Judges 17:1-18:31 ~ John 3:1-21 ~ Psalm 104:1-23 ~ Proverbs 14:20-21
Today is the 3rd day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today and now we’ll take our next step forward through the scriptures, which finds us moving our way through the book of Judges and we’ve got a few more days before we will complete the book of Judges. Let’s dive in for today. We’re reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible this week, and we’ll read Judges chapter 17, verse 1 through 18:31 today.
Commentary:
Okay, so we see how the tribe of Dan gets a city after its own name today in the book of Judges. They’ve been embedded in other tribes, but they went to explore in the north and conquered the city of Laish and made it the city of Dan. It’s ruins exist right now, until today. In fact, it is one of the only places where archeological evidence referring to the Davidic kingdom and that dynasty of the kings has been found. It’s a fascinating place and some of its ruins date way before Israel, back into Canaanite times, and now it is one of the places we’ll visit next time that we go, which is in February and you can find out about that at www.DailyAudioBible.com. Just look for Israel 2018 and click the link and you’ll get more information.
Prayer
Father, we thank you for your word, for its roots in history, but the way that it speaks and opens up our hearts, the way that the stories unpack before us and we see ourselves in them. And even as we’ve come to probably the most quoted, famous of all scriptures in John today, that you loved this world so much that you gave your Son so that those who believe will not perish but will have eternal life, that one verse summarizes the good news. But it also goes on to describe the condition that we find the world still in, that you came to bring the light and we fought to keep the dark rather than to have the freedom of the light that you offer and this battle rages on. The battle rages on for the heart of this species called humanity that you created in your own image. So we invite you, Holy Spirit, into the dark places. That is where we need the light and so we invite you to begin the work in us, the reminding us and the counsel that you offer us, the direction and the truth that you lead us into. We want all of that. So we invite it. We invite it into everything about us today. Come Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Announcements
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And that is it for today. I’m Brian. I love you and I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
I wanted to speak to the executive who had called from Silicon Valley and I heard the prayer request on the April 30th prayer line. She is single and it sounds as if she is experiencing some challenges being in her position and what to do around that with her singleness and just the loneliness and having been successful at work and yet she is divorced. I just want you to know that God has you in the palm of his hand. He is working in you, giving you a desire to come into a deeper relationship with him. And Heavenly Father, I pray that you would just give to her great peace, that you would show her what it is you that you have meant for her to do to draw into a closer relationship with you. Holy Spirit, open her eyes, her heart and her head to know that you will bring people into her life to be a blessing and to walk with her during this journey. You are not alone. There are many of us out there in similar situations. God has become the delight of our lives in ways that are unexpected and I anticipate he will do the same for you. We will continue to pray. We will continue to support you during this journey. God bless. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Well, hey there DAB friends and family. This is Rob S., Worship Dude in Nashville, TN. I just want to say thanks to everybody who keeps listening after the Bible reading to the prayer requests and prays for people. So appreciated. I listen and pray for you guys. Anyway, I have a prayer request. My wife and I are going to be going on a massive missions trip the whole month of May. We fly out May 1st, get back May 30th to Eastern Europe, so we’ll be teaching about worship and discipleship and such in Ukraine and Bulgaria and Hungary and then we’ll be traveling different connections there in Europe. In France and Italy also to make the connection. So anyway, would really, really, really appreciate your prayers and I’ll try to keep you guys updated. Hey, if you want to reach out to me or contact me in any way, I’m on the Facebook Group a lot but also my email is Rob@RobStill.com. God bless you guys. Thanks for praying.
Hey, good morning family. This is Dan in New Hampshire. I actually wanted to reach out to someone specific. I’m going to go back and listen, but I didn’t get your name. The mother praying for her son in Aviano Air Base. I just want to let you know I’m a veteran of the Air Force. I’ve only been out for a couple years now, but I do know all too well the temptations and the trials of being overseas and being away from family and also trying to walk out your faith. I couldn’t hear everything, but I just really felt compelled to call and to pray for your son and just lift him up. Dear Lord Jesus, we just pray for this situation. I know that you know his heart and know the calling that he has and that you have on his life and that is a destiny of greatness and a calling to do great things. We pray that your hand would be upon him, guide his heart, turn it back to you, Lord. I know that there is the overwhelming need to want to fit in, especially in the military where you need to be tightknit and close and sometimes just pursuing Jesus, there is not a lot there, not everyone wants to pursue Jesus. I pray that you would break his heart, that he would fall in love with you and that you are the ultimate gift-giver, the giver of life and that you show him what true sacrifice means. So I lift him up to you and I lift up his mother as well, that she would be filled with peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Good morning DAB family. This is Dave in Illinois. This is my first year going through the Bible with this community and my first time calling, but I was encouraged by Brian yesterday when he asked us to call or he encouraged us to call if there was something that we are carrying that is too heavy for us right now. So with that in mind, I’m calling to ask for prayers for our 4-year-old daughter, Bella Grace, and her kidney surgery this Wednesday morning May 3rd. She has been battling kidney disease for about 2-½ years. Over that time we’ve taken her to multiple doctors, had numerous invasive procedures and ER visits and in fact during her most recent ER visit, because of a kidney infection, her temperature was over 104 degrees three different times. We got close to losing her, but God healed her of the kidney infection. So she has surgery scheduled for Wednesday morning, May 3rd to hopefully resolve the underlying issues causing her kidney disease. We ask you to please join us in praying that this surgery will be successful to bring full healing to her kidneys. As we pray, we have two scriptures that we’ve been praying through. 1 Philippians 4, that we would be faithful to bring our anxieties to God in prayer and somehow he trade them for his peace that passes all understanding. And like Jesus says in John 9, we may not know why Bella was born with this kidney disease, but we are praying that the works of God might be displayed in her through this, that somehow by God’s grace and for his glory he will be honored and exalted through all of this. I thank you all for your prayers. I’m grateful for this family and the fellowship with other Jesus followers. I love you all. God bless.
Hi family. I am one of those people who is an introvert and I don’t like calling in, but I feel a very strong urge to call in today after listening to April 29th, the prayer line. Brothers and sisters, if you have a dispute with one another, just remember to love one another. Remember not to hold things against each other and if you have to shake the dust off your feet where you feel like you have to walk away from some kind of Christian relationship, don’t do so out of spite. Do so out of grief and remember that Jesus loves all of us and that the person who hurt you is working through their own issues too and we’re all sinners and we’re all messed up. But thanks to God for his grace. Whatever hate is out there in the community, if somebody has been hurt and they feel the need to lash out, don’t reciprocate. Just love that individual. Whoever you are, we are glad you’re here. We’re glad those who don’t call in, who listen, we love each and every one of you, issues and all, and we’re so glad you’re part of this community. I thought about leaving my name here. No, I’m not going to leave my name. God knows who I am. Love you all and I love this community. Take care.