Jeremiah 14:11-16:15, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13, Psalm 80:1-19, Proverbs 25:1-5
Today is the 10th day of October, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian and I have found a place here around the Global Campfire and it’s great to be altogether as we gather and release all the stuff that’s going on, like I say, often enough, exhale. We can pick all those cares up if we want. This is the little oasis that we have, the cares of life may find themselves re-prioritized because of what the Scriptures speak to us. This is our little safe space; we can let the cares go simply allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us and allow the Scriptures to speak into our lives. And so, let’s dive in for the next step forward. And by the way, hang out until the end, there is a little announcement for you to hear. Let’s dive into the Scriptures; in the Old Testament we’re working our way through the book of Jeremiah, in the New Testament we began a new letter yesterday, as we were beginning the week and that letter is known as first Thessalonians and we will continue our journey through that letter when we get to the New Testament. But first Jeremiah chapter 14 verse 11 through 16 verse 15.
Commentary:
Okay so, as we continue our journey, we’re a couple of days into the journey through the letter to the Thessalonians, known as first Thessalonians. We can see that this is a little bit different than some of the other letters of Paul, which are very theological, very instructive or very corrective. Whereas the tone of voice Paul’s using your first Thessalonians is one of encouragement. He had been able to spend a lot of time there in the formation of the church and the Thessalonian believers were being marginalized. They had been pressed from the very beginning. And so, Paul is distant from them, can’t get to them. So, he’s worried about them. He’s worried that what had begun to take root could very, very easily be pulled up. So, Paul wants them to know a couple of things. First, he wants them to know they’re not alone, the struggles that they are facing are being faced by the brothers and sisters in all of the churches. And Paul is telling them like, I want you to know so bad that you’re not alone. I want you to understand how deeply we love you and how often we pray for you and how continually we are thinking about you. And Paul says, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I sent Timothy, to let you know this. So, we can see from reading this letter, Paul is trying to encourage this baby community. So, he wants them to know that this kind of persecution that they are facing and marginalization that they are facing, is being faced all over the churches and that they are not the only ones, they are not alone. They are locked together, facing this together. They have their own little Global Campfire going. Paul wanted them to know they have not and will not be abandoned. They’re in this together with other brothers and sisters who are facing the same struggle and the struggle is for freedom, spiritual freedom. This can be profoundly encouraging to us when we feel like were sidelined, when we feel like opposition is coming from every angle against us and we are isolated and alone. We should first remember what we’re reading here in Thessalonians, that this has been going on all along and we are not alone. We are in this together. There is a line of brothers and sisters stretching all the way back to the church in Thessalonica, that have come all the way forward to us now and brothers and sisters all over the world have had to learn endurance, which is one of the main things the New Testament is trying to teach us. But not just the New Testament, the Old Testament as well. As we read through Jeremiah today, we could see Jeremiah crying out, feeling isolated, feeling marginalized, feeling alone, grieving over the people, wanting some words of truth and encouragement for himself, for his brothers and sister Hebrews. So, we have words of uplifting encouragement from both Jeremiah and first Thessalonians today. And let’s just review those and take them on board in our own lives when we are feeling isolated. Jeremiah has told, if you return, I will take you back, you will stand in my presence and if you speak noble words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. It is they who must return to you, you must not return to them, then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people. They will fight against you, but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you and rescue you. This is the Lord’s declaration. Tremendous words of encouragement for our weary souls. But then Paul speaks a prayer over the Thessalonians that we can also receive. May our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you. And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you. May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all his saints. Amen. We are not alone. We have not been abandoned. Feeling alone, doesn’t mean we are alone. May we open our eyes and understand, we will never be left alone. We can certainly get ourselves isolated. We can certainly walk away and become easy prey and be totally isolated and be actually alone, but even in those moments we hear the whisper of God; return to me and I will take you back. May we remember this. It’s hard, but we are not alone.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit come into that. A lot of times we feel alone, maybe even abandoned. It brings us to a place of discouragement but also a place where we find ourselves wallowing in our own self-pity and these are the times that we need to stand up and return. You will never leave or forsake us. You will never abandon us and we aren’t the only ones facing what we’re facing. Brothers and sisters all over the world, face all kinds of things and we aren’t alone. We are knit together. We are in this together. May we remember this, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
Okay, so I said, hang out for a little bit of an announcement and I probably just need to say to words for this announcement. The two words are Clean Canteens. That’s probably got a bunch people running. So, every year we custom design and print clean canteens. They are the…the best thing I have ever found in my life to drink coffee or hot tea, actually anything out of. But many, many years ago on a quest to try to find the best coffee mug in the world, I tried all kinds of stuff from those little hotplate kinda cups that you put on the side of your desk to keep your coffee warm, which makes your coffee taste terrible over time, to different kinds of thermoses. And I was traveling out on the West Coast of the United States in Oregon and that was my first encounter with clean canteens, and I brought one home just because. And then used it and used it and used it and was like this is the best. Then I reached out to them, just to see if we can kind of custom, make some custom Clean Canteens for the Global Campfire and we have been doing that each year. They’re like, even if you go out and buy clean canteens in a sporting goods store or wherever that you do because it’s a large brand, they’re pretty expensive and so even at, for us to get them and custom make them they are, so we don’t hold onto a ton of inventories, get them once a year. And we’ve got them, and they are in stock in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. They, last year didn’t last two days, I don’t even think they lasted one day. But they are there now, as I say this, they are there now. They won’t last. They will probably be gone by today or tomorrow. But Clean Canteens Global campfire addition, something that I literally use every single day of my life. Those are available now in the Daily Audio Bible shop. So, get them while they are there, and I am sorry for those of you who are hearing this a little later in they’re already gone. It is just what it is, I guess, like it wouldn’t matter what we did, they would, they would be gone quickly and so they are available now in the Daily Audio Bible Shop.
And then of course, as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that is it for today, I am Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hi, Noah called in on the 26th. Noah wasn’t certain if he was a Christian or not. Don’t be ashamed or afraid or changing or thinking over the things that you were taught as a child. For Timothy was also a sceptic and he also struggled with faith. When Jesus was even right before him and right before his eyes. So, please don’t be ashamed. Don’t let the guilt, which is not an emotion from Christ or God, get to ya. It is perfectly good and right that you should go and walk with God in an earnest manner and not halfheartedly. If you do turn away from the faith, I hope that it’s only temporary. But there’s still no shame or aggression on my part of anybody who truly believes part. Since we know that this is a hard road to walk. God is someone who works in many ways and He’s not always predictable. I just urge you, go through, walk with God, have peace with God and make sure that you’re reading and looking at things. Perhaps, something that is missing is something that you missed in the word or maybe you’re missing the love towards Christ. Do not worry, do not be afraid. I pray God protects you in all of your life. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hey Daily Audio Bible family, this is David from California. I’ve been listening for a couple a years, since 2020. And I gotta say that this podcast is just been a God send and Brian and Jill, for everything that you guys do, I can’t thank you enough for that. DABers, the reason for my call tonight is I need prayer and some words of encouragement. I’m just going through a really rough time right now. All I, every time I get up in the morning and when I go to bed, all I’m filled with, I feel is just anger and resentment and malice and just these feelings of just loneliness and isolation. And I don’t know what to do with them and I pray over and over again to just ask God to just take them away. And my wife and I have been married for two years, we just celebrated our two-year anniversary. And my, as far as our marriage is concerned, it just seems to be that my wife and I just seem to get more distant. I mean my wife believes but as far as her walk with God, you know, when I listen or when I pray or listen to things, she doesn’t want to hear it. And I made the decision to where I wanted to get baptized and I just, I know that my wife wouldn’t go to watch me get baptized because it’s just something that she doesn’t believe in. And she doesn’t want any part of that life. And it just, it seems like, I’m to the point that I don’t know what to do because I don’t believe in divorce, and I love my wife and …
This is Caroline in North Carolina. Just reaching out to Vicky from the Desert. Vicky, you are a blessed woman. You have opportunity to have joint replacement. I work in healthcare, and I have taken care of many of patients that have had healthcare. I know and I’ve visited other countries where they do not have this option. Do not be afraid my dear. God has you in His hand, protect it and because we are living longer, we are having more joint replacements. And darling, you are going to come out of this, just study the word. Father God, I lift up Vicky. Lord, just give her encouragement, touch her heart where it’s been hurt when she lost her son. Lord, help her to celebrate his life, I know it’s difficult to lose a child but Lord, she was blessed to have him and that she’d celebrate the time that he was with her. Father God, strengthen her, guide her, may the surgery be remarkable, and she will return to moving even better than she was before. In Jesus name I pray. Ms. Vicky, you are a child of the most-high God and His son, Jesus, took on all our ailments. And you are blessed, you are so blessed to have this opportunity to have a joint replacement. When people in many, many countries are just in pain and living their life that does not allow them to move, to be able to move. So, I praise God and I thank you for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to pray for you.
Hello DAB family, this is Emily from Washington. I am calling to pray for the kids, again today. My seven-year-old and we’re just experiencing him being bullied at school, especially by this one child. And we know this kid’s home life is not great and he has troubles at home, and he has troubles at school. So, today, I actually, I just wanna pray for the kids who are being bullied but even more specifically for the bully-ers. I just can’t imagine having no one in your life to tell you, that you are loved. And that you are worth, you know, correcting and disciplining and that you are worth spending time with to you know, to teach them, you know, how to be behave kindly and gently towards other people. So, Jesus today, oh my gosh, today we pray for the bully’s out there and I pray that all of Your believers around the world, Lord, people who believe in You, people who claim to love You Jesus, and know Your love, Jesus, know how much You love us. I pray that those people would turn and share Your love, instead of getting mad at a bully or reacting in anger at a bully, I pray that we all would say to that person, you are loved. And maybe has never told you that before but you are loved. Jesus loves you and there is a reason to treat other people gently…
Hi, DAB family this is Vicky in Texas. And I would really appreciate it if you could send some love my way. Maybe some words of encouragement and cover me in prayer. And gosh, if I could just walk into a room and get hugs from everybody, I know that would help. But the virtual kind would really be nice too. I called in a few weeks ago preparing to take my son to college, my older of two sons. And I was so brave and ya’ll, I handled it so well whenever we took him to college. I mean, I kind of amazed myself, like I wasn’t really upset, I did great. But we just got back this last weekend from our first family weekend where we got to visit him. And he was so busy with marching band and preparing for the game that was happening that weekend, that we only got to have dinner with him twice, and that’s really all we got to do with him all weekend. And coming home without him this time ya’ll, just broke my heart and I’m so sad and I miss him. And I know it’s silly and I’m celebrating that he is doing so well, and it filled my heart with joy to see him doing so well and thriving. And I’m doing all the things I read about that you’re supposed to do when you’re suffering the empty nest syndrome; I’m exercising, I’m eating right, I’m trying to sleep, I’m hugging my family. But ya’ll it’s just I’m sad and I miss him. So, I could use some love to get through it. I just really miss him. So, I appreciate the words of encouragement to get through this, it’s hitting me harder than I thought it would. And it’s kind of taking me by surprise and knocking me off my equilibrium a bit. Which is difficult for me. So, thanks ya’ll, I appreciate it. I love you all so much. I listen every day, I pray for you, I have a long list. I just really love this family. Thank you, Brian and your family, for putting this on and giving us all this ministry. Bye Bye ya’ll.
Hello DAB family, this is Steve from Texas. I’m calling for a prayer request. Today, a message about the clothing, being clothed with kindness, righteousness, compassion, was really speak to me. I ask that you could maybe pray for me that I would mix match the right clothes and I get rid of my old clothes. Pray for me because I’m having a hard time to be the head, the supplicator of my household. Okay, I love you, bye.