Genesis 42:18-43:34, Matthew 13:47-14:13, Psalms 18:16-34, Proverbs 4:7-10
Today is the 21st day of January. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you at this threshold that we get to cross every seven days, the threshold of a shiny, sparkly, brand-new week, where everything that is gone before us is in the past, and the week is out in front of us. And we can choose to live within the counsel and wisdom of the Scriptures as they’re a part of our lives every day. So, this week we’re going to read from the Common English Bible. And we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday. We’re in the story of Joseph and it’s a drama packed story that is so much of a mirror into our own lives and motives and responses. And Joseph is now dealing with seeing the very family members, his brothers, who trafficked him into slavery. Genesis chapter 42 verse 18 through 43 verse 34 today.
Okay. So, Joseph is seeing his brothers. He has seen his brothers but they don’t know that they’re seeing Joseph. And because Joseph can speak Hebrew as well as it the Egyptian languages that he needs in the country that he’s in, he can understand what they’re saying. So, he knows what’s going on. And it’s going all the way to his heart, like, we find them leaving the room to weep. But he’s not revealing his identity yet. Right? So, these people are Joseph’s brothers, but they are also the people that sold him into slavery. They trafficked their own brother. So, Joseph, being coy or cunning with them isn’t so much revenge on his part. If it was revenge that he wanted it would be revenge that he could get. He could label them all as spies, he could reveal who he is, and he could have them executed. Rather, Joseph is testing them. He’s finding out where their hearts are, but he’s not just finding out where their hearts are for himself. Their hearts are being revealed to themselves. This secret of selling Joseph into slavery goes back a couple of decades. It’s been something they’ve been sitting on for a long time. They’ve let their father believe that Joseph was killed long, long ago. And, so, all of this is being surfaced in them. It’s revealing their hearts. So, we’ll have to wait and let the story unfold and see how Joseph ends up dealing with all of this, but it’s good for us to remember that, when we enter into a time of testing, it’s going to surface in us all kinds of things, but it’s also going to surface what we believe about God. So, if we enter into a season of wilderness, a season of testing, and we find ourselves jumping up and down and running in circles and shaking our fists at the sky world, well then, we have revealed what we think about our relationship with God. And, yet, when we enter those times and they’re shaking us up and they’re rough and tumble times and we hold onto God for dear life, not accusing Him of anything or blaming Him for stuff that He has nothing to do with, but holding on to Him for dear life, for direction, and clarity, and guidance, and fellowship, and intimacy, well then, we’re revealing what we really feel about God. So, we’re seeing this kind of stuff happen inside of Joseph’s brothers lives as they consider the predicament that they’re in. The truth of their hearts is coming to the surface and being revealed. And, so, we can consider this as we go through our own times of testing.
Prayer:
Jesus, we invite You into that. We first begin by apologizing for the way that we’ve thrashed around and flailed and blamed and tried to sidestep all kinds of things in these times that shake us up. We’ve done that. We confess that. It reveals our hearts and it’s not the way that we want it to be. We want to hold on to You for dear, dear life. You are our only hope. And, so, we cling to You in all things, and allow You to work through all things, sanctifying us, perfecting us, making us like You. And we invite You, Jesus, into all of that, all the things that come up when were shaken. And when everything else shakes loose we want to see that the bedrock, the most important relationship, the most important connection in our entire existence, is the one we share with You. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
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Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi. Daily Audio Bible. This is Leah calling from Georgetown Delaware. Hi. This is my first time calling and I’ve been listening to the daily Bible for about a year now, on and off. But 2018 is my first year listening all the way through and I’m really excited. I’m enjoying it every day. I just wanted to say that it’s really blessed my life. I am 26 years old and this year, this past year, 2017, has been a real of breakthrough and deliverance for me in Christ. And I’m just really thankful for that and amazed at what God’s been doing in my heart and life. I’ve been getting stronger in my faith. I just want to ask for pray…I just when ask for prayer for…right now…my church is doing a fast…and I just would ask for prayer right now as I’m praying…trying to seek the Lord, that the Lord would strengthen my faith and walk in Him and that I would become more confident in the Lord. I would just really appreciate that. And I also want to respond quickly to a prayer request call that came in from a girl, who, I’m trying to remember her name, I think it was Kelly, a few days ago who said she was in her late 20s and she is learning how to walk out her faith. And she’s a new listener as well and her first time calling in. I just want to reach out to her and tell her that I’m praying for you girl, I’m praying for you. God bless you and I’m keeping you in my prayers as you walk out your faith. I know what it’s like to learn how to walk out your faith and learn to be bold and confident in Christ alone. And, know that you’re not alone, know that you are loved and that there are other people out there who are learning. You know, after maybe, like for me, learning how to walk in Christ alone, how to have faith in Christ alone, and what that means, and what it means to have community around you in Christ, brothers and sisters who love you. Maybe after walking away for a long time…
Hey Brian, this is Mike. I just want to thank you. I always listen to the DAB while I’m in the shower and I’ve been listening to you since 2010, when I lived in Hollywood. Since then I’ve lived in many places. And as I heard your voice today and talking about how Jacob wrestled with the Lord, I thought, a year ago, I was in Louisiana, now I’m in Colorado, soon to be moving to New York City again. And, I just really want to tell you I appreciate you. You’ve been with me, your voice at least, since 2010. And that’s just like about eight years and I love DAB and I just can’t believe how your steadfastness touches so many people. I mean the power of media, the power of the word of God hitting media, you probably minister to like millions of people, maybe every day. __ man. Jesus is amazing and He works in you and through you and through your awesomely deep raspy voice every day and I love you and I appreciate it. Amen. Keep it up. Thanks.
Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Paul from Houston and I’m calling to pray from Judith from England for her adopted brother who’s been having some problems with behavior challenges that a been difficult for the family. I just want to pray now. Lord, I thank You Lord for Judith’s brother Lord. I thank You Lord that You would be with him Lord. Lord, I ask Lord that the wounds, hurts, anything that has been in his life Lord I ask Lord that You would show him how merciful and loving You are Lord and I ask that You would be with their family, give them peace. Lord, I ask that there would be peace of their family and I thank You Lord that there couldn’t be any division. And I thank You Lord that You would protect them and guide them, guard them, put Your spirit around them to protect them and can I ask Lord that You would reveal Yourself to this brother who’s been adopted Lord? I thank You Lord that we’ve all…we all have been adopted one way or another to You Lord and Lord we ask that You pour Your spirit out on this family God and on this brother and just be with them. Give them peace Lord in the middle of the pain and any of the other struggles that they have Lord just give them a vision for help for their son Lord. I thank You Lord for giving them a vision for what You are to do with them Lord so that they get a focus and direction for his life in Jesus name and I thank You for that. Thank you Daily Audio Bible. This is Paul from Houston.
Hi. My name is David and I’m a child of God in Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area. And the reason I’m calling is, it’s is my first time calling. I’ve been listening for about a year. Some of my family members and friends listen as well now. But the reason I called is I am a young life leader. I don’t know how many thousands of people around the world that are young life leaders. And our mission in young life is to introduce adolescents to Jesus and to help them grow in their faith. And in our area, we need prayer. We’re feeling attacked and we need God’s direction. So, I appreciate this community. I’m so thankful for your prayers. And I would just ask, could you please be praying for, first of all, your young life, your area, young life areas, young life leaders that might be in your area. But secondly, would you pray for San Francisco Bay region and specifically the Delta area of the San Francisco Bay region, that we would be encouraged, and that we would get direction from God to guide us and lead adolescents Christ. Thank you so much for this community. Thank you for the opportunity to send this prayer request as well. God bless you.
Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Emily in Germany, well, in Europe. I haven’t called in for a really long time. I’ve been putting off the call, not because I didn’t want to call in, just because I’m really busy. In June, 2016, I was listening to the community prayer line and somebody praying for people who are suffering with dementia, that their minds will become clear, and they would be able to hear from God, and we have a friend whose mom is suffering with dementia and Alzheimer’s and we’ve been praying for her salvation for a really long time. And the Holy Spirit, when I was listening to that community podcast, the Holy Spirit told me to pray for her. And, so I just ___ pray for her at that moment. And at that moment her daughter was there visiting her and she prayed the Lord’s prayer with her. And her mom repeated, her mom was Catholic. And then she just, it came to her that maybe I should pray the sinners prayer, because the mom is not usually very…she doesn’t talk very much…she was like interacting well and repeating well what her daughter was saying and so she prayed the sinners prayer and her mom pray the sinners prayer after her and when she came back and shared with our home group but it happened, it was the same day, it was the same moment that I was praying for her. And I just really wanted to thank you for calling in. You never know when you’re…whatever your praying is going to be answered or how, or how it’s going to touch people around the world. So, thank you for that. And I also just wanted to ask for prayer for my father-in-law. He has lung cancer and he’s only got a few months left and it’s just really hard on my family. Please pray for his salvation and my husband and my brother-in-law as they care for him. Bye-bye.
Daily Audio Bible friends. This is Lara in San Diego. I woke up this morning just feeling it on my heart to call in and pray for those who face anxiety, depression, and suicide. In the name of Jesus, we come against the enemy, we rebuke anxiety, depression, and suicide. We know these are the tools of the enemy. I pray for anyone who’s affected by these. Lord, we pray that the people who are facing these demons would stand and speak rebuke to them in the name and power of Jesus. By his blood we are set free, we are cleansed, we are whole, we are made new, and we stand in faith. We pray Lord, I pray for those who I know personally who face these things on a daily basis or for years. And I pray Lord Jesus that they would take these strengths in Your word and Your truth, that they would be able to stand against the enemy. I pray for anyone who’s listening to the Daily Audio Bible. The Lord Jesus has saved you. Take heart and stand in this truth. Write it on your mirror, speak it with your own lips, stand with it, get up out of your bed, go open the shades, go outside, and stand in the truth that the Lord Jesus has saved you. He is a good Shepherd. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thy God and thy staff comfort me. Lord Jesus lead us out into green pastures beside still waters. Let us take heart in your good shepherding and Lord in the power that your blood has earned. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for our sins. May we stand in the truth of who you are. I love you Jesus. Amen.