Zechariah 12:1-13:9, Revelation 19:1-21, Psalms 147:1-20, Proverbs 31:1-7
Today is the 28th day of December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you in that land in between Christmas and New Year’s, that land, that week that we kinda go through and it’s a little bit disrupted but we’re moving beyond Christmas and thinking about New Year’s and thinking about what we’re gonna do in the new year, what the New Year’s gonna look like. So, welcome to the land in between as we move into these last few days and bring to a close our journey through the Scriptures this year. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Yes, land is in shore. Our voyage across the year and across the Bible, yeah, we’re gonna…we’re gonna dock but we can see land. We’re still out here, a few more days to go. And, so, let’s press in and not only allow God’s word to speak into our lives and the decisions we’re making about our futures, but also to find this safe oasis. It’s always here for us around the Global Campfire. So, we’ve been reading from the book of Zechariah, which is what we will continue to do, well obviously until we complete it. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Zechariah chapters 12 and 13.
Commentary:
Okay. We were talking at the very beginning today when we were just getting together about how we’re in this kind of in between time right now, this between Christmas and New Year’s, this week in between where things aren’t…they’re just a little bit different and our hearts and minds turn away from Christmas, like we’re moving beyond Christmas and taking down all the lights and the tree and just…I mean some people keep them up for all the way through January, but I’m just saying generally speaking, we begin to move forward. And we begin to think about forward because we know that there’s a line called New Year’s Day. And it’s just another day. Indeed, it’s just another day but it is the beginning of a new year. And, so, it’s a line and…and we kind of live our lives in these 12-month spans when we think about things at this time of the year. What’s the next year gonna look like? And, so, we reflect on those things. We get contemplative about those things, the world over. We start to think about the changes that we need to make, the pounds that we need to lose, the strength that we need to gain, the spirituality that we need to dive deeper into, the story that we are living being more comprehensive or us just being simply more aware of what’s actually happening in the present instead of the constant regret of the past and the worry for the future. We think about these things during this year…or doing…during this week before the new year, right? And this is the time…like the programs are out, like there’s different programs looking back at what happened in the year 2020. And what a year to reflect back on because it’s been the weirdest one that I remember on a number of levels. It’s been a disruptive year that has given us a vision. Maybe we thought we were gonna get a different kind of vision but we got vision of reality in a lot of ways that revealed our fragility as a culture as a society as a humanity, but also the fact that there is work yet to be done in this world in the ways that we interact with one another. And, so, maybe some of that is incorporated into some of the things we would like to…you know…to address, or to engage with or to contemplate in the new year, things that could change the way we live toward one another. And if we consider it, a lot of our resolutions have to do with how we would make changes that would make our life a better life. Like they are really of the self-focused resolutions, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Like if we need to honestly look in the mirror and examine ourselves and say, “okay, you know, here are the things that I would like to see happen physically. Here are the things that I would like to see happen spiritually”, then yeah we’re thinking about our own lives and that’s fine. But if that’s all there is, if we’re not thinking outwardly at all whatsoever well, then we may not be as comprehensive as we think we are. And, so, Psalms today, Psalms today gives us something to think about, “the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him. Those who put their hope in His unfailing love.” It’s like that little sentence coming from thousands of years ago in a Psalm near the end of the Psalms bounces its way across history into our lap and then reorients us because we’ve been thing about losing 20 pounds, and now all the sudden we’re thinking about putting our hope in His unfailing love, which both of those things, both of those things are good things, probably, but one of those things is utterly essential. The Psalms says, “the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him,” The Lord’s delight, that's…that’s a New Year’s resolution, becoming the Lord’s delight? And that happens as we systematically, constantly be aware and in awe and in deep reverence at who He is as much as we can know because He is so far beyond us. But what if that was like the primary thing? Like, yeah what if we have this list of things, we want to accomplish this year, things that are resolutions, things that need to change, things that we just need to buckle down and see if we can make it past Valentine’s Day on? But what if becoming the delight of the Lord lead the story, like led the way, was the primary thing? So, in the exercise, in the losing weight, in doing mental exercises or whatever, to have stronger mental abilities or mental health, what if becoming the delight of the Lord was the primary thing that we wanted more than anything else, and led the way into all of the other things? Maybe it would be worth just writing that down on the New Year’s resolution list that we are…we are forming at the top of the list, like this is the thing that I want, to be the delight of the Lord. I want him to delight in me above all else. Let’s give that some thought as we continue our journey through this week of contemplation, of thinking about the fact that we’re going to exit a year that we will never forget. And yet we still don’t exactly know what’s out in front of us. But being the delight of the Lord, having the Lord delight in us, that can be an objective no matter what’s happening.
Prayer:
Father, we invite You into that. It’s coming from, Psalms, but it’s landed itself in our laps today and in truth it really does explain what our hearts longing is about, that we would know You, that we would be known by You, and that You would look upon us with mercy and grace and love and patience and kindness, like You always have. And yet so often we thought we were estranged from You or You were angry at us. We would love to live into a new year in which we knew that You delighted in us every day, every moment because we were aware of Your presence, and we respect it and at awe for what You are at work doing transforming us personally but shifting things in the world. Father, we’ve prayed for eyes to see and ears to hear all year long and we’re still praying for that, eyes to see and ears to hear, how to be Your delight. We must put our hope completely in Your unfailing love, like all of our hope in You and in nothing else to get there. So, come Holy Spirit show us how to live in that direction we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is the website, home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. Welcome to everybody that is like coming around and checking in and going, “yeah, this is this gonna be the new year” and just kind of getting off to a good ending to the year as we get ready to begin a brand-new journey that will take us through the Bible. Welcome aboard. We’ve been taking this journey since January 1st of 2020 without any clue of what 2020 was gonna look like because it started like every other year, right? And then…yeah…then things began to shift and change, and we had an unusual and unforgettable year. And now we’re getting ready to go into a new year wondering what it will bring. And the good news is day by day step-by-step a rhythm gets established around here and we go through the Bible in community and it is striking, like stunning how often, how remarkably clear the Bible speaks into the things that we’re facing not only is people, but in our own hearts because it does really boil down to why we do what we do. And we get to explore so many stories over so many thousands of years that reveal the heart. And, so, looking forward to that. Welcome aboard. We’re getting ready for the journey of a lifetime. And then all of us who have been sailing through this year, gosh, weren’t there days we had to hold onto each other and hold on to the Scriptures for dear life? And were they not the life raft that we needed? Like, we’re here, we’re here. I keep saying that, but I keep saying that to myself. But it’s like we did navigate we did make it we are here, and I’m just looking for to all that we will experience together in the coming year. So, anyway dailyaudiobible.com, that’s the website, that’s where you find what’s going on around here.
And good place to know about is the Community section. This is where the different links to different social media channels that we are a part of are and this is how to get connected. And that’s also where the Prayer Wall lives. And that’s always happening, and there’s always somebody praying, and there’s always somebody asking for prayer…like it’s always on and always available to us. So, be aware of that.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible as we move into these last couple of days of the year, then thank you profoundly and humbly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
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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 Prayer and Praise:
Hi this is Radiant Rachel I’m gonn continue praying for husbands. If you would pray with me. Lord I pray that You will give my husband Andrew and added measure of faith today. Enlarge his ability to believe in You, Your word, Your promises, Your ways and Your power. Put a longing in his heart to talk with You and to hear Your voice. Give him an understanding of what it means to bask in Your presence and not just ask for things. May he seek You, rely totally upon You, be led by You, put You first and acknowledge You in everything he does. Lord, You’ve said that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, Romans 10:17. Hit his soul with Your word so that his faith grows big enough to believe that with You all things are possible, Matthew 19:26. Give him unfailing certainty that what You’ve promised to do You will do, Romans 4:21. Make his faith a shield of protection. Put it into action to move the mountains in his life. Your word says just…the just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17. I pray that he will live the kind of faithful life You’ve called us all to experience. May he know with complete certainty how great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You’ve prepared for those who trust in You, Psalm 31:19. In Jesus’ name…
When upon life’s fellows you are tempest us when you are discouraged thinking all is lost count your many blessings name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. James, Alan, Austin, Alex, Ariana, Alyssa, Shirley, Toby, Trixie, Peppers, and me. These are my blessings after my house burned down last Sunday. It was considered a total loss. Our house of 24 years is no more. All of our memories, all of our Christmas presents, everything gone; however, this childhood song has gotten me through the week. Anytime I start to feel sad or discouraged or overly emotional I just start singing this song in praising God that we all got out safe, everybody is okay. We do lose one of our childhood pets but other than that, praise God we are okay, but we would covet your prayers during this difficult time. We are the Newell family. We live south of Atlanta.
Good morning family Soaring on Eagles Wings and from Canada on Monday December 21st. This morning when I look through my window early my car was just covered with this white beautiful snow and I love to see the snow before there are footsteps or anything on it. Then the sun came through brilliant shining on the snow like a sprinkling of diamonds. And then I heard Dorothy the teacher from California called in and O your voice I love it. It’s so filled with animation and joy and I just needed to hear that voice. And I want to say Dorothy after we beat ourselves up for things we have said, left undone. But you know what, as we acknowledge them to our heavenly Father, he forgives us and I’ve had to do that many, many times. As you have requested, He is already sending new appointments your way as you care for and help guide your students. Being a teacher is an awesome responsibility especially in this Covid time with remote learning etc. etc. And I take my hat’s off to all the teachers. You now have to guide your students and influence them for good. So, I pray for you as you continue. Thank you all the teachers out there. I’m praying for you. I love…
Good morning DAB family this is Nadine from East to Midwest and today’s December the 21st. I’m calling just first to say thank you dear God for our ministry Daily Audio Bible. Also, I just wanted to share with everybody __ that we think that we found Daily Audio Bible? It’s not random. God certainly has wanted to place this into our lives because I was listening to Walta the Burning Bush and, you know, I listened to her talk about how she’s been a member for 13 years and all that she had gone through. And my goodness I’m 59 and I sure wish I had found something like this, you know, but God had not…but I was ready for it I suppose. So, just know if we are…if you are part of it it is an honor a blessing and a gift to you. So, be strong in knowing that you’re part of a special kingdom here on earth. I wanted to pray for Nick who’s tired in his ministry. Stay strong my brother. We are at war. You can rest but don’t get up…I mean don’t give up. Long-term listeners who had stepped away for a minute. __ you said you came back and it’s like O what a new world. Yeah, that’s how it goes when you’re part of the kingdom. It’s like…it’s the difference between night and day as far as East to West. And you said you just loved us. It might sound silly. No. That’s how it goes for us. Victoria Soldier thank you. You remind me of my mom. Thank you for your wisdom and God bless everyone. Merry Christmas and I can’t look…I can’t wait to move into 2021 with you.
Hey this is Jerry calling from Duluth Minnesota it’s 330 in the morning on day 606 of my journey renewed journey with the DAB where God wakes me up in the middle of the night to spend as much time as he wants with me and with and I with him. I was listening to the holiday greeting and the first 30 minutes with Brian and Jill. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and sharing your word that God has put on your radar for 2021, the word Mend. And I couldn’t help but think of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and in the Amplified Bible in verse seven it says, “a time to tear apart and a time to sew together”. In the Good News Translation it says, “the time for tearing, the time for mending”. In the Living Bible it says, “a time to tear, a time to repair”. In The Message it says, “a time to rip out and another to mend”. In The Voice it says, “a time to tear apart and a time to bind together”. We’ve had a year of 2020 of tearing apart, and a lot of ripping and yet it’s exciting to see what God is gonna do in 2021 in mending us back together. God bless you all. Jerry from Duluth Minnesota.
Hello this is Shakira my name is…sorry. I just wanted to say that this has been a really good journey. I’ve been here since December 1st, 2020. I want to say that am thankful for this family and Brian. I will always push for this because I feel like this is a path that everyone needs to follow. I’m really, really, really, happy you have chosen God and dedicated my life to him again because I did fall off a little bit. I started to lose faith and I had to catch on. I just wanted to thank everyone who’s been pushing me without even knowing me. God bless you all. Have a great day and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.