve to stand before Him, but yet God still longs for each and every one of us to draw nearer to Him.
if God does not love us, and is merciless, we would have suffered like mad by now.
the key is, God forgives and God forgets.
whatever sins we've done, big or small, a few times or a million times, as long as we repent and make effort to want to change, He will forgive, and put the matter behind Him.
Imagine the whole pile of matters that is behind Him by now.
thank God i'm not God, if not all of you will die in my hands. muahaha haha!

and also
[Ezra 10:4]
Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.

i think all of us should send this verse to our leaders often. no matter how cool or how amazing out leader is, she still needs our support. a little encouragement goes a long way.
its amazing how one word "jiayou" makes a difference. our encouragements and affirmations encourages them alot, and it will help them to strive on!
so let's support our leaders more, and show them we're in this with them. Yay!

- jade