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 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by John Chapter eleven, verses 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: thirty six and thirty seven, which says, so the Jews said, 6 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: see how he loved him, But some of them said, 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: could not he who opened the eyes of the blind 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: man also have kept this man from dying? Have you 9 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: ever blamed God for your troubles? Have you ever been 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: a little confrontational in your prayers because you didn't think 11 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: you deserved the difficulties you were experiencing. Why does God 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: allow bad things to happen to good people? We may 13 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: ask that question, but the truth is there was only 14 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: one purely good person, Jesus, and he was crucified. If 15 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: we possess any righteousness, it didn't come from ourselves. Righteousness 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: is a gift that is added to our account through 17 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: faith in Jesus. But still we like to blame God, 18 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: as if the problems we experience in this world are 19 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: his fault. He created a perfect world, He made us 20 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: in his image without sin. He invited us to love 21 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: him above all else. He warned us that if we 22 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: went our own way, we would invite death and sorrow 23 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: into our experience. Then we went our own way, and 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: ever since we've been blaming God for the mess we've made. 25 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: Our problems are not God's fault, there ours. Thankfully, that's 26 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: not where the story ends. God by nature is compassionate, 27 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: and though our problems are our fault, Jesus offers himself 28 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: as the solution. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for 29 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for this portion of 30 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: scripture that we were able to read together from the 31 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: Gospel of John. And Lord, we know that we go 32 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: through stretches in life where we face some difficult things, 33 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: and there are all kinds of ways we can respond 34 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: to our moments of difficulty, But one of the options 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: we sometimes choose is blaming you. We blame you for 36 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: all sorts of problems. We blame you for issues we 37 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: face in our life that really go back to decisions 38 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: that we've made. We blame you for bad weather, We 39 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: blame you for circumstances that we think you should have 40 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: done something different in. We blame you for larger societal problems. 41 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: But then we look at what your word tells us, 42 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: and your word tells us that you created us perfectly, 43 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: You created mankind perfectly, and you created all creation perfectly. 44 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: And you warned us that if we rebelled against you, 45 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: we would be inviting sin into our experience. So we 46 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: rebelled against you. We invited sin into our lives. We've 47 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: been dealing with the consequences of that ever since, and 48 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: now we blame you like it's your fault. But again 49 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: your word shows us it's not your fault. But you're 50 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: the one solving the problem. Father, you sent your son, 51 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, into this world to atone for our sin, 52 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: and now through Christ, we are forgiven. As we trust 53 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: in your son, our sin is forgiven and it's wiped away, 54 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: and we are absolved of our guilt. We don't deserve 55 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: that blessing, but we're grateful for it, and we're grateful 56 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: for the fact that your word tells us that the 57 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: day is coming when you will restore all things, that 58 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: our lives will be completely restored and we won't deal 59 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: with the pain and difficulty and sorrow and tears and 60 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: all the things in that category that we deal with 61 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: right now. We won't deal with it anymore. You even 62 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: tell us in your word that creation will be restored 63 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: to a perfect state once again. It's wonderful to know. 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: We're grateful that you tell us that you indeed will 65 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: do that, and we're grateful for the fact that you're 66 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: righting the things that we've wronged. So Father, help us 67 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: not to blame you, help us to trust in you 68 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: and to rejoice in what you're accomplishing, because the good 69 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: things you're blessing us with are not what we deserve, 70 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 1: but by your grace, you're choosing to bless us with 71 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: them anyway. And we thank you that we have the 72 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: privilege to be the beneficiaries of your compassion and your 73 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: mercy and your goodness. Thank you again for these reminders 74 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: from your word today, and we commit ourselves to you 75 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: now and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.