Israel's confession prayer retells their whole history, and the refrain is devastating and beautiful at once: they rebelled, and in your great mercy you did not abandon them. Rebellion, mercy, repeat, for a thousand years.

Your history has the same refrain if you look. Today, read their story and let it teach you to tell yours honestly, mercy included.

A thousand years of history, one refrain: they rebelled, and in your great mercy you did not abandon them. Israel's covenant that day was not made by people pretending to have a good record. It was made by people who had just read their record out loud and found mercy at every low point.

That is the only foundation strong enough for promises. Resolutions built on self-confidence crack at the first wilderness. Covenants built on remembered mercy hold, because the next failure has a precedent: He did not abandon them then, and there is a way out now.