Job 34:1-36:33, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12, Psalms 44:1-8, Proverbs 22:10-12
Today is the 30th day of August welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian and it is awesome to be here with you today as we gather around the Global Campfire and take the next step forward together. And our next step forward is certainly leading us toward the end of the month, which is tomorrow, but it’s leading us also back into the books that we are reading. And that first book that we will encounter today is the book of Job. And we have a new voice speaking trying to set Job straight. His name is Elihu and he’s younger than the others, and so he has waited his turn to speak, but he is certainly speaking now. And, so, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the English Standard Version this week. Job 34, 35, and 36 today.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the wisdom literature of the book of Proverbs today we found something, a saying, very very ancient, extraordinarily relevant. This little bit of wisdom is as relevant now as it ever was. The proverb tells us, “drive out a scoffer and strife will go out and quarreling and abuse will cease.” And, so, we could read that and go, okay, so there’s a problem, I gotta get rid of the scoffer in my life until we realize maybe where the scoffer. And, so, how can we look in the mirror of our own soul and see what we are? One way to know is to look at our relational style when we find ourselves in conflict, when we find ourselves in an argument. And every human being faces interpersonal conflict in their lives. That’s how things are supposed to get worked out. But a lot of times the argument or dispute isn’t aimed. The goal isn’t to work things out, to wrestle through things together and come to an agreement. So often the aim is domination. And we have to look at ourselves and wonder what lengths will we go to to win in this conflict even if things don’t get worked out so that it’s a useless conflict other than causing division. A lot of those tactics are the tactics of the scoffer. The lows that we’re willing to dip into, the things that we’re willing to say, the names and labels that were willing to assign because we need to be right. And, so, as we’re in this conflict we are elevating our position in our own mind as absolute truth and absolute right. And, so, we subtly diminish the other person as inferior. And it’s easy to become a scoffer. It’s easy to say things that aren’t…aren’t appropriate and can’t be unsaid. It’s easy to start throwing names. It’s easy to start picking at soft spots that we know are there just to keep the conflict going so we can dominate until we win. That’s what’s scoffing does. It brings scorn and contempt into our interpersonal relationships, and then we use scorn and contempt to get the upper hand. In other words, we become the scoffer. Basically, wisdom is telling us that if the scoffer isn’t brought to the conflict, then all of the things that the scoffer brings to the table won’t be at the table. The quarrels and insults and scorn won’t be present in the mix of this conflict. Therefore, the purpose of conflict can actually be employed, wrestling through it together with the goal of reconciliation, restoration, and peace. This is really…like this is really true. It’s also really hard when there are well-worn pathways and people push our buttons and they know what’s going to happen and then it happens and then there’s a conflict and everybody’s mad at everybody and it’s horrible and it turns into World War III in our house is a war zone. It’s like the scoffer comes out and begins speaking before we even become aware of what’s going on and what is flying out of our mouths. And, so, how do we keep the scoffer from even coming into the conflict? I’m sure there are many many tools that can help with that. The one thing that I have found that is very very helpful is the assumption about the person we find ourselves in conflict with. How are we looking at that person? Do we believe there is good there? Is it possible for us to believe that our hearts are good toward each other and we are in conflict, which is a natural thing that can be wrestled through, or do we have to label ourselves good and them bad? Because once we’ve put the label that diminishes the other person. The scoffer is out. We must remember that there is a problem to be wrestled with and we attack together that problem, that issue, and refrain from attacking one another because once we’ve attacked one another the issue turns into a myriad of issues, all of the problems. But when we’re focused on wrestling through an issue together with the desired outcome being shalom then we have decided in advance who we’re going to be in the situation as opposed to just falling to the lowest version of ourselves possible. Drive out a scoffer, the proverb says, and strife will go out and quarreling and abuse will cease.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, we invite You into this. There isn’t a person that doesn’t understand what’s being talked about. We also know it’s a slippery slope. It’s very, very hard to navigate in the heat of the moment and we confess that rarely in the heat of the moment when the scoffer is about to be let loose we’re normally not asking You what we should do. Normally we’re doing what we want to do and saying what we want to say and its destructive. And, so, help us to take this proverb to heart because this can actually change the atmosphere of our lives. We confess that we have not mastered this and maybe we can’t master this. But You are the master, and You give wise counsel and comfort. And, so, we turn to You now as we look out in front of us and we make decisions now that the next time conflict arises our assumptions aren’t going to be to crush the person that we’re in conflict with, but to wrestle through the issues of the conflict with the hope that Your spirit will lead and guide appropriately which is going to force us to surrender not only to You completely, but also to our deep need to dominate and be right. We don’t want quarreling and abuse and scoffing and strife in our lives. Those things have never lead us anywhere good. We haven’t planted those things in the soil of our hearts and got bountiful crops of shalom and order. It’s been the opposite. And, so, what we’re talking about here – scoffing, strife, quarreling, abuse - these things are poison to us, and we allow them to exist. Forgive us, heal us, restore us, transform us, we pray. In the powerful name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
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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 DAB family this is Jessica in California. Today I’m calling in abut the August 25th prayer section and I heard a gal, I believe her name is Joy from Mabel New York. She…she said that she had a brain injury 27 years ago and she’s in an electric wheelchair that’s purple and she’s in a nursing home. And praise God she’s still able to lead a Bible study at least twice a month and she’s considering having a math class when school starts up. And this is just such a wonderful testament to you God, that there’s nothing impossible. And God, You give her the strength to want to do things even though she has limitations. And Lord there’s nothing stopping her because You’re supporting her. You’re the…You’re the leader of her life Lord and I just thank You God for everything You’re doing in her life, and I pray that You bless her Bible study and everything else that she has going on there, her time. I pray that Your Holy Spirit comes and blesses the words that come out of her mouth where people really feel Your love and Your touch. And I just thank You Lord that she has a heart for You even though she’s going through hard times and has been through all this tragedy in her life Lord that she’s overcome, and she doesn’t let her get her down. I thank You Lord and I just wanted to say hi to you and encourage you sister and I’m so proud of you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Good day Daily Audio Bible family. It’s Lora Lee in Boynton Beach. I’m calling in to thank you Hardin family. Thank you. God bless you, all of you. Known for so many years and gosh we’ve concentrated ourselves together, is it 18 years, 17 years? I’m coming up on a season where I will be moving out of my apartment into the housing that our church provides for a program called project 516 based on Matthew 5:16. Urban youth impact is how our church got birthed. So, I will be serving with the urban youth impact and with three or four other girls together in a house in that neighborhood, serving the church, serving in outreach, serving in our Christian School, being mentored, going through inner a healing ministry that our church provides there. I’m really looking forward to being a blessing and to grow and to repent of serving God when I want, how I want, in the comfort of this culture we live in because it’s a conviction in my heart and I’m going forward with that. So, I ask your blessing to be a blessing and to be blessed and also that I roll over the salvation of my mother who is progressing with dementia onto the Lord every day knowing that He is faithful to bring about her salvation in Jesus’…
Hey everybody this is Annette from Oklahoma City. Margo, Margo from Liberia. Sister, O my sister I just truly did not know what to say. I’m so sorry that you went through this and Liberia. I know that this has been really really hard for you over there. I can’t even imagine. I can’t even imagine going through this situation. And, you know, before I got a little bit more educated and…and in the Bible and how God feels about children. Like He says, it would be better for somebody to hang a millstone around their neck and drown in the sea then to harm one of these little ones. And I tell you, you know, we all do bad things in our life that we’re gonna have to answer for one of these days, myself included. I’m number one. I’m like Paul. I’m the worst of the worst. And I tell you, it is the one thing that I thought when I get to heaven I’m gonna ask God, why does he let things happen to children? And now I know that it’s not Him sister. We all know it’s the bad guy who does these things or allows things that happen. And O, I really hope something good comes out of this tragedy somehow and I hope you can keep up your work there if that’s where God intends to keep you. And I’m going to pray for your strength and your courage and just to love people because we sure do love you sister. Alright. You have a good day, and you just know we’re praying for you.
Hey by incredible DAB fam this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel. Family today August 26th is my birthday and it’s a special birthday. In fact, I’d say it’s the most special birthday I have ever had. And I say that because the Lord has been so faithful, and He has done an amazing thing in my life. Many of you recall the death of LOVs son about a year and almost two months ago. But what most of you don’t know is that shortly after that LOV and I began to clash in our communication. The grief began to take a toll on our relationship and things began to just fizzle out of control so much so that my bride felt it necessary to move back to Chicago. And on December 18th my wife moved back to Chicago. After a series of fasting and praying and praying and fasting and counseling and intervention and waiting on the Lord I stand here to tell you that eight months later, on August the 19th my wife came home. Hallelujah! To God be the glory. Listen family wherever you are in your situation, believe God, trust God, wait on Him. He can do it.
Father, we thank You for Daily Audio Bible. Thank You, Lord for Brian and his family who are faithful to the reading of Your word. Thank You, Lord, for every precious request and testimony that is shared on this app. We thank You Lord for working in each one of our lives for having Your plans and Your purposes fulfilled in us for using us to be salt and light everywhere that our feet walk on this earth Lord God. Thank You for letting Your Kingdom come and Your will be done Lord on earth as it is in heaven. Thank You, Lord for setting the prisoners free Lord. Anybody fighting unhealthy addictions, You are going before and setting us free Lord. We love You and we need You. In the name of Jesus. This is Cindy from Cosby TN.