1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: You're listening to Daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by Neemiah Chapter one, verse four, 5 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: which says, as soon as I heard these words, I 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven. One 8 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: of the worst things we can do as people when 9 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: our hearts are burdened is to try to carry those 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: burdens ourselves. Sometimes we're fearful of burdening others, so we 11 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: don't share what's troubling us. Other times, it may be 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: that we aren't convinced God will really help us if 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: we bring these matters before him. But the Lord, his word, 14 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: and his people can bring us in encouragement if we 15 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: will be willing to humble ourselves and admit our need 16 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: for it. Neemiah took the burden that was weighing his 17 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: heart down, and he brought it before the Lord. He 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: prayed and confessed his sin. He confessed the sin of 19 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: his people. He confessed their failure to keep the commandments, 20 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: and he acknowledged that this was why they were frequently 21 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: in difficult situations like they now found themselves in. If 22 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: a person never comes to this kind of admission before 23 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: the Lord, they will never experience the joy of His salvation. 24 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: We keep trying to carry the burdens only God can carry, 25 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: we'll spend our life on earth and our eternity foreign 26 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: to the mercy of God. But if we recognize that 27 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth 28 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: to keep the very commandments we violated, and if we 29 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: will trust in him to cleanse us of all on righteousness, 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: he will lift our burdens from us, having placed them 31 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: on himself, and he will set us free to enjoy 32 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: his gift of righteousness. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you 33 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: for your word, and we thank you for the privilege 34 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: that it is to be able to read this portion 35 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: of scripture from the Book of Nehemiah today. And Lord, 36 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: we're giving a great example here in this passage. It's 37 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: a great example of confession, it's a great example of prayer. 38 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: It's a great example of unloading a burden. Lord, we 39 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: know that at times we go through life feeling burdened 40 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: with so many things. Sometimes it's the weight of our 41 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: own sin. Sometimes it's the weight of the sin of 42 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: others we care about. Other times, that sense of burden 43 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: may come from the task that is right before us 44 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: that might seem insurmountable. But Lord, we're grateful for the 45 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: example in this portion of your word that reminds us 46 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: to give our burdens over to you. You tell us 47 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 1: that you'll take those burdens from us and carry them 48 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: for us. But so often we prefer to go through 49 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: life carrying them ourselves, and it's to our own detriment. 50 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: We know that it's unhealthy and it's unwise, and we 51 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: know that if we go through our lives and never 52 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: come to a place where we unload our ultimate burden 53 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: on your son, Jesus Christ, we will miss the opportunity 54 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: to experience the mercy and the grace that you've shown 55 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: us through him. Father, we know that that is not 56 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: your desire for us. You want us to experience that mercy. 57 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: You want us to experience new life here and now, 58 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: an abundant life going forward through all eternity, and you 59 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: provided that for us through your son. So Father, we 60 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: pray that we would humbly come before you and make 61 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: our confession of faith, admitting our need for your Son's 62 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: intervention on our behalf, that as a result, we would 63 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: walk in the newness of life that you provide us 64 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: through your son Jesus Christ, and that we would likewise 65 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: experience an unshakable hope toward the future. We're grateful for 66 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: this example and for this reminder today, and we pray 67 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: this all in Jesus' name. Amen.