"In late autumn of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had survived the captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem." (Nehemiah 1:1-2)

"They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been burned." "When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:3-4)

Observations:

As I studied, Nehemiah 1 it dawned on me how the men who had arrived to visit Nehemiah in his captivity answered.

They went from a general response to a specific response.

General:
1. Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah... Why?
2. They are in great trouble and disgrace... Why?

Specific:
1. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down.
2. The gates have been burned.

Application:
I thought to myself what application can I get out of this response. Then I saw important implications to my own life.

When people have asked me how I am doing, it was so easy just to say, "I am fine thank you" or "Things are not going well for me, thanks for asking" and leave. Yet, when I see the response of the visitors, I see them pouring out their heart to a certain extent to Nehemiah. They get down to specifics of how things are going. There is no superficiality to it.

I started to wonder why I would not be specific with people and just give superficial answers. Was it the way I perceived the person who asked the question or was it my way of wanting to be general with people.

As I walked the campus and noticed the interactions of people with one another, pet answers such as "Fine thanks, how are you?" have been common. Then it occurred to me, the people who say "Fine, thanks" are they really fine or is it just a way of coping. Yes, many might be fine and many others may just say that to their friends, etc when asked the question.

Who do I open up to specifically when asked the question, how I am doing or how things are going?

I open up to those who I sense really care about me and are willing to take the time to listen how things are going in my life. After everything that has happened in my life, I am very careful now to open up to those only I can be sure to trust. Trust is a major factor in being specific with one another. If we have superficial friends or acquaintances, when they ask "How are things going?", the answer itself will be superficial, such as "ok, fine, not so good, etc" and won't go beyond that.

I thank the Lord for people He has put in my life that I can trust and be specific with when I am dealing with situations whether positive or negative. As I started to think about my own responses to that question: "How are things going?", I also thought about how I would answer depending on who asks me that.

Interpretation/Application:
That brought my mind back to the text and the character Nehemiah. The people who visited him were able to be specific with him. I started to think that Nehemiah must be one caring person who others were able to share with openly and specifically. To be able to share with him their problems, Nehemiah was a person who took adequate time to listen and hear the concerns of those who he interacted with. The people who visited him knew that and opened up to him. I saw more into the character of Nehemiah when I looked at verse 4:

"When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4)

Observations/Interpretation/Applications:

Nehemiah took time to hear the concerns of those who came before him. He must have been standing up when he asked the question about how they were doing. After hearing their response, he does not just say, "I will pray for you, and leave". He submerses himself into the situation and takes on their burden by sitting down and weeping for what was happening.

He did not let the problem get to him to the point that he starts blaming who ever did that to his people. Instead for days he takes the problem to the God of Heaven for a solution by doing 3 things:

1. Mourning to the God of Heaven because of the situation he heard about.
2. Fasting to the God of Heaven because of the situation he heard about.
3. Praying to the God of Heaven because of the situation he heard about.

He cares so much for the people who visited him and the problem they faced became his problem too that he brings it before the Lord.

Reading these two verses and pondering them made me ask myself, what can I do to carry other people's burdens?

Nehemiah was a caring, sharing, and praying person. He cared for people so much that they could get specific with him. He shared his time with them to listen to them. Finally, he prays for them and the situation at hand.

Application:

I saw important implications for my own life.

If I am about caring for people, I need to take time to listen to what they are going through. Sometimes listening is the best thing we can do to help others. Psychologists use the terminology: Cathartic Listening! People need to know that we are willing to give our time to them and that they won't be a burden to us by opening up. Our gestures, facial expressions, can show that to others many times.

When a Christian friend told me that if she ever needed a ride late at night, she would always feel comfortable calling her non-Christian friends to come and help her out than her Christian friends, I asked myself: "Why is that?"

Are we as Christians, not really into the habit of carrying one another's burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ as Galatians states?

Sometimes, I feel like we are not into carrying people's burdens if it will be a burden on ourselves and our home.

Reading this passage convicted me so much. At the same time, I know this is not a key to go overboard. The Lord wants us to take care of ourselves to be effective in helping others and carrying their burdens. It starts with a deep and personal relationship with the King of Kings.

I ask you now dear friends, whose burdens do you carry?

Dear friends, it is an awesome feeling to be able to carry other people's burdens and relieve them of the pain. Just knowing someone cares for them to listen to them and praying for them can mean a lot to them when you share your time with them. Of course, discernment has to be used in what we do asking the Lord for wisdom and direction. If we are diligent and have a heart to care for people, the Lord will lead the way. There are times, we may not have the words to say but just praying for the situation at hand and laying it before the Father of Lights is the best thing we can do. May you be the instrument the Lord Jesus uses to help someone in pain. May the Lord send the right person/s your way to help you in the struggles you are going through, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen!

The movie "Patch Adams" comes to mind. I do want to be there for each one of you as a friend if you ever need to talk or need prayer. My number is 412-720-4579

You can also email me at rcrst6@pitt.edu or reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com. If I meet or talk with you, it won't be as a representative of any organization or church, but just as a friend.

Being Under Redeemer's Deliverance Emancipates, Nurturing Souls! (B.U.R.D.E.N.S)/"Whose Burdens Do You Carry?"

I would like to pray for you:

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you for loving us so much. Thank you that you want to carry our burdens daily. You tell us in your Word to come to you with our our burdens and cares, for you want to give us rest. We thank you that your yoke is easy and burden light, giving rest to our souls. Oh Lord, please forgive us when we have been so pre-occupied with our own lives and our own situations, that we have not taken the time to seek you with our whole hearts, we have not loved you as we should, and we have not cared for your creation as you would want us to. Help us Lord and give us discernment to care for people you put in our path. Thank you so much Jesus. We know Jesus that it is not always easy to care for people and carry their burdens but that is what you want us to do. We want to be faithful to you Lord. Help us Lord. We pray for those who are suffering because of losing loved ones. It is hard to understand their pain but you do understand. Comfort them in their time of sorrow and give them a heart to go on. Please Jesus we need your help in our lives and their lives. Thank you Jesus. Lord, though we do not understand why things happen, we thank you for watching over everything that happens. Give us the strength and willingness to bear the outcomes and to faithfully serve you. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for hearing our prayers and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Love in Christ,
Ramesh