Verse of the Day 8/19

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  English Standard Version (ESV) We all have burdens that we must bare, some are heavier than others, but we all have them.  They can be the nagging guilt of sin just the responsibilities of being a parent, a church leader or government official.  They are the things that can wake us up at night and keep us tossing and turning.  I've been there, done that.

Charles Stanley in a devotional on this verse stated that pack animals have no way of freeing themselves from the burdens on their backs. Unable to reach their heavy loads, they depended on others to remove them.  Don't we feel that way?  We just can't seem to get those problems off of our backs.  We need someone to help us remove them.  Sometimes fellow Christians can help in this regard, offering comfort, advice, especially based on God's Word and His teachings.  But ultimately only God can truly lift those burdens.

Dr. Stanley shared a prayer that we can pray, to seek His help.  It is a prayer of surrender, realizing that we cannot get those burdens off or our own backs.

"Lord, I cannot reach my emotional burdens, but You can. Thank You for liberating me from them and using them to make me whole, amen.

In His presence... release your burdens."

That last statement reminded me of a line in the hymn "I Surrender All",  it is "in His presence daily live".  If, and only if we will do that can we truly be set free.

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.
   • Refrain:
     I surrender all,
     I surrender all;
     All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
     I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Humbly at His feet I bow,
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
4. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."  (v.31-32 The Message).  Are we willing to "stick with it"?
   

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

John 8:31-38The Message (MSG)

If the Son Sets You Free

^31-32 Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."

³³ Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?"

^34-38 Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father."