IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL 3 MAY 2024 BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, FRIDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Lamenting What Is Lost
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Nehemiah 1:3-11
3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 I said, “I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.
7 “We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
8 “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, `If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;
9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’
10 “They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.
11 “O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” Now I was the cupbearer to the king.
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Is it possible for grieving to be an act of worship? Consider today’s passage about Nehemiah, an Israelite who served as cupbearer to the king of Babylon. Nehemiah sat down and wept for days when he learned Jerusalem’s walls had been destroyed, leaving his people defenseless. Yet his tears weren’t just a simple outpouring of strong emotion. Through weeping, fasting, and prayer, Nehemiah allowed his distress to lead him into deeper communion with God.
Shedding tears over what was lost—giving full expression to his pain—was an essential component of Nehemiah’s prayerful turning toward God. His bold display of sorrow was an affirmation of his belief that God alone was capable of restoring Jerusalem and her people to their former glory. As he prayed, Nehemiah reminded God of His promise to gather the exiles and dwell permanently among His people (vv. 8-9).
As Christians, we can sometimes interpret another person’s outward display of grief as a lack of faith. Why are they crying, we may wonder, if they truly trust God? But Nehemiah’s example shows us that taking time to lament what we have lost can be an act of worship. When we are in pain, God invites us to cling to His promises and offer our tears to Him as devotion—even if they are all we have to give.
Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 7-9
Thought for Today: Offering our tears to God requires faith that He is able and willing.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
And Listen to Dr. Charles Stanley at OnePlace.com!