1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17, Acts 25:1-27, Psalms 5:1-12, Proverbs 18:19
Today is the 7th day of July welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian. Today’s a special day around here around the Global Campfire. It’s the long walk day. Our own little…our little holiday in the middle of it all, in the middle of the year. Just a chance to regroup, go for a long walk here in the center of the year and reset. And we’ve talked plenty about that leading up to this. So, happy long walk today everybody, especially those of you who are on your long walk right now. It’s great to be here with you today as we do what we do every day and take the next step forward together in the Scriptures, and that leads us back into the book of first Chronicles. We’re kinda of just getting going and reading a lot of genealogies here in the first part of first Chronicles. And as we’ve mentioned before, this is a retelling of who the people are so that they won’t forget where they’ve come from. And, so, let’s dive in. Today, first Chronicles chapter 4 verse 5 through 5 verse 17.
Commentary:
Okay. On this day of the long walk, on this day that is situated pretty close to the center of the year where we take some time to regroup, realize we’ve made it halfway through this year, reflect back, consider where we’ve come from, consider where we’re going, adjust our coordinates and talk to God, walk with God. We have something sitting here for us that as we’re contemplating and considering our lives in considering the rest of the year could really help us as we adjust our coordinates and it’s found in one sentence in the book of Proverbs. An offended ally is more formidable than a city. Such quarreling is like the bars of the castle. So, an offended ally is an offended friend. An ally is somebody we believe has our back whether nationally or internationally, or whether just in our own personal lives. An ally has our back and we have theirs. An offended ally is different than that. An offended ally becomes more formidable than a city. And in this context, we’re talking about a walled city with massive defenses to guard the city. And maybe we would describe this using a different kind of metaphor, but we all probably understand how this goes, right? Let’s just look at ourselves and see how we become that walled city. So, we’re moving along with our friend and our friendships and our allies, the people that have our back and we have theirs, but an offense comes from something that gets said. And this offense swells up because we resent what has been said or done. We resent it often because we feel disrespected in some way and then that begins to fester, and it becomes an offense, and we get angry and we’re mad at that person. And then as time goes by maybe we have conversations with other people about how mad we are about this offense that we have taken up. And boom! We’re a walled city to that person. And it maybe that we’ve been the one that said the thing. Maybe we didn’t mean the thing. Maybe we did mean the thing, but we said the thing and the offense was picked up and we watched a friendship become like a walled city. And as we’re outside the walls then we get mad and we’re like, well then, I guess we’re not allies anymore. I can think of my little son Ezekiel when he was maybe…maybe three years old, probably 2-½, 3 years old. And the little…the little guy and I have always been best friends and love each other dearly, but he got offended one day when he was just little because he got told no. He couldn’t do this thing. I don’t remember what it was, but I remember him running his little tiny legs pumping down the hallway running into the bedroom and looking back down the hallway at me and saying, we are not best friends and slamming the door. And of course, then I have to go down the hall and we have to have a chit chat and work things out between us, but this stuff is with us all along. We should be familiar with what we are talking about here. The walls go up and our emotional availability goes down. We’re offended. Or as the Proverbs put it, such quarreling is like the bars of a castle. So, let’s think about the walled city here. Let’s think about the fact that we’re in the walled city. Let’s think about some of the stories that we have just recently read about people trapped in walled cities under siege who are starving to death because nothing can come in and nothing can go out. Let’s think about how our own spiritual lives and realize when we’re in this, when we’re in an offense and have become a walled city, we may not be protected. We may be trapped. Or let’s look at it from the other perspective. We’re outside the city walls. We’re free to go and come. We’re also exposed, alone, and an easy target. And maybe some of these things can’t be repaired with just a conversation. Like there’s a myriad of possibilities in our lives for this proverb to come near and be important to us. But as we look back over the first half of this year and we look forward to the remainder of the year out in front of us this is an opportunity to consider our relationships and the condition of our relationships and allow the Proverb to come near to us, giving us a visual example of what is happening which allows us then to decide. Is that fine? Are we cool with that? Is that how we want to live, or would we hope for something better? And then we might think, well it’s done. I said it. I can’t take it back. I can’t unsay it. They’re mad. They have a right to be mad or they don’t have a right to be mad, but it was the truth or whatever. And we can just continue to reinforce our defenses. That can so easily become a trap for us, or we can realize the way that this can possibly get undone and begin to move in the right direction is to move in the opposite direction of what caused this in the first place. So, if angry words of offense or accusation were what caused this then…then words of humility and apology are the first step in the right direction. And, so, let’s take this proverb and let’s take it on this day as we spend some time reflecting on where we’re going and let’s choose wisely.
Prayer:
Father, we invite You into that. Our personal relationships are fraught with disagreement that can easily turn into offense that can easily turn into resentment and bitterness and can even make enemies out of us, can put us behind walls from each other. And Lord it seems like it can happen so quickly, so unexpectedly. We’re so not prepared that are our own brokenness and our own stories come into play against someone else’s story and their own brokenness in the immediate of the now and it’s all complicated for us. We can’t navigate this. We can’t be successful on our own. And, so we ask Your Holy Spirit to remind us of Proverbs 18:19, an offended ally is more formidable than a city. Such quarreling is like the bars of the castle. Although these may be things that we need we don’t need them against our friends and allies. And, so, come Holy Spirit and speak into the different situations that we face with our brothers and sisters. I pray this in the precious and mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
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And we know it’s the Daily Audio Bible long walk today. So, I think I’m probably safe in assuming that I’m talking to some of you as you’re walking, as you’re enjoying the beauty or as you are on your way or making plans. And, so, that’s fantastic. I’m doing the same thing. And, so, I just encourage you. We’ve talked about it for a couple weeks. This is the day. Enjoy it. And we can get out there and think that there is something to accomplish. I took this day. I set it aside. I’m going for a walk with God and then we can be out there walking like…is this working? Am I doing this right? How…how can I do this better? And that’s really where we get sideways, that there is some sort of objective here. And we just have to remember, when we fell in love and we went on those long walks in the woods or those long walks in the rain we wasted time as if it was never ending. We weren’t always looking at our watch figuring out what the next obligation was. Time stood still. And that’s really the objective, is that we stop paying attention to what we’ve got to get done and start paying attention to what’s going on around us and simply enjoy and empty out, have the conversation. This is time to simply say everything that needs to be said. And, you know, I often think that we’re so busy that the Lord has some things He’d liked to say to us. We just don’t slow down. And when we talk to Him, we’re talking to Him. And, so, we leave that time and He’s kinda going, man…I had some things I would’ve liked to have told you if you had stuck around for a minute. I would’ve comforted you. You didn’t have to run off. You ran in here all stressed out, told me what you were stressed out about and ran off when I would’ve given you a hug. I would’ve told you it’s gonna be okay. That’s what today is about, time to find comfort in our relationship with God, a time of uninterrupted space where we don’t have to leave anything unsaid. And, so, drink deeply. Enjoy deeply your long walk with God and as you move into the back half of the year. And wherever you are, whatever continent you are on, wherever you are on this beautiful planet that God has made for us, snap the picture, maybe take a video and come back to the Facebook page facebook.com/dailyaudiobible. We’ve got a post there for the long walk for this year and you can post into that post your pictures, your videos, share your stories and we all get to enjoy this together as the windows open. As we look through those pictures we’re seeing the world, a place that we weren’t today but a place where you were and we get to enjoy that together.
And then finally I mentioned yesterday, there is a resource that is just tailor-made for what we’re doing today on the long walk and that is called Heart, a contemplative journey and you can download that wherever you get music, at the iTunes Store. Now here’s the thing, it’s not like Apple music, but the iTunes store. Heart, a contemplative journey is kind of a guided prayer and musical journey. Prayers to open up the emotions in our hearts, music to just touch those places as only music can and opening us to the conversation that we are having today about what’s going on in our lives. And, so, that resource is fantastic for…for the the long walk. So Heart, a contemplative journey. You can probably find by just searching my name, Brian Hardin, wherever you get music. So, take advantage of that resource. Like I said it is…it is a wonderful way to open ourselves up to God and the things that we are feeling. It is a wonderful conversation starter. So, check that out.
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And that is it for today. I love you I’m Brian, enjoy your long walk. I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Oh, thank you Brian Jill and family. It’s amazing to be able to come to you my Daily Audio Bible family of prayer warriors. I’m a long-time listener and this is my very first time calling. But it’s on my heart asking you to pray for my 44-year-old son who’s going to have pretty serious aortic aneurysm repair on the 6th of July. He has a wife and three children that need him so and his only fear is that he won’t be there for them. And my prayer is for a successful surgery and a problem free recovery. Would you please lift the Mayo hospital open heart surgical team involved in his care and also bless them with godly wisdom and precision? And may all our fears be removed as we trust solemnly placed in God. My hearts grateful that I can come to you with this prayer request and I thank each and ever yone of you for joining our family in this prayer.
Good afternoon my Daily Audio Bible friends. This is Skip Morgan and Sudeen Texas. And and I love the Daily Audio Bible. I love it, I love it, I love it. Just a little background. I’ve been in Hospice care for several years and twice my families been called because they didn’t think I was gonna live but I keep…and the Lord…and the Lord keeps me alive. But here’s my point. I just want to encourage everyone…a few days ago someone wrote on my Facebook page the scripture, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And I replied and hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing the word of God. I hear so many people that are under stress, they’re depressed, they’re going through so much and my heart goes out to you because I’ve been there. But I want to encourage you to somehow, someway play scripture, play worship music, anything you can get your hands on that’ll drive Satan out of your home and out of your mind. And I promise you, I promise you, God promises you that if you will hear and hear and hear the word of God things will change. Things will change. Things will get better. Thank you so much.
Hey Daily Audio Bible family brothers and sisters this is Andrea D'alene from Kentucky in the USA. I wanted to let you know that I am praying for you today and I want to pray for you really quickly. Father in the name of Yeshua Your son, thank You for my brothers and sisters. I ask that You would give them great courage today, that any fear on them would be broken and that You would replace it with Your amazing overwhelming powerful loving kindness. I ask You that You would bolden them to do what is right today. I ask that any suicidal feelings that is on Your people would be broken and be lifted up, that You would infuse hope into them and into their family. I ask that any addiction and all addiction be broken and come under the submission of the Holy Spirit, and I just speak to my brothers and sisters. You are powerful in the power of Yeshua. You have what it takes to succeed in all that God has called You to do and I ask You to continue not giving up on Your loved ones, continue loving on them even if it feels like it’s so dark. It is our job it is our call to overcome evil with good and I pray a holy protection over You to know when to move when to say yes when to say no and have healthy boundaries, things that are going to protect You but also help other people to come to know Yeshua in a powerful way. In the mighty name of Yeshua. Be encouraged today brothers and sisters. You have the hope that this world needs. You have what it takes. I love you. I pray for your healing today in Yeshua’s name. Amen. period
Good morning, good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is John Opara, Opara in my own dialect because I want other people who may not be able to pronounce it the way we pronounce it in my dialect. Anyway, God bless you. I have just returned from leave in Nigeria. I was in Nigeria to…to begin to scout out things as I prepare to retire. And I tried as much as I could to send in my message from there but was not able to do so. But I really want you to pray for my country, Nigeria. Nigeria is very strategic. Not only in Africa but in the world. I’m not saying this because I’m in Nigerian, but this is what I sense in the spiritual atmosphere the strategic nature of my country. But we are in serious trouble. Insecurity everywhere. And I need you to pray for my country. We are heading to election next year and something has got to change because corruption has hit the climax in my country.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible this is Cynthia from Virginia. I am just calling to thank God for this podcast and to let each and everyone know that I listen to you every day and I pray for each of you every day. God is such a blessing to me and my family and I hope to others. And even though we go through stuff He still blesses us. And I thank Him and I thank Brian and everyone else that’s involved in this…for this podcast. It has blessed me so. I also thank Him because the way things are…just tragic things are happening in this world we need someplace to go to pray for one another. And God is good and this goes throughout the whole world and I just wanna say I am praying for you all. Please continue to pray for me and my family. Thank you. Love you. Bye.