Chronicles 14:1-16:14 ~ Romans 9:1-24 ~ Psalm 19:1-14 ~ Proverbs 20:1
Today is the 25th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today. I just threw another log on the global camp fire. Everything is all nice and comfy. I’ve got a good, steamy cup of coffee to my left. We are ready. And we are reading from the Gods Word translation this week - second Chronicles chapter 14 verse 1 through 16 verse 14 today.
Commentary:
OK. So, Psalm 19 makes some declarations or offers some declarations that we should pay attention to because it’s outlining a posture of heart and a way of life that will work. Like, if we will embrace these things as true and then live into these things as true then we have a model that will work. The teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. If you believe that’s true then embrace it with heart, mind, and will. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. Right? What he says is dependable. It makes even gullible people wise. The instructions of the Lord are correct. They make the heart rejoice. In other words, we don’t have to figure out everything for ourselves. We have the instruction of the Lord through His word and through the power of His Holy Spirit within us. The instructions of the Lord are correct and they will make our heart rejoice. The command of the Lord is radiant. It makes the eyes shine. The fear of the Lord is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of the Lord are true. They are completely fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb. As Your servant, which is us, I am warned by them. There is a great reward in following them. Because you can notice every mistake? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep me from sinning. And notice, that’s not us saying, ok, I’m going to redouble my efforts and not sin today in my own strength. That would be the discipline that Paul was talking about when he talked about the mosaic law, saying none of us of have been able to achieve this. We can’t achieve this on our own. What the psalmist says is, keep me from sinning, which indicates surrender. I can’t do this. I surrender to you. Keep me from sinning. And, so, we find ourselves moving away from that statement. When we find ourselves moving into sin then we can see immediately that we have assumed control. We have taken it back. We have broken apart the union and intertwining with God that was offered to us through the gospel. Do not let anyone gain control over me. Right? Don’t let anyone have undue or improper influence over me, then I will be blameless and I will be free from any great offense. May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. May my thoughts, words, and deeds be acceptable.
It’s so beautiful, this idea of surrender. We fight against that concept so hard. We want to be individuals, freestanding entities, that have total control over our destiny and we fight this idea of surrender when the Lord is saying, like, surrender isn’t about giving up. I am trying to care for you. You have to let Me. It’s like the analogy of a drowning person in the water. So, a person who has gotten in over their head, out beyond where they can return, strength is waning, they’re freaking out. Rescuers come. And for a person who’s about to rescue a drowning person, this is the greatest moment of danger for them because a drowning person can freak out and make it difficult or even harm the person trying to rescue them. Because their thrashing and losing control, rather than doing what they should do, relax and be rescued. Safe, easy, over. This is how we are with surrender in our lives and yet the offer of the gospel and surrender is, I don’t have to figure out everything anymore. I am not on my own. I never have been nor will be. I’m not a freestanding entity that has to be all-powerful and try to make a way in the world. That’s not even what I’m doing here. I’m intertwined in union with God. That’s what I’m doing here. And it’s a great adventure. And obstacles come my way and they’re hard. Wilderness seasons come. They’re hard but they’re forming me. I have surrendered. I am not in control, which gives such freedom. It simply requires trust, total trust. I have to trust that God is within and among and around me in all things as I surrender to Him. But at some point we have to look at our lives and say, what do I have to lose? Because every other attempt at every other thing isn’t working - not leading me to peace within, the satisfaction and contentment within. I’m always running one place to another, to another, to another, to try to fill the void. But surrender means there is no void to fill. I’m filled completely. I’m where I’m supposed to be. This is the offer of the gospel and the works. May we surrender to it today.
Prayer:
So, Father, we invite you into that. We confess that we have surrendered large portions of our lives to You but not everything. And it’s always a moving target. Because there have been times when we’ve surrendered everything because we’ve had no other choice. We’ve surrendered everything and You have come through and You have been there and You’ve been trustworthy. But then we get back up on our feet and take control again because want to be in the driver’s seat. And then we kind of end up where we started. So, Holy Spirit, show us what it looks like to live a life of surrender - not of giving up but of being empowered and in union with You. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Announcements:
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayers and Praise Reports:
Hi. This is Greg from Minneapolis. First time caller. Listening to the Daily Audio Bible for many years. And a little bit behind but I just listened to the June 19th podcast and I’m calling to pray for, specifically, Marco regarding your lost job and your concern about your wife. And then also, Rich, in Little Rock, with adversity you’ve been facing and the love that you desire for the Lord. Guys, I’ve just got to say that, over a 30 ____. Marco, you’ve been many times, and I don’t even have time on this call to share how many times the Lord has delivered me from those back against the Red Sea moments. But He’s there. Guys, I just pray right now. Lord, Jesus, I pray for healing in Marco. I pray for Your wholeness and shalom, Your comfort over them and their loved ones. I pray, Lord, for Your peace, that they would know that You are in control and You would give them ____ and that they would see themselves as they close their eyes being held by You, Jesus. And they would see themselves on the other side of this desert place they’re in, this adversity, because it will pass. And I pray they would see themselves holding Your hand and praising You for being with them every step of the way. ____ protection over them, Lord, that the enemy would not rattle their faith in the midst of this adversity. And I pray for wisdom, Lord, God. That they would have that wisdom, to know that these things are temporary but they build character, Lord. ____ for You to be praised. So, I just pray that this trial will result in praise and glory and honor to You, Lord, Jesus, and that You would be the hero in their story. In Your holy name, I pray. Amen.
Hi guys. How are you doing? This is John. I ask for your prayers for my marriage. After three weeks of being gone, my wife is coming home late tonight. She’s agreed to a talk. No promises. No anything. But at least that’s something. So, a bit of a praise report. ____ prayers, I know it won’t be played until whenever but I really would love this to work out for any number of reasons because I think it’s the right thing to do. Brian married us…remarried us at the Serengeti…a while back. So, I believe it’s meant to be. If it’s meant to be it’s up to me. So, I’m just begging you all…and I’m not a guy who begs…I actually do everything by myself and all that…and that’s part of the problem. In the process of taking care of myself I ____ for support. I’ve got a long way to climb back. If you can just pray for us. And it will be if it’s God’s plan to happen. Thank you so much. Thank you for being there. I pray for you all. I can’t pray like Victoria S. or write poetry like Blind Tony but ____ any of you all…I like to have aspirations. Thank you guys. I’m just praying.
If the foundation ___ then the structure will not stand the stresses and the tolerances that the storms of life demand. It’s hard to build on granite or any kind of rock, even with the proper tools or work around-the-clock ____ drilling, boring, shaping, pouring, bracing, propping up, and shoring, and lot’s more stuff that I’m ignoring. But there is one rock that’s worth exploring. Jesus is that rock. The rock on which I stand. ___ the storms of life and all that they demand. The winds may blow, the waters rise, all on earth may die. You’ll still be safe with Jesus, the rock that’s very, very high. Blindtony1016@gmail.com. ____ haven’t heard from you in a long time. And Gigi, hope you are still hanging in there. And I’d like to give a shout out to Dean S. from Kansas. Hope all is well. And once again, my love to the Hardin family for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowin’ y’all.
Hi family. It’s Laura from Fort Meyers. So, I heard a lady call in…I think for her daughter-in-law or maybe daughter. I am…it just really…it touched me. To think that that woman had someone like her to pray for her because…and then I started thinking…I don’t really ___ unless I’m not aware of it. My own mom doesn’t. Another mom might. My husband doesn’t. So, ___ put more out there for you guys to help pray for me. So, I’ve been trying to figure out what to ask for and I think I need to start with…I had a lot of emotional abuse growing up and I think it’s that and a combination of my personality…make me over analyze everything and sometimes it’s hard ___ or make a decision…and because I just have all these thoughts going on in my head and I’ve been working on it and I feel like things are getting better, especially through this ministry that I’m so grateful for. But I’m just tired of…I want to move on…to…you know…to the next level. So, would you guys start praying for that for me, so I can have more confidence? ___ really what else. I’m just leading from the Holy Spirit…just to move on and get rid of all these jumbled thoughts in my head. Thank you so much. I love you.
Hey everyone. It’s ___ from FL. I just posted on the Facebook Wall but I wanted to say it so you guys could kind of hear it in my voice. I posted on the Facebook group about allot of stuff that’s kind of going on with me and my health at three in the morning. Man, the response I got was just… A thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it. It means so much to me and it stirs my heart so ___ that you guys really care. And that you guys aren’t just spitting religious platitudes and that there’s a genuine heart. And I just want to ask that God bless all of you in just the most amazing ___. That’s all guys. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. And by the time this gets played I’ll probably have some more test results. I’m going to just praise God now, so that the test results, the praise and I give them will match the praise that I give now. Thank You Father for how much You care, for the heart You’ve given Your people. Thank You for all of what You do. You’re everybody’s disease and that You forgive everybody’s sin. In the name of Jesus. Amen and Amen.