05/12/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 12:1-13:23, John 7:1-30, Psalm 108: 1-13, Proverbs 15:4

Today is the 12th day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is a joy and a privilege and an honor to be here with you today as we move through the center of a week together. It’s been quite an adventurous week in the Scriptures. We’ve kind of changed eras in the Old Testament. We now have a king in Israel, the very first king to unite the tribes together under one ruler. The prophet and priest and final judge of Israel Samuel has anointed this king and his name is Saul and we’re starting to get glimpses of Saul. He…he is an imposing figure according to the Bible, a very handsome man, taller than anybody else. So, he looks the right part. He looks like a king. He…like he fits the imaging that they’re looking for but he kinda has an Achilles’ heel that we’re beginning to see, and he’s really, really concerned about what people think. And that’s okay, like to be aware, but he’s like really trying to find his identity. Like, he’s kind of afraid, kinda timid in that area, which is a difficult characteristic to carry with you if you’re…if you’re a king, like if you…the power of life and death is in your hand and you lead a nation. So, let’s dive back in. Let’s continue our journey as we get to know Saul because in getting to know Saul, we also see a mirror and we can see a lot of these different characteristics in our motives and some of the things that we do. And Saul then becomes an example to us, a teacher to us that shows where the pathways go. So, we’re reading from the Voice Translation this week. First Samuel 12 and 13 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of first Samuel we’re…we’re nearing the end of…of Samuel’s life. And, so, he’s brought all the people together to basically…like he’s basically putting himself out there saying, “if I have anything against anyone…if anyone has anything against me let’s settle this. Like, let’s get all of our accounts in order. I don’t want anything between me and anybody else.” And the people absolve him. They say, “you’ve never done anything wrong to us.” And, so, he’s clear and he’s clean and so we’re kind of seeing a resolution of Samuel’s life and ministry kind of moving its way to a conclusion, even as king Saul begins to establish his reign. And, so, they’re working together. Samuel’s the prophet, Saul’s the king. There’s some situations going on with their enemy the Philistines. There’s a battle that’s gonna happen and the Israelites are very outnumbered, and Samuel’s supposed to come offer a sacrifice and we…we just read all this. In the end it’s king Saul that does the sacrifice and just like that, Samuel arrives, and the kingdom is stripped away from Saul. So, it’s like, it’s going to take some time for Saul to lose his grip on the kingdom. And he’s gonna basically be losing his grip on his mind in the process. But this is the beginning of the end, even as it just gets going. Saul was afraid of the circumstances. He was outnumbered by an army. He was afraid of his reputation. The people were slinking off away from the battle lines while they waited for Samuel. We already saw Saul hiding in the baggage at his…at his coronation as King. So, we’re really seeing these characteristics emerge. There…there just right there in front of us in the story and we can sort of see why things are beginning to fray for Saul. What we…I mean…we see a number of different kinds of behaviors and situations here but what we’re ultimately talking about is the fear of man. Like, Saul is exhibiting that he fears man more than he fears God and God’s instructions to him. And there’s plenty right there just in that one concept alone for us to do some examination of our own hearts and lives because what we fear, like what we revere and fear, this creates our motivations, which eventually creates our actions, which eventually creates our life. And, so, as we continue this journey through First Samuel and the story of Saul, let's…let’s do the work. Let’s consider, let’s examine ourselves, let’s observe ourselves. How are we being pulled in different directions? What is causing that? What are we afraid of? What is pulling us toward situations where we are compromised because we’re afraid of what people are gonna think or what it’s gonna look like?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we invite You into that because yes, indeed it is important that we pay attention to the needs of others around us, that we are aware, like that we’re not just self-absorbed and only paying attention to ourselves in complete selfishness. Yes, our impact on others does matter just like their impact on us does matter. But this is deeper than that. This is where our allegiances, this is who we’re going to obey, this is who we fear. And often, and we have to confess, often it’s anything but You. Often like what we were talking about from Proverbs yesterday, often we’re not slowing down enough to even pay attention to what we’re fearing or where our allegiances are. We’re just…life is moving so fast; we’re just trying to get everything done and communication is so fast that we are almost only ever reacting when…we don't…it doesn’t have to be that way. We can choose another path, which is exactly what You came to show us Jesus, is that there is another path, a narrow one. Help us find it Holy Spirit, we pray. In the 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:

Hello this is Catherine from Maryland calling for a couple of things today. Number one, Walta I join you in praying for the people of Chad for the challenges in Africa with Bocca Huran or other conflicts or other instigations of conflicts and we just pray for peace. We pray for provision, we pray for calm, and for protection, especially for all the Christians there and…and peace across…across faiths. So, I join you in that and then I wanted to say it was great to hear your voice Alexander son of Annette Allison. We have heard of you over the years and have been praying for you. And I…I…I love hearing you I loved hearing your story about the funny Sneezing Jesus Brian story. And…and you…you definitely sound like your mom, you have the…her same laugh. So, anyway, it was wonderful to hear from you. I think you are now out if…if I remember some of the prayers directly. So, we just pray for you too as…in your reentry and…and every day to come…

Hi, I’m calling for Maya, from Palm Springs California. You called in seeking guidance and wisdom concerning your unplanned pregnancy. And hon, I just want to let you know people are praying for you. I heard this on the community prayer for DAB. And yeah, you know, when these kind of things happen it changes your whole life. And, so, you just have to be open to that. So, whether you choose to keep the child and raise the child yourself or whether you put the child up for adoption, having children is a precious and a valuable thing and something to be very, very highly regarded. Maybe the most important thing or highly regarded thing that’ll ever happen in your life. And of course, I would encourage you not to…not to terminate the baby, of course. So, sweetheart, just want…just want to let you know that people are praying for you, that the Lord would give you great wisdom and peace. And you…yeah…you are not alone in this. Alright, God bless you sweetheart.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. It’s Mother’s Day. It’s a beautiful day. Thank you, God for giving so many of us the privilege of being a mom and I lift up all the women who want to be a mom and haven’t…haven’t been able yet, like Hannah. I pray that you would bless their wombs. And that you would give them children Father God. And also, all the…the moms that have lost their kids and that are really hurting today and the moms that are dealing with kids that maybe are in a place of struggle, that you would speak to those kids in those places and bringing them out of the darkness into your marvelous light and let it be a blessing to them. Because you’re the one…you’re the one true God and God you’re amazing because you’re like a mom and dad all together, cause wherever we hurt you’re there for us to love us, to be stern like a dad and loving like a mom. And I’m also lifting up all of the people that are dealing with kids on the autism spectrum today, that it may be really hard for you and your kids may not be able to show up the way that you would like but just…I want you to know that they love you and they appreciate you and you are amazing even if they can’t say it. So, I love you all. Blessings to those daughters and sons that are watching over their moms that are not able to care for themselves. God bless you moms, Treasured Possession.

Good morning siblings it’s your little sis His Little Cherry in Canada and I’m praying for a Pew…a pew…haha…pew, pew, pew. It’s not even the 4th today. Sorry. Let’s begin again, shall we? I’m praying for a few people this morning. And first of all I’m grateful to Mike in North Carolina for calling in and just revealing or exposing the elephant in the room, which is in the Old Testament, is it not so cringey when God commands the annihilation of the people in the promised land including men, women, children and animals. I don’t have an answer that for that. I don’t have any argument that will settle that question. I mean my three-pound brain has trouble with these cosmic issues. But what I do know is that I’ve decided to trust Daddy’s heart. Scripture tells us that God was in Jesus reconciling the world to Himself. So, Jesus is the revelation of God’s heart. His motivations from the very beginning has been to give Himself to save us, to sacrifice Himself so that we can have internal life. And that was His motivation every step of the way. So, I don’t understand it, but I believe that…that in Gods big brain, much bigger than three pounds He figured it all out. And Jesus died for each one of those people that were killed in the Old Testament as much as He died for me.

Hey y'all this is momma Dee from Indiana calling in. And I’m just listening on this cloudy rainy Mother’s Day. I’m just listening to the prayers from this past week, and I was just really touched by Tamika. Lord, I just ask You right now in Jesus’ name, Lord I just lift Tamika up to You. I don’t know what has gotten her into the situation. I don’t know what has happened, but Lord she’s touched my heart and I know that she is somebody that You love so dearly and so desperately Lord. And, so, I just ask You Lord to touch her. I ask You to touch her situation Lord. I ask You Lord Jesus to bring in the funds, to bring in the finances, to bring in the change that is needed in her life. And Father You know exactly what that change looks like. And, so, Lord, I just ask You to do it right now in Jesus’ name. You are a supernatural God, and You can turn everything on a dime. And Father God I’m just believing and You right now in the name of Yehshua Hamashiach to do just that, to touch her in Jesus mighty name. And Lord, I also want to lift up the man who is sitting in the hospital with his wife. I think her name was Jesse and he’s just wanting her to…he’s believing in supernatural healing and wanting to be able to enjoy their grandchildren some more. And Lord, I ask You to touch her body, her mind in Jesus’ name. Just touch her. I ask You to bring new life. I ask You to bring health and healing to her Father God so that she can enjoy…joy the grandchildren, the grandchildren can enjoy her, and that she can be there to teach those sweet grandchildren Father God about You, to grow up…that they will grow up and love You through her example. Father God, we just love You and we praise You in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday May 12, 2021 (NIV)

1 Samuel 12-13

The historical books of the Hebrew Bible often have sections where great religious leaders make a final speech. This is a summing-up of their lives and often a prophetic warning about the future. Call it “foreshadowing,” if you will, because everyone who hears this story knows that everything Samuel predicts comes true. As long as the people and their king serve only the Lord, they prosper; but if they and their king turn away from that faith, they suffer. As those who read the books of Samuel know, the people of Israel turn away from God; and eventually, great empires come and lay waste to the land.

12 Samuel (to the Israelites): I have listened to your voice and all you have said, and I have given you a king to rule over you. He is now your ruler and will walk before you. I have grown old and gray, but my sons still live among you. I have led you since I was a young man, but those days are over.

Here I am. Speak up in front of the Eternal One and in front of His anointed king if you have the same grievances against me as you have against my sons. Have I ever taken an ox from you? A donkey? Have I ever cheated any of you? Threatened any of you? Have any of you given me a bribe to make me change my judgment? [If any of this is true, say so,][a] I will make it right.

Samuel asks his listeners to affirm that he has acted with integrity as their leader. Money has not swayed him, nor has personal emotion; he has done what is good in the sight of God. (Maybe, like Eli before him, his sons are a mess, but that’s another matter.) The people take seriously what he has to say next for two reasons: they trust Samuel, and they fear God.

Today some leaders taint religion by acting as Samuel’s sons did. Their personal greed, desire for political power, or unwillingness to put God first make some think that religion itself is a sham. Faithful leaders can still be found, but Samuel’s example suggests that it’s a good idea to question the actions of our leaders before we let them tell us what they think God wants from us.

People: No, you have never cheated us, you have never threatened us, and you have never taken anything from anyone.

Samuel: Then let the Eternal One, who witnesses against you, and His anointed king, who bears witness today, see that you have found me innocent of any wrongdoing against you.

People: He is our witness.

Samuel: The Eternal One is our witness, the One who first raised Moses and Aaron to be leaders of the people, the One who brought your ancestors here out of the oppression of Egypt. Now stand ready as I will present to you, before the Eternal One, a declaration of all the righteous acts the Eternal has done on behalf of you and your ancestors.

When Jacob went down into Egypt, your ancestors cried to the Eternal One for help, and the Eternal raised Moses and Aaron to lead your ancestors out of their bondage and bring them to this land. But once they were here, they forgot the Eternal One, their True God, so He allowed Sisera, the general of the armies of Hazor, and later the Philistines and then the king of Moab to subdue them. So the people had to fight for their survival. 10 Under this heavy oppression, the people cried out to the Eternal, confessing, “We have sinned. We have forsaken the Eternal to serve the local gods.[b] But if You will save us now from the heavy hands of our enemies, we will serve You.” 11 Then the Eternal One raised up Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, who pulled you out of the grasp of your enemies and brought peace from warfare on every side so that you could live in safety. 12 But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was arrayed for battle against you, you ran to me, saying, “Give us a king to rule over us,” even though the Eternal One, your True God, has always been your king. 13 So now, look: here is the king you chose, the king for whom you asked. The Eternal has indeed set a king to rule over you.

14 If you will revere and serve the Eternal, if you listen to His voice and do not disobey His commands, then you and this king who rules over you will follow the Eternal One, your True God, and all will go well with you.

15 But if you ignore His voice, if you disobey the commands of the Eternal, then His mighty hand of judgment will be raised against you and against your ancestors.

16 Stand ready, for the Eternal One is going to show you a great sight. 17 It is the wheat harvest now, and is this not the time after the early rains? But I will call upon the Eternal to send thunder and rain so you will realize the depths of your sin before God because you demanded a king to rule over you.

18 Samuel prayed to the Eternal. He sent thunder and rain to pelt the fields that day, and the people were afraid of Him and of Samuel.

People (to Samuel): 19 Pray to the Eternal One your God on behalf of your servants so we will not die for adding to all the weight of our sin the evil of demanding our own king.

Samuel: 20 Don’t be frightened. It is true that you have done evil, but never stop following the Eternal One. Serve Him completely, 21 and do not follow empty things that do not have the power to benefit or save you. They are worthless. 22 For the sake of His reputation, He will not cast away His chosen people. Before you ever chose Him, the Eternal One chose you as His own because it pleased Him.

23 As for me, the last thing I would ever do is to stop praying for you. That would be a sin against the Eternal One on my part. I will always try to teach you to live and act in a way that is good and proper in His eyes. 24 Make this your one purpose: to revere Him and serve Him faithfully with complete devotion because He has done great things for you. 25 But if you continue in your evil ways against Him, you and your king will be swept off the face of the earth.

13 Saul was about 30[c] years old when he became king, and after he ruled for at least two years, Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel: 2,000 stayed with him in the hill country of Bethel at a place called Michmash, and the other 1,000 joined Saul’s son Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent all the rest home to their tents.

Jonathan crushed the Philistine regiment at Geba, and news of this slaughter reached the Philistines. Saul ordered that a trumpet be blown throughout Israel to announce Jonathan’s victory to the people.

Saul: Let the Hebrew people know about this!

When all Israel had heard the news of how Saul had defeated the Philistines, and when they learned that the Philistines were filled with hatred toward them, Saul called the people out to join him at Gilgal.

Now the Philistines had gathered their forces: 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and so many foot soldiers they were like grains of sand on the beach. They made camp at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. When the people of Israel saw they were in danger, for their troops were seriously outnumbered, they hid in caves and in holes, among the rocks, tombs, and cisterns. Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River into Gad and Gilead. But Saul remained at Gilgal; the people continued to follow him, but they were terrified.

Saul waited for Samuel for seven days, the amount of time he had been told by Samuel to wait. But the prophet did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away. A few more days and Saul would have no army left, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Saul: Bring me the animals for burnt offerings and the offerings of peace for the Lord.

10 Although Saul was not a priest, he offered the burnt offering himself without waiting for Samuel. Immediately after Saul finished the offering, when the aroma of the sacrifice lingered over the land, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him and to pay his respects. But Samuel knew Saul had overstepped his bounds.

Samuel: 11 What have you done?

Saul: The people were deserting me! You didn’t come when you promised, and the Philistines were gathering for war at Michmash. 12 I thought, “The Philistines are going to attack me here in Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked the Eternal One to favor us.” So I took matters into my own hands—I didn’t want to—but I offered the burnt offering myself.

Samuel: 13 That was a foolish thing, Saul. You have not kept the commandment that the Eternal, your True God, gave to you. He was willing to establish your kingdom over Israel for all time, 14 but now your kingdom, your dynasty, will not last. He has found a man who seeks His will and has appointed him king over all the people instead of you because you have not kept to what the Eternal One commanded.

15 Samuel left Gilgal then and went on his way to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted his forces, they numbered about 600 men. 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who had remained with him camped at Geba in Benjamin, but the Philistines were camped at Michmash.

17 Philistine raiders left their camp in three divisions: one group went toward Ophrah, in the land of Shual. 18 Another group went toward Beth-horon, and another group went toward the borderland that looks down on the valley of Zeboim in the wilderness.

19 Now at that time there were no blacksmiths in all the land of Israel because the Philistines said, “Then the Hebrews will be capable of making swords or spears.” 20 That meant that the Israelites had to go to Philistine blacksmiths to have their farm implements and their axes sharpened. 21 They charged one-fourth of an ounce to sharpen picks and plow blades, and one-eighth of an ounce for axes and goads. 22 That meant that on the day of the battle, none of the forces of Israel owned swords or spears, except for Saul and his son Jonathan.

23 The garrison of Philistines left the camp and came to the pass of Michmash.

Footnotes:

  1. 12:3 Hebrew manuscripts omit this portion.
  2. 12:10 Hebrew, Baals and Astartes
  3. 13:1 All Hebrew manuscripts and most Greek manuscripts omit Saul’s age. The entire verse is problematic. Many suggestions have been offered, but none are clearly satisfying. Saul was older than 20 and less than 40 when he began his reign. He ruled at least 2 years and less than 42 years. It is difficult to be more specific.
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

John 7:1-30

After these events, it was time for Jesus to move on. He began a long walk through the Galilean countryside. He was purposefully avoiding Judea because of the violent threats made against Him by the Jews there who wanted to kill Him. It was fall, the time of year when the Jews celebrated the Festival of Booths.

On this holiday, everyone camps in temporary quarters, called booths, to remember that God was with their ancestors when they wandered for 40 years without a home.

Brothers of Jesus (to Jesus): Let’s get out of here and go south to Judea so You can show Your disciples there what You are capable of doing. No one who seeks the public eye is content to work in secret. If You want to perform these signs, then step forward on the world’s stage; don’t hide up here in the hills, Jesus.

Jesus’ own brothers were speaking contemptuously; they did not yet believe in Him, just as the people in His hometown did not see Him as anything more than Joseph’s son.

Jesus: My time has not yet arrived; but for you My brothers, by all means, it is always the right time. You have nothing to worry about because the world doesn’t hate you, but it despises Me because I am always exposing the dark evil in its works. Go on to the feast without Me; I am not going right now because My time is not yet at hand.

This conversation came to an abrupt end, and Jesus stayed in Galilee 10 until His brothers were gone. Then He, too, went up to Jerusalem. But He traveled in secret to avoid drawing any public attention. 11 Some Jewish leaders were searching for Him at the feast and asking the crowds where they could find Him. 12 The crowds would talk in groups: some favored Jesus and thought He was a good man; others disliked Him and thought He was leading people astray. 13 All of these conversations took place in whispers. No one was willing to speak openly about Jesus for fear of the religious leaders.

14 In the middle of the festival, Jesus marched directly into the temple and started to teach. 15 Some of the Jews who heard Him were amazed at Jesus’ ability, and people questioned repeatedly:

Jews: How can this man be so wise about the Hebrew Scriptures? He has never had a formal education.

Jesus: 16 I do not claim ownership of My words; they are a gift from the One who sent Me. 17 If anyone is willing to act according to His purposes and is open to hearing truth, he will know the source of My teaching. Does it come from God or from Me? 18 If a man speaks his own words, constantly quoting himself, he is after adulation. But I chase only after glory for the One who sent Me. My intention is authentic and true. You’ll find no wrong motives in Me.

19 Moses gave you the law, didn’t he? Then how can you blatantly ignore the law and look for an opportunity to murder Me?

Notice how Jesus changes in tone and subject. This shift seems abrupt because the Pharisees’ plotting is yet to be exposed.

Crowd: 20 You must be possessed with a demon! Who is trying to kill You?

Jesus: 21 Listen, all it took was for Me to do one thing, heal a crippled man, and you all were astonished. 22 Don’t you remember how Moses passed down circumcision as a tradition of our ancestors? When you pick up a knife to circumcise on the Sabbath, isn’t that work? 23 If a male is circumcised on the Sabbath to keep the law of Moses intact, how can making one man whole on the Sabbath be a cause for your violent rage? 24 You should not judge by outward appearance. When you judge, search for what is right and just.

Some People of Jerusalem: 25 There is the man they are seeking to kill; surely He must be the one. 26 But here He is, speaking out in the open to the crowd, while they have not spoken a word to stop or challenge Him. Do these leaders now believe He is the Anointed One? 27 But He can’t be; we know where this man comes from, but the true origin of the Anointed will be a mystery to all of us.

Jesus (speaking aloud as He teaches on the temple’s porch): 28 You think you know Me and where I have come from, but I have not come here on My own. I have been sent by the One who embodies truth. You do not know Him. 29 I know Him because I came from Him. He has sent Me.

30 Some were trying to seize Him because of His words, but no one laid as much as a finger on Him—His time had not yet arrived.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 108

Psalm 108

A song of David.

My heart is committed, O God:
I will sing;
I will sing praises with great affection
and pledge my whole soul to the singing.
Wake up the harp and lyre, and strum the strings;
I will stir the sleepy dawn from slumber!
I will stand and offer You my thanks, Eternal One, in the presence of others;
I will sing of Your greatness among the nations no matter where I am.
For Your amazing love soars overhead far into the heavens;
Your truth rises up to the clouds
where passing light bends.

O God, that You would be lifted up above the heavens in the hearts of Your people
until the whole earth knows Your glory.
Reach down and rescue those whom You love;
pull us to safety by Your mighty right hand, and answer me.
God’s voice has been heard in His holy sanctuary:
“I will celebrate.
I will allocate Shechem and the Succoth Valley to My people.
Gilead belongs to Me, and so does Manasseh;
Ephraim is the helmet that protects My head;
Judah is the scepter through which I rule;
Moab is the washpot in which I clean Myself;
I will throw My shoe over Edom in conquest;
Philistia will soon hear My victory shout.”

10 But who will take me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me into Edom?
11 Have You not turned Your back on us, O God?
Will You stay away and not accompany our armies, O God?
12 Help us against our enemy; we need Your help!
It’s useless to trust in the hand of man for liberation.
13 Only through God can we be successful.
It is God alone who will defeat our enemies and bring us victory!

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 15:4

A word of encouragement heals the one who receives it,
but a deceitful word breaks the spirit.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

05/11/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 10:1-11:15, John 6:43-71, Psalm 107: 1-43, Proverbs 15:1-3

Today is the 11th day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you today. It’s always great to be here with you, it’s always…this is an oasis. Like this is…this is a place I want to be. I love being in this space where we come around the Global Campfire. And we’re here together and we come from all different kinds of backgrounds and none of this really works on paper. But we…we’ve come here because we just desire to know what the Bible is saying and to hear all of it and to let all of it be a part of our lives and let each part of it challenge us and…and pull us forward in life. And it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. So, it’s a joy to be here with you as we take this next step forward. And that next step leads us back into the book of Samuel, 1 Samuel, where yesterday we have met this man named Saul. The people have demanded a king and we’ve met this person named Saul. He doesn’t know he’s gonna be king yet but we kinda do. And that’s where we pick up the story. 1 Samuel 10 and 11. We’re reading from the Voice Translation this week.

Commentary:

OK, let’s start briefly right where we left off in the book of Proverbs - “a tender answer turns away rage, but a prickly reply spikes anger.” Where would be an immediate place maybe that we could test whether this actually is wisdom or if this is a false verse in the Bible. “A tender answer turns away rage, but a prickly reply spikes anger.” Is that actual wisdom? I think social media. We…we need about 14 seconds and we can find that this is the truth. If we want to get more personal, then we could maybe think about our dinner table. Maybe not constantly, hopefully not constantly, but that one reply that’s prickly, that can turn in otherwise fine day into a living nightmare. And, so, maybe if we would just kind of carry that around inside of ourselves, keeping it ready, that we can pull it out anytime and remind ourselves - a tender answer turns away rage or wrath. Here’s the thing if you’ve noticed about wisdom, like as we’re learning the voice of wisdom moving through Proverbs and just kind of listening to these bits of advice, we generally can come to something like this and go, “a tender answer turns away wrath or rage. I believe that. That’s true.” But how is it that we actually enter into putting this is a…as a behavior, as a response in our lives? It seems that the only way to really access wisdom is to slow down enough to listen like wisdom is a category to be heard. So, usually when we’re doing a prickly reply that’s going to spike anger, we are reacting to something else, and we are doing it without even a beat, like without even taking a deep breath before we go in. So, we try to go in with more force than whatever we felt was coming against us. And, yeah…but slowing down even just for a breath…like even if we could just train ourselves to take a deep breath before we respond we would reduce the amount of confrontation in her life dramatically. So, part of learning to be wise or to hear the voice of wisdom is that we build into our own lives a pause, a sela, a pause before we react to anything about anything because a pause doesn’t have to be 14 days while we think it over. A pause can be one breath and we can pause for one breath about anything. Something to think about anyways.

And then we move back into first Samuel and…well…Saul has become Israel’s first king. So, we have…like we’re in completely new territory now. This is a new era that we have entered into called the monarchy. So, now we have these tribes that are all together as one nation with a monarch, a king to rule over them. And that’s how the story will go forward. We’ll…we’ve got a bunch of twists and turns, but that’s how the story goes forward. And, so, that’s the territory we will remain in, And I’ve mentioned that Saul has a lot to teach us about our…ourselves and we get clues of that today. At Saul’s coronation is just this scene where, pretty much I mention it every year because it always catches me. There are things, there certain things in the Scriptures that when we pass by the territory it always catches me. It’s always a challenge. So, you know, Saul, he didn’t know what was going on when he went to look for those donkeys. He didn’t know what was going on when he met Samuel. And obviously something was up, but even when Samuel told him you’re gonna be the king he didn’t really tell anybody else. Kinda kept that to himself. You sort of can understand why that’s pretty weird. Like, when…if you’re in a nation it’s never had a king and you’ve been told you’re gonna be the nation’s first king…well…yeah, you may not go broadcast that around. But as it turns out Saul was anointed king. And Samuel drew lots, right? He called out the different families and there were witnesses there from the tribes looking at how he’s doing what he’s doing, and he calls out the family and they get right down to the man, the man Saul who is supposed to step forward into his destiny, his anointed destiny that God is giving him a kingdom and he’s not there. He is, as the Bible puts it, and…and I love it, he’s hiding in the baggage. I…I love that because it’s so immediate and…and relevant. Like it's…it’s like a relevant thing that we can understand because we’re all hiding in our baggage and it’s keeping us from stepping forward into our destiny. It always has been that way. There are times…there are times we step forward, but this is always a challenge, to step away from the baggage and actually believe there’s a destiny that is not your past. Ahhh…ahhh…if we could stop carrying that stuff around, we could be free. I just…you…you wonder sometimes…well…how can we know what goes through the mind of God. But it’s like, He came to set us free from this stuff. He came that we don’t have to be false anymore and we don’t have to hide in the baggage, and we don’t have to hide who we are. We can step forward in the full light of truth and be that because we’re not dependent on anybody else to give us an identity. And, so, we can just be the light in the darkness because our identity comes from God. If you’re just one person doing that, we saw that…that life in Jesus and we saw how the darkness rages against that. But that’s not the idea. The idea wasn’t that Jesus would model that and be killed for it. The idea that was that…that he would model it and then His spirit would indwell all of us so that it’s unstoppable…because…because there’s too much force and power of light and life and good news in the world, so it overtakes the darkness and swallows it up in victory. We’re…we’re so busy just looking around at the darkness being worried about the darkness that we don’t understand that we’re the antidote. We’re the light. It’s just that we usually participate in the darkness even more than we do the light sometimes. And that ought not be. We don’t have to hide in the baggage. We can step forward. We are anointed ones too. This is the good news of the gospel. If we can’t accept this is the good news of the gospel and live into it…well…what are we doing? Some more things to think about today.

Prayer:

Jesus come. Jesus come into all of this. Holy Spirit fall upon us. Open our eyes, even if we could just get a glimpse so that we can’t un-see that Your kingdom is advancing, is unstoppable and we are invited and we participate by our love. Come Jesus we pray in Your precious name. Amen.

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And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi, I’m Kaylee and I just wanted to thank God for helping me eat again when I had a problem. Because my food was going slow in my esophagus and now God helped me to be brave and to eat more. So, if you ever have a problem like, kind of like this one you can just trust God and then you can do whatever you need to that’s bothering you and that’s hard to do. You can just trust God and He’ll help you through it like He helped me through eating with my problem.

Good morning DAB family. Long-time listener, I don’t call in very much but wanted to let you know I pray for you all the time. I usually listen when I do my walk in the morning and often times, I’ve got my hands in the air with my phone lifting you up to God as…as you ask for prayer. I’m calling for prayer this morning. And by the way, I’m going to call myself Pathfinder. I am going to visit my mom today, flying down to see my mom. I haven’t seen her for a couple of years. Part of that is due to the pandemic, part of that is due to the fact that we’re just not very close and don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. And I’m not gonna get into that cause it’s not important, but what’s important is that she is my mom. And because I was going down, I went to look for a Mother’s Day card and just…there was just no card that I could relate to, to give my mom which was really, really sad. It was eye opening for me. And, so, I’m calling to ask for prayer that as I visit my mom that the Lord guards my mouth, that the deadliest weapon is my tongue and that it keeps silent unless it’s being, you know, controlled by the Lord. So, I know I’m probably not the only one out there with these types of issues. And I would really appreciate people praying for me to make this visit with my mom and my family a blessed one. Thank you very much. God Bless.

Hey DABbers, this is Slave of Jesus from North Carolina. Alright Holy Spirit let’s roll. I am at a campground for Mother’s Day, and I wanted to send you guys a text…a text that my wife sent me. And for those who have been around a while knowing my journey from being a hardcore atheist to Jesus’ freak and my wife’s difficulty in dealing with that. I’m gonna read this poem that she texted me. It wasn’t today but I guess it was from Facebook. So, there can be some good things that come out of Facebook. Oh Lord when I grow weary, please help me to remember each and every day to count my blessings and not my crosses, to count my gains and not my losses, to count my laughs and not my tears, to count my joys and not my fears, to count my health and not my wealth, and most of all to count on God and not myself. Hey, so that’s a pretty good poem. Probably rivals Tony there. And we got another wordsmith or what he calls himself. I can’t remember your…your moniker off the top of my head. But love hearing you guys poems. That is definitely not an original by me by any means, but I thought it was pretty relevant and kind of a claim of victory in what we’re doing. So, love you all. Have a great day.

Good morning, good morning, good morning. Giving all praise glory and honor to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ who is the head of my life. This is Walking in the Wilderness in Georgia, Laura. Today is May the 8th and I heard a prayer request from a young lady by the name of Eve from Texas. Sweetheart, oh my goodness. I am so praying for you. I’m so sorry for your husband stepping out of the marriage with somebody that was, I guess a part of y'all’s daily life and how she seeped into your, you know, your family, your children. And my heart hurts for you. But sweetie, God is bigger and stronger than any infidelity. And I’m praying your…His strength for you as you are also the caregiver of your aunt. You’re trying to start new endeavors business wise. Every day look in the mirror and say that you are worthy, you are loved because you are a child of the true King and He is where you draw your strength. He is where you get your power from. He is where you get the biggest love from. You can do all things through Him who strengthens you. You will be in my daily prayer’s young lady. Keep u updated. Stay strong. Stay in the word and His will. Peace DAB family.

Daily Audio Bible family this is Alfio calling from Central Valley CA. How’s your day going family? Just wanted to call to give an update about a prayer that I’d sent a few days ago about my best friend’s mom who had a stroke. She has made some progress and went through surgery and she’s recovering. Finally, she’s off the vent, although she’s still a little bit unresponsive. But she’s still showing a little bit of signs of improvement. So, family just continue putting her in your prayers. I just also wanted to give an encouragement. Going through the journey of the Bible, especially the first portion of the Bible from Genesis to where we are in the book of judges, there’s one thing that repeatedly just keep coming to the forefront and that is God is always faithful. It may take a long time according to our estimation, but God’s promises never fail. He has said that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He says that He’s not mem that He should lie. And that is a confidence that we can hold onto, that what God says shall come to pass. So, no matter the desert experience that you’re going through, no matter that you’re struggling with anything that you are struggling with, know that God has your back. He will come through for you family. I keep you in my prayers and I just wanted to say happy Mother’s Day this weekend to all the moms. Make it a great day. Alfio from California. Bye bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday May 11, 2021 (NIV)

1 Samuel 10-11

10 Samuel took a vial of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head, anointing him, and then kissed him.

Samuel: The Eternal One of Israel has anointed you as ruler over His possession, over all Israel. [You will be king over the people of the Eternal One, and you will deliver them from the enemies that surround them now. And this will be the sign to you that I am speaking truth, and God has anointed you king over what is His]:[a] when you leave me today, you will meet two men not far from Rachel’s tomb, in Benjamin’s territory at Zelzah. These men will tell you, “The donkeys you sought have been found. Your father has stopped worrying about them, and now he is worried about you. He asks, ‘But what about my son?’” When you leave them behind and reach the oak of Tabor, you will meet three men going to sacrifice to God at Bethel. One will have three young goats; one will have three loaves of bread; another will have a skin full of wine. They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves of bread. Take them, and go on. When you leave them behind and reach the Philistine garrison at the hill of God (Gibeath-elohim), just as you come into the city, you will meet a group of prophets returning from the high place. Musicians leading them will be playing harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres; and the prophets will be caught up in prophetic ecstasy. Then the Spirit of the Eternal One will overtake you, you will be caught up in the same prophetic spirit as these prophets, and you will be changed into a different person. When these signs come to pass, do what you think is best. The True God is with you. Go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will come to present peace sacrifices and burnt offerings. Wait for seven days, and I will show you what to do.

As Saul turned to leave Samuel, the True God transformed his heart. As a result, all that Samuel had predicted came to pass that day. 10 When Saul came up to the hill of God, he met a band of prophets; and as Samuel had said, the Spirit of God overtook him, and he was caught up in their prophetic ecstasy.

11 Then the people who knew him saw that he began to prophesy with the prophets.

People (among themselves): What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul one of the prophets now?

Local Citizen: 12 And who is their father?

This is one way the saying, “Is Saul one of the prophets?” originated.

13 When Saul finished prophesying, he went to a high place to a local shrine.

14 When Saul returned home, his uncle asked him and his servant where they had been.

Saul: We went to look for the donkeys. When we couldn’t find them, we spoke with the seer, Samuel.

Uncle: 15 What did Samuel tell you?

Saul: 16 He told us that the donkeys had been found.

But Saul did not tell him anything about the kingdom or anything else Samuel had said.

Why is Saul chosen as the first king? He is from the tiny tribe of Benjamin, so he seems to be outside the mainstream of political power. But he is a handsome and tall young man, meaning he is appealing in appearance and able to inspire confidence in warriors. At this first appearance, it even seems as if his inner qualities might match his outer qualities—God transforms him and gives him the power to prophesy—but as the story goes on, his insecurities and his jealousy of David are his undoing.

17 Sometime later Samuel called the people to come and gather in the presence of the Eternal One at Mizpah. 18 He stood before the Israelites with an important message.

Samuel: Listen to what the Eternal One, the God of Israel, has to say to you: “I brought Israel up from Egypt and rescued you from Egyptian bondage, and then I delivered you from all of the nations that sought to burden you.” 19 Today, though, you have rejected the True God who has saved you from every disaster and distress, and you have asked for a king to rule over you. If that is what you want, then line up by tribe and clan in front of the Eternal One.

20 So Samuel brought all of the tribes of Israel in front of him, and he chose the tribe of Benjamin by drawing lots. 21 Then he sorted through the clans of the tribe of Benjamin by the same method, and the clan of the Matrites was chosen. [Within that clan, he brought each man forward one by one,][b] and Saul, son of Kish, was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.

22 So they asked the Eternal One if the man had yet arrived.

Eternal One: Look! He has hidden himself among the baggage.

23 Then they hurried to find him and bring him in front of the people; and when he emerged, he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.

Samuel (to the people): 24 Do you see the man whom the Eternal One has chosen for you as king? No one else among the people of Israel can compare to him.

People (cheering and chanting): Long live the king!

25 Samuel informed the people about the rights and responsibilities of the king, and he wrote all these details in a book that he placed in the presence of the Eternal One. Then he sent all the people to their homes. 26 Saul, too, went home to Gibeah, accompanied by a group of warriors who had been moved by the True God to accompany him. 27 Still, some worthless skeptics and unbelievers asked, “How can this no-name from Benjamin protect us?” and they refused to honor him with an appropriate gift. But Saul kept silent.

[At that time, Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, tyrannized the men of the tribes of Dan and Reuben, putting out one of each man’s eyes and denying the possibility of their deliverance. Not one of the Israelites across the Jordan still had both his eyes, but 7,000 men had escaped from this conflict and reached Jabesh-gilead.][c]

11 So after a month had passed, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead. The men of Jabesh tried to make a treaty with Nahash, telling him they would serve him.

Nahesh: I will make this treaty with you on one condition: I will put out the right eye of every one of you and so humiliate Israel.

Elders: Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel. If no one comes to deliver us, we will surrender to you.

When the messengers reached Gibeah, where Saul was ruling, they told the people about Nahash and his cruelty, and it made them weep out loud. Now Saul was just coming in from plowing in the fields when he heard the commotion.

Saul: What has happened? Why is everyone so sad?

So they told the king about the predicament and request from the people of Jabesh. When he heard their story, the Spirit of the True God moved upon Saul, and he was furious. He took a team of oxen, just like the one he had just been plowing the fields with, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces throughout the land of Israel with his first royal decree: “May those who refuse to answer this call from Saul and Samuel have their oxen torn apart like this!” Because they were afraid of making the Eternal One angry, people from every tribe came forward to fight as one.

Saul gathered them at Bezek, and the Israelites numbered 300,000 fighting men, with Judah providing 30,000. The messengers who had come from Jabesh were sent back to tell the people in Jabesh-gilead to look for deliverance before the heat of the next day. They were thrilled by the news.

10 So the citizens of Jabesh sent a message to Nahash.

People of Jabesh: Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you may do whatever you wish to us.

11 The next morning Saul divided the people into three regiments; they entered the Ammonite camp that night under the cloak of darkness during the morning watch and slaughtered the soldiers until the next afternoon. The survivors were so few and so scattered you could not find two Ammonites together.

People (to Samuel): 12 Who are those people who jeered, “Is Saul going to be our king?” Where are they now? Hand them over so we can kill them!

Saul: 13 No. Not one man will be executed today because the Eternal One has given a great victory to Israel.

Samuel (to the people): 14 Come with me to Gilgal. There we will renew the kingdom and crown Saul as our king.

15 So representatives from all the tribes went to Gilgal. There Saul was installed as king of Israel before the Eternal One; then they joyfully offered peace offerings to the Eternal, and Saul and all the Israelites celebrated.

Footnotes:

  1. 10:1 Hebrew manuscripts omit this portion.
  2. 10:21 Hebrew manuscripts omit this portion.
  3. 10:27 This portion appears in the LXX; most ancient texts omit it.
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

John 6:43-71

Jesus: 43 Stop grumbling under your breaths. 44 If the Father who sent Me does not draw you, then there’s no way you can come to Me. But I will resurrect everyone who does come on the last day. 45 Among the prophets, it’s written, “Everyone will be taught of God.”[a] So everyone who has heard and learned from the Father finds Me. 46 No one has seen the Father, except the One sent from God. He has seen the Father. 47 I am telling you the truth: the one who accepts these things has eternal life. 48 I am the bread that gives life. 49 Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died as you know. 50 But there is another bread that comes from heaven; if you eat this bread, you will not die. 51 I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh.

52 The low whispers of some of Jesus’ detractors turned into an out-and-out debate.

Crowd: What is He talking about? How is He able to give us His flesh to eat?

Jesus: 53 I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. 54 If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. 55 My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. 56 If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. 57 The Father of life who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. 58 This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end.

59 He spoke these words in the synagogue as part of His teaching mission in Capernaum. 60 Many disciples heard what He said, and they had questions of their own.

Disciples: How are we supposed to understand all of this? It is a hard teaching.

61 Jesus was aware that even His disciples were murmuring about this.

How is it possible to follow this path and believe these truths? To be honest, it is not easy. In fact, some find this so hard that they leave Jesus for good. The rest readily admit they are still working on what it means to follow Him. So Jesus leaves behind a number of practices to help believers. One of these is known as the Lord’s Supper. Jesus instructs His disciples to break bread and share wine to remember how He will allow His body to be broken for all humankind. In some beautiful, mysterious way, Jesus is present in the simple elements of bread and wine, so the worshiper may touch Him, taste His richness, and remember His most glorious hours on the cross. In that moment, He embraces all darkness and shame and transforms them into light. As believers come to the table together and feast on His light, life seems more hopeful and complete. Taking the bread and the wine means affirming the reality that the One who has come to liberate souls is among and within His people.

Jesus: Has My teaching offended you? 62 What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to return to where He came from? 63 The Spirit brings life. The flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have been teaching you are spirit and life, 64 but some of you do not believe.

From the first day Jesus began to call disciples, He knew those who did not have genuine faith. He knew, too, who would betray Him.

Jesus: 65 This is why I have been telling you that no one comes to Me without the Father’s blessing and guidance.

66 After hearing these teachings, many of His disciples walked away and no longer followed Jesus.

Jesus (to the twelve): 67 Do you want to walk away too?

Simon Peter: 68 Lord, if we were to go, whom would we follow? You speak the words that give everlasting life. 69 We believe and recognize that You are the Holy One sent by God.[b]

Jesus: 70 I chose each one of you, the twelve, Myself. But one of you is a devil.

71 This cryptic comment referred to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he was the one of the twelve who was going to betray Him.

Footnotes:

  1. 6:45 Isaiah 54:13
  2. 6:69 Other ancient manuscripts read, “You are God’s Anointed, the Liberating King, the Son of the Living God.”
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 107

Book Five

Book Five (Psalms 107–150) succinctly presents many of the major themes of the previous psalms. It tracks along Israel’s history as God’s nation, from the united monarchy, through the exile, to the restoration. Psalm 107 is a song of thanksgiving composed by those who survived exile and made their way home. As in Isaiah, the return from exile is described as a new exodus. Three Davidic psalms toward the beginning of Book Five represent the monarchy and recall Israel’s golden age. The Songs for the Journey to Worship (Psalm 120–134) are composed for use by God’s people as they traveled from their homes up to Zion to worship God at the temple. Representing their time in exile are songs of lament, heartbreaking testimonies to individuals’ pain when they are crushed by their enemies and separated from God’s blessings. Finally, Book Five concludes the collection by offering praise and thanks to God, for the story of Israel does not end with its exile and separation; rather, it ends in restoration and hope. Those who edited and compiled the Book of Psalms were relieved to be back in the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—rebuilding their temple and reestablishing their connection with God.

Psalm 107

Erupt with thanks to the Eternal, for He is good
and His loyal love lasts forever.
Let all those redeemed by the Eternal—
those rescued from times of deep trouble—join in giving thanks.
He has gathered them across the earth,
from east and west,
from [north and south].[a]

Some drifted around in the desert
and found no place where they could live.
Their bellies growled with hunger; their mouths were dry with thirst;
their souls grew weak and weary.
In their distress, they called out to the Eternal,
and He saved them from their misery.
He showed them the best path; then He led them down the right road
until they arrived at an inhabited town.
May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal
in honor of His loyal love
And all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
He has quenched their thirst,
and He has satisfied their hunger with what is good.

10 Some people were locked up in dark prisons, confined in gloom as bleak as death.
They were captives bound by iron chains and misery,
11 All because they had rebelled against the directives of the True God
and had rejected the wisdom of the Most High.
12 So they suffered the heaviness of slave labor;
when they stumbled and fell, there was no one to help them up.
13 In their distress, they called out to the Eternal;
He saved them from their misery.
14 He rescued them from the darkness, delivered them from the deepest gloom of death;
He shattered their iron chains.
15 May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal
in honor of His loyal love
And all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
16 He has broken down the bronze gates
and severed the iron bars that imprisoned them.

17 Some people became fools infected by their rebellious ways,
and sickness followed because of their sins.
18 Afflicted and weak, they refused any sort of food
as they approached the gates of death.
19 In their distress, they called out to the Eternal,
and He saved them from their misery.
20 He gave the order and healed them
and rescued them from certain death.
21 May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal
in honor of His loyal love
And all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
22 Let them present to Him thanksgiving sacrifices
and tell stories of His great deeds through songs of joy.

23 Some set out to sea in ships,
traveling across mighty seas in order to trade in foreign lands.
24 They witnessed the powerful acts of the Eternal,
marveled at the great wonders He revealed over the deep waters.
25 For He spoke and summoned a violent wind
that whipped up the waves of the sea.
26 Relentless waves lifted the ships high in the sky, then drove them down to the depths;
the sailors’ courage dissolved into misery.
27 They staggered and stumbled around like drunkards,
and they had no idea what to do.
28 In their distress, they called out to the Eternal,
and He saved them from their misery.
29 He commanded the storm to calm down, and it became still.
A hush came over the waves of the sea,
30 The sailors were delighted at the quiet,
and He guided them to their port.
31 May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal
in honor of His loyal love
And all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
32 Let them glorify Him in the assembly of His people
and worship Him in the presence of the elders.

33 God transforms wild, flowing rivers into dry, lonely deserts,
lively springs of water into thirsty ground.
34 He turns lush gardens into lifeless wastelands,
all because of the wickedness of those who reside there.
35 Yet He transforms a dry, lonely desert into pools of living water,
parched ground into lively springs.
36 And He allows those who are hungry to live there
so that they might build a livable city.
37 There they sow fields and plant vineyards
and gather up an abundant harvest.
38 He anoints them with His blessings, and they greatly increase in number.
He does not allow their herds to dwindle.

39 When His people lessen in number and are humbled
through persecution, suffering, and brokenheartedness,
40 He pours out contempt on those responsible leaders
and then makes them drift around in an uncharted wasteland.
41 But He raises the poor away from their suffering
and multiplies their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see God’s actions, and they take delight in what He does,
but the unrighteous don’t dare to speak.
43 Is there anyone wise? If so, may the wise take notice of these things
and reflect upon the loyal love of the Eternal.

Footnotes:

  1. 107:3 Hebrew manuscripts read, “and the sea.”
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 15:1-3

15 A tender answer turns away rage,
but a prickly reply spikes anger.
The words of the wise extend knowledge,
but foolish people utter nonsense.
The Eternal can see all things;
His gaze is fixed on both the evil and the good.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

05/10/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 8:1-9:27, John 6:22-42, Psalm 106:32-48, Proverbs 14:34-35

Today is May 10th, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you today as is every single day, every single day. It is an honor to come around the Global Campfire. And take the next step forward as we move our way through the entire bible in a year. And we are well under way as we’ve mentioned a number of times this is the 5th month of the year. And I guess we are 1/5 of the way through that month already. So, it just keeps going, step by step. Right now, the territory that we are in the Old Testament, is the book of 1 Samuel and we are learning about Samuel’s life. We have learned about his origin, his childhood and now he is the judge, a prophet, and the priest of God before the people. And today we will meet a person that is going to become pivotal. His name is Saul. 1 Samuel 8 and 9.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we’re at the beginning of a week, so we’re gonna be spending our week here in 1 Samuel working through the territory that we’re entering into. So, it’s kind of important probably that we just re-orient ourselves to the context that we’re in. And we don’t have to go all the way back to Genesis, we’ve kind of done this review but we know who the children of Israel are by now. And we know that they’re in the promised land, we went there with Joshua. We watched all this happen. And then we saw the rise of the Judges after Joshua’s leadership and after everybody who was under his leadership had died. So, in other words the generations changed completely. Then we have the rise of the Judges, there was no king. This is something that Judges told us over and over, there was no king in Israel and everybody did what was right in their own eyes. And so, as we went through those centuries of the judges, we saw that. We saw this kind of downward slide. Even though they would return and a judge would come along and give them victory and redeem them and they would continue to slide further and further away. Then Samuel comes along, right? And Samuel is the last judge of Israel. And it’s a beautiful story with Elkenah and Hannah and going to Shiloh and her praying and her bringing her little guy after the Lord gives her a son. She brings him back and dedicates him to the Lord and this is who Samuel is. So, Samuel grows up and becomes the judge of Israel and he has some sons of his own. And this is actually what sets up the big ask, “give us a king. Like let’s have a monarchy instead of this thing that we have now.” And this happened because Samuel was getting old was appointing his sons to become the judges of Israel. And some of the elders came to Samuel and they came humbly but they were like that’s not what we…we don’t see that working out, that’s not what we want. Your sons are not like you Samuel. They don’t judge like you. We’re not being put into good hands, in other words. So, they ask for a king. And it’s interesting because before Samuel right, Eli was the high priest. And he had two sons, Phinehas and Hophni, remember? And they were kind of scoundrels. And they were pretty explicit about that. And they died in battle. And Eli died that same day. So, Samuel grows up and he’s got two sons and it looks like it’s gonna be a repeat. And so, this is that context then that causes the people to ask for a king to be appointed over them. Samuel’s old, he’s not gonna live forever and they don’t want his two sons to judge over them in any way. So, they want Samuel to appoint a king over them. And that’s when we’re introduced to that man, this tall, imposing, handsome man named Saul who is of the tribe of Benjamin. And we remember just a few days ago we saw the tribe of Benjamin just about annihilated. And so, it’s from this tribe of Benjamin that this man Saul emerges. And Samuel is about to tell him that his whole life is gonna change. And that is where we’re headed. That’s where we’ll be heading into. Saul will teach us much about our own character and motivations. And so, let’s buckle up and stay tuned in these coming days.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for Your word. We thank You for all of the different people that we have been able to meet from times gone by. And we’ve been able to kind of meet them and watch them and observe them and see how their lives go and what motivates them. And we get to see a larger story of people, how they ebb and flow in their national existence. And so, we are grateful. We are grateful for Your Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truths. And we are thankful for the examples in the scriptures to illuminate so many of life’s paths. In fact, all of the pathways that we are motivated to take, we have illustrations and so we are so grateful. And so, Holy Spirit come, plant these seeds deep in our hearts as we move forward into these emerging stories. Come, challenge us forward. we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it is the website it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. Always something or another.

Still a little bit glowing from celebrating Mother’s Day yesterday with China having her first Mother’s Day and just being there with Jill. So, hopefully all of you mother’s all over the world felt loved, respected, and cherished yesterday.

And now we move into this week. And by the time we finish this week we will be at the dead center of another one of our months together. Day-by-day, step-by-step, it just keeps going. And so, I’m so, so honored that we’re still sailing. Day-by-day, step-by-step, we’re moving through the scriptures and they are speaking loud and clear affecting so many of the different aspects of our lives if we’re paying attention. And so, let’s stay connected to that journey.

And you can stay connected using the Community section of the website or the Daily Audio Bible app. That will get us to the Community section, that’s we’re the Prayer Wall is.

That will let us get into the Daily Audio Bible Shop. There are resources for deepening this journey or just personalizing this journey. So, check out those resources in the Shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if what’s happening is life giving to you, then thank you for being life giving to it. It’s a community experience day-by-day, step-by-step and we wouldn’t be here if we weren’t here together. And so, thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at   dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that is your preference, is P.O. Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee, 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the little button at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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 Rob Still Worship Dude in Nashville. And just responding to some prayer requests I heard today May 6th. I want to lift up Lisa the Encourager and the loss of your dad. Yeah, the same thing…I lost my father back in March and my testimony is really similar to yours. And I just wanted to pray for…first, we mourn with those who mourn, all who have lost loved ones recently, we mourn with you. And Lisa, we pray especially for you and…and your brothers and they would…everyone would walk in the fullness of God’s purpose and destiny and salvation for them. Secondly, I want to lift up Walta the Burning Bush who would not be Devoured and your family members that are caught up in that crisis in Chad. We pray for their safety and protection, God that You would send mighty angels to surround them and protect them. And Lord we pray for all believers in that part of Africa Lord who are at great risk. We lift up the persecuted church to You. God and we’re crying out to the Lord most High. Lord, send Your angel armies God to protect and deliver them. And finally, I do want to pray for David, the Young man who’s in college, he’s a pastor’s son. And brother, I just want to pray God’s anointing to be upon you, that you would walk in the ways of the Lord, and that you would continue to listen to the voice of conviction just to help you. It’s…it’s hard as a young man these days to…to walk with purity. And so, I’m praying that for you and for all young people. Just let the…I just pray the Spirit of the Lord would just come upon you and bless you richly. Alright guys, the Lord be with you.

Hi DAB community this is Ming from London, UK. Just calling in to pray for some of you guys that I’ve heard at the end of the DAB podcast. I pray for __ from Lincoln, Kansas. Lord I pray, I lift up her to You, whatever she is going through, I pray that You be with her. I pray for MJ from central Illinois I pray that You be with her brother-in-law after he was admitted to the hospital. Also, I pray Lord, for Lucas from Albuquerque. I pray for his girlfriend’s mother. I pray that she’s able to find a good, loving and supportive church community. And I pray that Lord You send Your angels to protect her from the forces of evil, from her ex-husband who used to deal in witchcraft. I just pray this all in Your name. And yeah…yeah, I’m just praying for that for each and every one of you that was…

Hey Daily Audio Bible family, To Be a Blessing in California. I want to thank you all for praying for me in advance cause I know that you will. I have had a challenging year along with everyone else. I’m not alone but at this moment I’m experiencing just the enormity of the loneliness and the isolation, still wanting to connect with people and be in community and not being able to do that in person has been really hard. I recognize that my love language is to give gifts. And so, that has not happened, and I’ve been depleted from that. So, what do I want? Please pray for me in my relationship with Jesus. I have been…not going to Him with everything. Instead, I’ve been going to other things to try and get some enthusiasm and energy and interest during the times that I’ve just felt sorry for myself, actually. But I want to have a fresh relationship with Jesus. And I just ask that you would pray for me to that end. Thank you so much for doing that. Again, as I said earlier, I know you will and I’m grateful for each one of you. God bless. To Be a Blessing in California.

Hey this is Daniel Johnson Junior from beautiful Cincinnati, Ohio and I just heard the message from Alexander Shultz Annette Alison’s son. First of all, what a praise report it is to be able to hear your voice young man because your mom has prayed for you so many times even through this forum. And we have prayed for you. And I just appreciated hearing your laugh, the joy in your voice and I’m so glad that God’s been working in your life. And praise be to Him. So, that’s all I got to say. It’s…again, from beautiful Cincinnati, Ohio, it’s Daniel Johnson Junior. God Bless you and make it great day.

Hey fam it’s Pepper in Iowa. I wanted to share a small praise. My oldest son is agnostic and with this move to Missouri he’s going with us at 26. I told him we were doing this because this is what God wanted us to do and He’s like, “ok. Seems right. So we’ll go.” The other day he was out in the garage with my husband, and he told my husband “I think my mom’s right” and has been asking about…said, when you obey God and listen to God the devil throws wrenches in it to try to push you back.” My husband was taken back and all I could think was praise Jesus because that means his heart is getting soft. So, I’d appreciate prayers for my sons. Mick is the oldest and the one that’s softening the most. AJ and Conner are still probably truly agnostics. But if He’s working on the hardest son first, I know He’s gonna gettim all. So, I just wanted to share that praise with y’all. It’s amazing, I can’t even express the…I don’t have the words, I just don’t. It is God and God alone doing it. Because all I’ve ever done is…I did take them to church as children. And even now all…I listen to this app. He listens, you know, he hears it, he asks questions, I do my best. And I don’t push it because I know him. But if his hearts softening, Oh Glory to the God of our Father because He’s the one doing it. I love you all, bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday May 10, 2021 (NIV)

1 Samuel 8-9

When Samuel was old, he named his sons judges of Israel to rule over the people and be their deliverers. His first son, Joel, and his second son, Abijah, were judges in Beersheba, but they were not like Samuel. They profited from dishonesty, took bribes, and fostered injustice. So the elders of Israel gathered and came to Ramah to tell Samuel.

Elders: You have grown old, Samuel, and your sons do not administer justice the way that you did. Before things worsen, appoint a king to rule us, as other nations have.

This request—“appoint a king to rule us”—bothered Samuel, so he prayed to the Eternal One and received an answer.

Eternal One (to Samuel): Listen to what the people are asking you to do. It is not a rejection of you—it is a rejection of My rule over them. It is what they have always done, from the day I brought them out of Egypt until today, rejecting Me and serving other gods. Now they are just doing it to you. So listen to what they are asking you to do, but make it plain to them what they are asking. Warn them about what will happen if a king is appointed to rule them.

10 So Samuel told the people who were asking for a king what the Eternal One had said.

Samuel: 11 If a king rules over you, things will be different from now on. He will make your sons drive his chariots, be his horsemen, and go into battle ahead of his chariots. 12 Your king will select commanders over 1,000 and commanders over 50. He will make some of you to plow his fields and collect his harvest; some of you will be the blacksmiths forging his shields and swords for battle and outfitting his chariots. 13 He will force your daughters to make perfumes, to cook his meals, and to bake his bread. 14 He will seize the choicest of your fields, vineyards, and olive orchards to give to his courtiers, 15 and a tenth of your grain and your vineyards to give to his court eunuchs and servants. 16 This king you ask for will take your slaves, male and female, as his own and put the choicest of your donkeys and your young men to do his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks. You will essentially become his slaves. 18 One day you will cry for mercy from the Eternal One to save you from this king you have chosen for yourselves, but be assured, He will not hear you on that day.

People of Israel (ignoring Samuel): 19 We have decided that we will have a king who will rule over us 20 so that we will be like all other nations and will have someone to judge us and to lead us into battle.

21 After Samuel had heard their demands, he told the Eternal One what they had said.

Eternal One (to Samuel): 22 Do as they have asked. Give them a king.

So Samuel told the people of Israel to go back to their cities until he would call them together to anoint them a king.

A powerful man named Kish, who descended from Abiel, Zeror, Becorath, and Aphiah (the son of a Benjaminite), lived among the people of Benjamin. Kish had a handsome young son named Saul. Now Saul was not only the most handsome man in Israel, but he was also the most imposing, standing taller than all others.

One day Saul’s father Kish had lost his donkeys, having wandered away, so he told his son Saul to take one of the servants and look for them. They traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, through the land of Shalishah, and through the land of Shaalim, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not see the donkeys.

At last, when they came to Zuph, Saul told the servant who accompanied him,

Saul: We had better turn around. If we keep going, my father will stop worrying about his donkeys and start worrying about us.

Servant: I hear there is a man of God in this village, a man who is respected because what he predicts is always true. Before we go home, let’s go and talk to him; maybe he will have some guidance about this journey we have begun.

Saul: But if we go, what will we bring to this man? We can’t show up empty-handed, but even the bread in our sacks is gone. I have nothing to give the man of God. Do you have anything?

Servant: I have a tenth of an ounce of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and maybe he can tell us where to go.

It used to be in Israel that when people wanted to ask God a question, they would say, “Let’s go talk to the seer.” Now they are most commonly referred to as prophets, but they were called seers.

Saul: 10-11 Very good. Let’s go, then.

As they traveled up to the city to visit the man of God, they saw some girls on their way to draw water at the well.

Saul: Can we find the seer here?

Girls: 12 Yes, he’s just ahead of you. He has come here because there is a sacrifice today at the altar on the high place. You can catch him if you hurry. 13 Look for him just as you come into the city, and you should catch him before he goes up to the high place to eat. No one will eat until he gets there, since he is the one who will bless the sacrifice. After he does that, those who have been invited can eat. Now go on. You should encounter him right away.

14 They went immediately, and as they entered the city, Samuel was walking in their direction on his way up to the high place.

15 Now the Eternal One had told Samuel on the previous day,

Eternal One: 16 Tomorrow at about this same time I will send you a young man from Benjamin. You will anoint him to be a ruler over all Israel. I will give him strength to save My people from the Philistines because I hear their cries in their misery.

17 When Samuel saw Saul walking toward him, the Eternal spoke to him.

Eternal One: Look! This is the young man I told you about. I’ve chosen him to rule over My people.

18 There inside the gate, Saul walked up to Samuel.

Saul: Can you tell me, please, where I might find the seer’s house?

Samuel: 19 You have found him. Come with me to the high place, and eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I will tell you what you need to know and then send you on your way. 20 As for those donkeys that wandered off three days ago? Don’t give them any further thought. Someone has found them. Israel is more concerned today with you and your family.

Saul: 21 I come from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and I belong to the poorest family in Benjamin. Why are you saying these things to me?

22 Samuel took Saul and his servant up to the hall where around 30 people waited, and he made them sit in the places of honor.

Samuel (to the cook): 23 Bring the portion I gave you and asked you to set aside.

24 The cook brought the thigh along with other select parts and set them in front of Saul.

Samuel (pointing to the meat): Take a look. This was set aside for you. Eat and enjoy it all because this has been reserved for you until the appointed time. I have invited these people to be our guests.

So Saul feasted with Samuel the rest of the day. 25 When they returned to the city from eating at the high place, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.

26 The next morning, at the break of dawn, Samuel shouted up to Saul on the roof.

Samuel (to Saul): Wake up! It is time for me to send you on your way.

Saul rose, and he and Samuel walked out into the street. 27 When they reached the edge of the city, Samuel told him,

Samuel: Send your servant on ahead. When he’s far enough away, stop and let’s talk. I need to give you a message from the True God.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

John 6:22-42

22 The following day some people gathered on the other side of the sea and saw that only one boat had been there; they were perplexed. They remembered seeing the disciples getting into the boat without Jesus.

23 Other boats were arriving from Tiberias near the grassy area where the Lord offered thanks and passed out bread. 24 When this crowd could not find Him or His disciples, they boarded their small boats and crossed the sea to Capernaum looking for Him. 25 When they found Jesus across the sea, they questioned Him.

Crowd: Teacher, when did You arrive at Capernaum?

Jesus: 26 I tell you the truth—you are tracking Me down because I fed you, not because you saw signs from God. 27 Don’t spend your life chasing food that spoils and rots. Instead, seek the food that lasts into all the ages and comes from the Son of Man, the One on whom God the Father has placed His seal.

Crowd: 28 What do we have to do to accomplish the Father’s works?

Jesus: 29 If you want to do God’s work, then believe in the One He sent.

Crowd: 30 Can You show us a miraculous sign? Something spectacular? If we see something like that, it will help us to believe. 31 Our fathers ate manna when they wandered in the desert. The Hebrew Scriptures say, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”[a]

Jesus: 32 I tell you the truth: Moses did not give you bread from heaven; it is My Father who offers you true bread from heaven. 33 The bread of God comes down out of heaven and breathes life into the cosmos.

Crowd: 34 Master, we want a boundless supply of this bread.

Jesus: 35 I am the bread that gives life. If you come to My table and eat, you will never go hungry. Believe in Me, and you will never go thirsty. 36 Here I am standing in front of you, and still you don’t believe. 37 All that My Father gives to Me comes to Me. I will receive everyone; I will not send away anyone who comes to Me. 38 And here’s the reason: I have come down from heaven not to pursue My own agenda but to do what He desires. I am here on behalf of the Father who sent Me. 39 He sent Me to care for all He has given Me so that nothing and no one will perish. In the end, on the last day, He wants everything to be resurrected into new life. 40 So if you want to know the will of the Father, know this: everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will live eternally; and on the last day, I am the One who will resurrect him.

41 Some of the Jews began to grumble quietly against Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

Crowd: 42 Isn’t Jesus the son of Joseph? We know His parents! We know where He came from, so how can He claim to have “come down from heaven”?

Footnotes:

  1. 6:31 Exodus 16:4
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 106:32-48

32 Again they stirred up His anger at the waters of Meribah,
and serious trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 Because they stood against the Spirit,
Moses spoke rashly with them.

34 Later, after they entered the promised land, they did not eradicate the peoples,
as the Eternal had ordered them to do,
35 But they mixed and married with the outsider nations,
adopted their practices,
36 And worshiped their idols,
which entrapped them.
37 They even offered their sons
and daughters as sacrifices to the demons.
38 The promised land was corrupted by the innocent blood
they offered to the idols of Canaan,
The blood of their very own sons and daughters.
39 They became impure because of their unfaithful works;
by their actions, they prostituted themselves to other gods.

40 Therefore the Eternal’s anger was ignited against His people;
He came to despise the people of His inheritance.
41 So He handed them over to the control of foreign nations,
to be ruled by people who hated them.
42 Their enemies exploited them, victimized them,
and restrained them by abusive power.
43 He delivered them over and over again;
however, they were slow to learn and deliberately rebelled.
Their sins humbled them and nearly destroyed them.
44 Nevertheless, He saw their great struggle, took pity on them,
and heard their prayers;
45 He did not forget His covenant promises to them
but reversed their fortune and released them from their punishment
because of His loyal love.
46 He changed the hearts of all who held them captive
so that they would show compassion on them.

47 Save us, O Eternal One our God,
and gather us who are scattered among all the nations,
That we may give thanks to Your holy name
and celebrate Your amazing greatness with praise.

48 Blessed be the Eternal, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
And let everyone say, “Amen!”
Praise the Eternal!

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 14:34-35

34 Living according to God’s instructions makes a nation great,
but sin colors those who commit it with disgrace.
35 The king shows kindness to a servant who acts wisely,
but his anger burns toward one who brings shame.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

05/09/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 5:1-7:17, John 6:1-21, Psalm 106:13-31, Proverbs 14:32-33

Today is the 9th day of May, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s a joy here to greet a brand-new shiny sparkly new week and we get to mark every time we get here. It’s out in front of us and we’re going to live it. There’s only one way to go and that’s forward. And so, we’ll go forward into this week. But we come to the beginning of every week and just look out over it. Realize that it’s waiting for us and our decisions are going to tell the story. And, so let’s be wise, let’s listen to the voice of wisdom as we go into this week and one of the ways that we use wisdom is we seek out the counsel of the scriptures each and every day. So, continue to do that obviously, or there’s no point in being here. This week we will read from the voice translation. We’re just getting moved in, just a couple of days into this book of 1 Samuel and we’ve learned his origin story, the story of his mom, Hannah and his dad, Elkanah. They were devout, they went to Shiloh to worship God every year but Hannah didn’t have a kid and she prayed for a son. She received Samuel whom she dedicated to God and he was raised up there in the tabernacle, which is where God called to him directly. So, Samuel has grown up hearing the voice of God. He’s a prophet, he’s becoming a priest. He’s a judge and the people that were around him like the high priest Eli and Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas, now they’ve all died. Hophni and Phinehas in the battle with the Philistines and Eli, he fell over dead when he found out that the arc of the covenant had been captured by the Philistines, which is where we pick up the story. 1 Samuel 5, 6 and 7 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for this brand-new week and we enter into and it’s sparkly and shiny and we like that and we ask Holy Spirit that You guide our steps and that we pay attention to what the scriptures are teaching us. And we would slow down listen to the voice of wisdom as we walk further and further into this week. As we tell the story of this week a week in our lives will it be a week of selfishness, will it be a week of service? Will we be open to Your leading and guidance? These are all choices that we can make beforehand, which is what we’re learning that if we slow down and take a beat, wisdom is there, the guidance of the Holy Spirit is there, if we will slow down and listen. So, help us to do that very thing as we navigate all the issues of life this week. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here.

Here in the United States, today is Mother’s Day. And I realize that mothers are celebrated in different cultures on different days around the world. Today here, it’s Mother’s Day and paying specific attention to it because this is China’s first Mother’s Day now that Reagan has been born and so our celebrating that today and just one wish all the mothers … it doesn’t mean that every day can’t be Mother’s Day. None of us would be here without her mother’s nothing would be happening on this earth without our mothers. So, we certainly should have a day any way to stop and reflect and I’m certainly doing that now with my daughter but I’m thinking of my own mother who I’ve lost and I’m so deeply, deeply grateful and am continually aware of the empty space in my life that even though I know that she is safe in the presence of the Lord. I miss her and it doesn’t really go away, I miss her. And so, these days help us to celebrate the mothers that we have, to remember the mothers that are no longer with us and to rejoice as motherhood comes and new life comes to the earth, and I guess we got all that going on in our family. So, happy Mother’s Day to all of you mothers all over the world. We love you, we love you so much, we … well I guess the best way to say it is truthfully, we wouldn’t be here without you and so thank you and may the Lord bless and keep you on this day in the name of Jesus. We as a community all over the world tens of thousands of us strongly say yes and amen to a blessing over our mothers today in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi family, I’m calling because I’m just so thankful. I’m mostly thankful for Brian and Jill, their faithfulness, their dedication to come to us every day. And the other reason is because I know you. When I think of your names, I hear your prayer requests, I hear your voice and it’s like I know you to where I could sit down with you and it was like I could share with you my heart and we could just start a conversation without any hesitation because I know you. I want you to know how much I love you, how much I appreciate each one of you and how special each one of you are. I’m so thankful that God has brought us together and I want you to know that even when I hear your name that God brings to mind, I can remember the prayer requests that you’ve called in like months ago and then I’ll continue to pray for that situation. So, I just want you to know. And this is Sally in North Dakota one who loves to worship, worship the One who loves us and keeps us in perfect peace.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Audi from everywhere across America calling. Of course, I’m on the road as I usually am and I’m calling in response to Stephanie from Bangalore. Stephanie, thank you so much for calling and thank you for giving us an update. I’ve been praying for India. I know so many of us have been and it’s definitely scary what we see on the news. And so, you know we’re keeping you in our prayers. And so, I just wanted to tell you that we’re sending love, we’re sending resources, sending money, and of course more than anything sending our prayers. God, we pray that you touch the nation of India right now, that you would send healing, that you would send miraculous healing, across the country God. We pray that you would empower the leaders there to make wise decisions about how to support the people. And God, we pray that people would come to know you through this process. So, Stephanie, I’m praying for your family. I’m praying for you and praying for your church and praying for all of India. I also wanted to offer my own congratulations to China and Ben and everybody for the arrival of baby Reagan. We’re so excited and happy that she’s here safely and that China is safe as well. And I also, wanted to just shout out to a couple people. Eva from Munich I haven’t heard from you for a while. Pastor Jenny. There’s just so many people here that I’ve grown to love and I still remember you. So, I hope you’re all doing well. And finally, I’ll just say, you know, you know in this season I just think so many of us are celebrating with people as they exit kind of this time of COVID and they start having babies and they start getting married and they’re just so many of us are still in the wave. So, I’m praying for all of us who are waiting for our joy. Love you family.

Hey guys my name is Charisse. I’ve called before, I’m from South Carolina. I’ve called in before to pray for other people but I need to ask for a prayer request right now. My uncle Joey, his name is Joey, is an alcoholic and has been one for a long time. He grew up in the church but was very rebellious. He grew up with six other siblings. So, he’s had a hard life and he has finally made something of himself. He’s a great chef but alcohol has kind of always been his fall back and it has really ruined his life multiple times and we really think he’s hit rock bottom at this point because he keeps going back to it. And so, I just want to ask for prayers for him that he would turn away from that and he would turn to God. I don’t believe he is saved. He refuses to even listen to us when we try to talk to him about God. So, yeah, please just pray for him. Pray that God would save him. Pray that he would be humbled. Thanks. Bye.

Daily Audio Bible family this is Benjamin the Sower calling. It’s May 5th today. I want to thank you Brian for your talk today just about sowing and reaping and the harvest. The woman in Samaria. It is just a beautiful reminder for me about why I actually picked my name in the first place for the Daily Audio Bible. Yeah, just that I want to be a person that is planting seeds in people’s lives especially as I think about my neighbors and those around me that don’t know Jesus, don’t know about his love. So would you continue to pray for me and that I’m lifting you guys up to. It’s just so cool that we can harvest what others have planted and vice versa. Angie, first time caller, thank you for calling in and being vulnerable. I just want you to know I’m praying for you as you seek to have a deeper relationship with Jesus. And just as you called I just I was thinking about how Jesus is actually the one that pursues us. God’s love chases us down. He’s the one that grows that in us just as we experience him more, as He and His spirit produces fruit in us. You know I think of in Christ alone there’s the song where it says “when fears are stilled and when striving cease, my comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand”. I just encourage you to listen to that song and you know let it wash over you that it’s not just about us trying to make things happen and us trying to get a better relationship with God that He is coming after us. Real quick, Stephanie from Bangalore thank you for opening up our eyes to the impacts of COVID around the world and India. We are with you. We are praying. Yeah, we love you. We know that God is working. Alright, love you guys talk to you soon.

Congratulations to the Brown’s and the Hardin’s for precious little Reagan who’s come into this world. And congratulations to Brian and Jill for the next grandbaby coming a little bit later I think you said September another girl. This is Candace from Oregon. I’m calling on the day when Brian said as he’s probably said a lot of times, that we are utterly dependent on God, that we already have everything, He’s given us everything and because we’re utterly dependent we don’t have to worry about anything. No matter how messy your personal situation or even the thoughts in your head might be you can give them to God. You can take them all captive to Him who loves you, you know, so much from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. He knows all about it. He knows all about it and he has decided to bless us. Let’s pray together. Lord, I just want to thank you for all of my brothers and sisters here who are listening and for all the prayers that you are answering Lord. We’re in a really troubled world and this is no surprise to you and it’s really nothing new as we heard from the book of Judges. And you came Lord to our huge mess that we’ve made and you brought grace and mercy. Thank you so much.

Hello my name is Karla I’m calling from California. I would just love to leave this message for all of our community. I just want to say thank you so much for acknowledging Cinco de Mayo especially for our Latino and Hispanic community, Mexicans specialty Americans for acknowledging that. I just want to say thank you so much for your message today regarding the seed, the harvest. It means so much more the way that Brian explained it also. So, thank you for that. I want to send this special prayer to India and all of our Indian community. I hope that COVID does get better. You know, it’s been a war zone here in California as well and I feel as if like we’re just getting through this right now. Please know that God is with us and God will get you through this. I just want to say a special prayer and blessing to Brian and thank you so much for this resource and thank you for the word of God and praise Jesus and praise His Holy Spirit who guides us through every day life. I pray for everyone who is going through COVID right now for healing and especially for families that are going through this right now. Remember that God is a healer and that he is the ultimate physician in Jesus name. Thank you. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday May 9, 2021 (NIV)

1 Samuel 5-7

The Philistines brought the captured covenant chest of the True God from Ebenezer to one of their capital cities called Ashdod. There the Philistines took the chest of the True God into the house of their god, Dagon, and placed it in a place of honor beside the idol of Dagon. When the people of the city anxiously awoke early the next morning, there was Dagon, lying on his face on the ground, as if bowing before the covenant chest of the Eternal. So they grabbed the idol and put it back in its proper place. But when they awoke the next morning, only the trunk of the idol was untouched. Dagon had fallen to the ground on his face before the covenant chest of the Eternal One again, and this time his head and hands had been cut off and were lying across the threshold. That is why the priests and worshipers of Dagon in the house of Dagon in Ashdod refused to step on the threshold even till this day.

The hand of the Eternal One came down hard with punishment on the people of Ashdod while the covenant chest rested there. He ravaged the people of Ashdod and the surrounding territory and struck them with swollen, painful growths like tumors. When the people of Ashdod saw how they were cursed, they said,

People of Ashdod: We can’t let the chest of the True God of Israel remain here because their God continues to punish us and our god Dagon.

8-9 So they gathered together all the rulers of the Philistines to ask what should be done with the covenant chest of Israel’s God.

People of Gath: Send this chest of Israel’s God to us.

They did so. But after they had moved the chest of the True God of Israel to Gath, another of the capital cities, the hand of the Eternal One began to punish the people of Gath and sent them into a panic. He also struck them with swollen, painful, tumor-like growths—the young and old alike. 10 So then they sent the covenant chest of the True God of Israel on to a third capital city, Ekron; but when the people of Ekron saw that the covenant chest was coming, they protested.

People of Ekron: Have you brought this chest of the Israelite God here to kill us now?

11 So they gathered together all the rulers of the Philistines.

People of Ekron: Send away this covenant chest of the God of Israel. Send it back where it came from so that it doesn’t kill us all!

For there was great panic throughout the city. The True God’s hand rested heavily on them; 12 and those He did not kill, He struck with swollen, painful tumors. Their suffering was so intense their cries could be heard in the heavens.

The covenant chest of the Eternal One had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months. Then the rulers of the Philistines sent for their priests and fortune-tellers.

Rulers: What should we do with this chest of the Eternal One? We need to get rid of it. What should we send with it when we return it?

Priests and Fortune-tellers: Whatever you do, don’t send this covenant chest of the True God of Israel back by itself. You should certainly offer Him compensation for your guilt. If you do, you will all be healed. That’s the only way you can be certain that His hand will be lifted.

Rulers: What should we send as this guilt offering to Him when we return the covenant chest?

Ancient people understand diseases and various infestations as omens of divine wrath. In order to appease the God of the Israelites, the Philistines cast metal tumors and mice to give back to the Eternal One what He gave to them.

Priests and Fortune-Tellers: Have your artisans make five gold tumors and five gold mice, one for each of the rulers of the Philistines’ capital cities, because the same plague came upon all of the Philistines and all of our rulers. So you must make images of the tumors and of the mice that devastate our land and honor this God of Israel. Maybe then He will release His grip on this land, its people, and its gods. Why would you be as stubborn as the Egyptians and their Pharaoh were? You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you? When this God had taught them a lesson, didn’t they release the people of Israel? Didn’t they go?

So do this now: have your carpenters make a new wagon, find two milk cows that have never been yoked, and yoke them to the cart. But take away their calves and pen them up. Take this chest of the Eternal One and set it upon the wagon. In a box beside it, put the gold images you are presenting to this God as a guilt offering. Then turn the cows loose, and let them go on their way. Watch closely. If the team pulls the wagon up to this God’s country, to Beth-shemesh, then you know that He has been the One punishing us. If they don’t, then at least we’ll know that it was not His hand that struck us, that it has just been bad luck.

10 And that is what the leaders did. They separated two milk cows from their calves. They yoked the cows to the wagon and took the calves home. 11 They set the covenant chest of the Eternal upon the wagon, and next to it, they placed the box with the gold tumors and gold mice. 12 The cows went straight along the road toward Beth-shemesh, mooing after their lost calves as they went. They went straight ahead without any hesitation, and the rulers of the Philistines followed as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 The people of Beth-shemesh were in the valley harvesting their wheat at that time. When they looked up and saw the covenant chest, they ran to greet it with joy. 14 The wagon came to a halt at a large stone in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. The people split up the cart for firewood and sacrificed the cattle as a burnt offering to the Eternal One on the large stone. 15 The Levites took the chest of the Eternal and the box next to it down from the wagon. They took the gold images from the box and set them upon the stone altar. Then the people of Beth-shemesh offered sacrifices and made other burnt offerings to the Eternal One.

16 When the five rulers of the Philistines saw how their offering had been received that day, they returned to Ekron.

17 The five gold images of swollen tumors presented to the Eternal One by the Philistines as a guilt offering represented Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron—one for each. 18 Likewise the golden mice represented all the cities of the Philistines governed by their rulers, both the walled cities and the villages surrounding them. The large stone in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh where they set the chest of the Eternal remains there as a witness to these events.

19 The Eternal struck the people of Beth-shemesh because some looked into the covenant chest. God struck down 75[a] men, and the people were saddened because of the slaughter the Eternal One had brought among their people.

People of Beth-shemesh: 20 Who can stand in the presence of the Eternal One, this holy God? Who will take the covenant chest so we can be safe from Him?

21 So the people of Beth-shemesh sent messengers to the people of Kiriath-jearim to tell them that the Philistines had returned the chest of the Eternal One to Beth-shemesh and that they should come down and take it with them.

The people of Kiriath-jearim did as they were asked. They collected the chest of the Eternal One and brought it up the hill to the house of Abinadab. They performed sacred rituals to set apart his son Eleazar to be in charge of caring for the chest of the Eternal.

This section about the chest of the covenant shows God’s power in the world when all the nations around Israel believe in their own gods. Hebrew literature often talks about the Lord as the greatest of all gods, and this passage shows Him using the covenant chest to declare His preeminence. He embarrasses another god in his own temple, brings death and destruction on those around Him (as He did with the plagues of Egypt), and inflicts something like the bubonic plague, which would devastate Europe in the Middle Ages, on the Philistines. God is powerful and must be treated with the greatest of reverence. Even the people of God are happy to see the chest of the covenant move on, because it is too powerful for sinful human beings to live close to with comfort.

Time passed, 20 years or so, from the time that the covenant chest was taken to Kiriath-jearim, and all the people of Israel began to grieve over their separation from the Eternal One.

Samuel (to the Israelites): If you really want to totally devote yourselves and return to the Eternal One, then get rid of all the foreign gods and goddesses you have gathered. Devote yourselves to the Eternal, serve Him and Him alone, and He will save you from the oppression of the Philistines.

The Canaanites have a long history of worshiping idols or local gods. In this case, the god being worshiped is Astarte (Ashtoreth), a fertility goddess similar to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. In Canaanite mythology, she is the sister and wife of the high god Baal. She and similar goddesses are worshiped throughout the ancient Near East; and the children of Israel are constantly falling away from serving the Lord by worshiping Astarte, Baal, and other pagan gods. God commands His people not to raise up idols or bow down to any gods except Him. Along with the worship of these gods come many strange practices that pollute the people of the Lord.

So the people of Israel got rid of their gods and goddesses,[b] and they began to serve only the Eternal One.

Samuel: Assemble all of Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Eternal on your behalf.

That day they gathered at Mizpah, drew water, poured it out ritually in front of the Eternal One, and fasted.

People: We have sinned. We have rebelled against the Eternal.

Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah, delivering the people from danger and establishing justice in the land.

When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines gathered an armed force and went to attack them. When the people of Israel heard that the Philistines were coming, they were filled with fear. They turned to God’s prophet.

People of Israel (to Samuel): Don’t stop calling out to the Eternal our God for us. Ask Him to save us from the Philistine army that is coming.

Samuel took a young lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Eternal One. He called out to the Eternal on behalf of Israel, and the Eternal responded. Here is what happened: 10 As Samuel was performing the sacrifice, the voice of the Eternal rolled like thunder and confused the advancing Philistine army so that Israel easily struck them down. 11 From Mizpah, the Israelites chased them beyond Beth-car, striking them along the way.

12 That’s why Samuel set up a stone between Mizpah and Shen; and he called that stone Ebenezer, which means “rock of help,” for he said,

Samuel: The Eternal One has helped us so far.

13 So the Philistines were humbled and did not invade the lands of Israel again. The Eternal One held off the Philistines for as long as Samuel judged Israel. 14 The Israelite cities the Philistines had seized between Ekron and Gath were returned, and Israel took its territory back from Philistine rule. There was also peace with the Amorites.

15 Now Samuel was a prophet and judge over Israel for the rest of his life. 16 He traveled a 40-mile circuit just north of Jerusalem every year between Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, solving Israel’s problems in each of these places. 17 But he would always return to his home in Ramah, the base from which he judged Israel and where he built an altar to the Eternal.

Footnotes:

  1. 6:19 Hebrew, “50,000 and 70 men”
  2. 7:4 Hebrew, Baals and Astartes
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

John 6:1-21

Once this had transpired, Jesus made His way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (which some these days call the Sea of Tiberias). As Jesus walked, a large crowd pursued Him hoping to see new signs and miracles; His healings of the sick and lame were garnering great attention. Jesus went up a mountain and found a place to sit down and teach. His disciples gathered around. The celebration of the Passover, one of the principal Jewish feasts, would take place soon. But when Jesus looked up, He could see an immense crowd coming toward Him. Jesus approached Philip.

Jesus (to Philip): Where is a place to buy bread so these people may eat?

Jesus knew what He was planning to do, but He asked Philip nonetheless. He had something to teach, and it started with a test.

Philip: I could work for more than half of a year[a] and still not have the money to buy enough bread to give each person a very small piece.

Andrew, the disciple who was Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up.

Andrew: I met a young boy in the crowd carrying five barley loaves and two fish, but that is practically useless in feeding a crowd this large.

Jesus: 10 Tell the people to sit down.

They all sat together on a large grassy area. Those counting the people reported approximately 5,000 men—not including the women and children—sitting in the crowd. 11 Jesus picked up the bread, gave thanks to God, and passed it to everyone. He repeated this ritual with the fish. Men, women, and children all ate until their hearts were content. 12 When the people had all they could eat, He told the disciples to gather the leftovers.

Jesus: Go and collect the leftovers, so we are not wasteful.

13 They filled 12 baskets with fragments of the five barley loaves. 14 After witnessing this sign that Jesus did, the people stirred in conversation.

Crowd: This man must be the Prophet God said was coming into the world.

15 Jesus sensed the people were planning to mount a revolution against Israel’s Roman occupiers and make Him king, so He withdrew farther up the mountain by Himself.

Since the Babylonians seized Judah in 586 b.c., the Jews have endured one foreign occupier after another in their land. As conquerors go, the Romans aren’t all that bad. They allow the Jews to worship God in His temple, and they appoint some of them to government positions. Of course, the Judeans still long to rule themselves and throw the Roman rulers out. Some think Jesus is just the man to lead that revolution. But political upheaval isn’t what He is teaching, and it isn’t why He has come to earth.

16 Later that evening the disciples walked down to the sea, 17 boarded a boat, and set sail toward Capernaum. Twilight gave way to darkness. Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 Suddenly, the waves rose and a fierce wind began to rock the boat. 19 After rowing three or four miles[b] through the stormy seas, they spotted Jesus approaching the boat walking mysteriously upon the deep waters that surrounded them. They panicked.

Jesus (to the disciples): 20 I am the One. Don’t be afraid.

21 They welcomed Jesus aboard their small vessel; and when He stepped into the boat, the next thing they knew, they were ashore at their destination.

Footnotes:

  1. 6:7 Literally, 200 denarii
  2. 6:19 Literally, 25 or 30 stadia
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 106:13-31

13 But it didn’t take long for them to forget what He had done.
They moved on without waiting for His instructions,
14 So our ancestors became very hungry in the wilderness
and the rabble grumbled and complained, testing God’s patience in the desert.
15 Although He granted their request,
He also sent a disease that caused them to waste away.

16 While they were camped in the desert, some began to be jealous of Moses
and Aaron, the holy priest of the Eternal.
17 The earth opened up, and a deep fissure swallowed Dathan
and buried Abiram’s group.
18 A blaze ignited where they were gathered;
the fire consumed the wicked mob.

19 The people made a golden calf in Horeb
and bowed to worship an image they had made.
20 They traded the glory of God
for the likeness of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot about God, their True Savior,
who had done great things for them in Egypt—
22 Miracles in the land of Ham
and amazing deeds at the Red Sea.
23 Therefore, He declared in His anger that He would wipe them away.
If Moses, His chosen one,
Had not pleaded for the people,
His anger would have destroyed them.

24 At the edge of the beautiful land God had promised them,
they didn’t trust His words, so they refused to enter.
25 They complained when they were gathered in their tents;
they ignored the voice of the Eternal.
26 Because of their attitude, He swore,
“I’ll leave you where you fall in the desert.
27 I’ll scatter your children—whoever is left
throughout the nations all over the earth.”

28 Then they aligned themselves with the god of Peor,
and they ate sacrifices that had been made to lifeless gods.
29 Through their actions, they stirred up His anger,
and a plague broke out in their midst.
30 Then Phinehas took a stand and intervened,
so the plague was stopped.
31 And God saw what he did and considered him righteous,
a man to be honored by all generations forever.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 14:32-33

32 The wicked are waylaid by their evil actions,
but the right-living find hope’s sanctuary even in their death.[a]
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one with insight
and can even be experienced by fools.

Footnotes:

  1. 14:32 Greek manuscripts read “integrity.”
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

05/08/2021 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 2:22-4:22, John 5:24-47, Psalm 106:1-12, Proverbs 14:30-31 

Today is the 8th day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you today as we bring to the close another one of our weeks together, this being the first full week of the month of May. So, well done. We moved through quite a bit of territory in this past week landing ourselves where we are in the book of 1 Samuel. We began 1 Samuel yesterday we talked about it then and were just getting to know Sammy. He is just a little boy. His mother, Hannah, prayed for him at Shiloh which is where the permanent tabernacle was for…for hundreds of years before the temple was constructed. And, so, Samuel has been given back to God and he lives there in Shiloh under the priest Eli’s supervision. And he’s got this little robe, this little priestly robe that his mother…she makes him a new one each year when she comes to worship. It’s a beautiful story because we all know how we like to dress up our toddlers in grown up looking clothes and they just look so sharp and handsome or beautiful. And, so, you can just imagine Samuel with this little priestly robe and ephod on. It’s just a little junior version and he walks around the temple and he’s learning the ways of the Lord from the high priest Eli. So, that’s basically where we are. We’re reading from the New International Version this week, which is today. 1 Samuel chapter 2 verse 22 through 4 verse 22. 

Prayer: 

Father, we thank You for another week in Your word, this first full week of this fifth month were taken note of it. You have been faithful. We are here. You have carried us this far and we are learning and You are shaping and we open ourselves and invite You to continue this work of sanctification within us that we might be set apart as holy to You and we might be living sacrifices, living the light in this world. Come Jesus we pray. In Your precious name, we ask. Amen. 

Announcements: 

dailyaudiobible.com is home base. That is…well…home base. It’s home base, it’s the homepage, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, check it out. 

Check out the different sections of the website, specifically the Community section and the Shop. And, of course, if you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app…and if you’re not using the Daily Audio Bible go download the Daily Audio Bible app. It’s free, just search for Daily Audio Bible in your store…in your app store, download the Daily Audio Bible app and off you go to find the Community section, the Prayer Wall, the Shop, all that by pushing the Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner of the app screen. 

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that on the web or in the app as well. On the web there is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner. And I thank you with all of my heart for your partnership. We wouldn’t be here, these servers wouldn’t be spinning, the word of God wouldn’t be spoken out across the world on a continual basis every day, all day, if we weren’t in this together. And, so, thank you for your partnership. So, there’s a link on the web. There is the Give button in the app, or if you prefer the mail, the mailing address, it’s PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174. And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253. 

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: 

Hello Daily Audio Bible family my name is E, I’m from Texas and this is my first time calling in asking for prayer. I’m sure I’ve needed to plenty of other times but I just I don’t know why I haven’t. But thank you to this entire community for constantly praying for being committed. For Brian for you and your entire family for pouring into people daily and touching people and just being obedient to God to help people in a way that many people have probably shied away from, so thank you. I’m calling today because I’m actually not too far off and I’m trying to stay ahead of the curve and in prayer. I’ve had a lot on my plate in so many ways. I’m interested in writing a book about it. It’s just so much. I’m coming off of it’s been about a year since I’ve kind of my husband of 14 years has been having an almost yearlong affair with his assistant in my face and the girls at my house been around my kids. It’s just absolutely overwhelming and unbelievable but I’m still I feel like God actually told me to stay in the marriage. He prepared me that this would happen years before it happened, and it happened and so now I’m just dealing with the aftermath of it but it impacts my life. I’ve been on anxiety drugs I’ve taken I’ve gotten off all of that and I’m just trying to trust God and but it is overwhelming. I’m in a support group but it’s still a lot to deal with daily paired with just regular life where I have a family member an aunt who I’ve actually had to take care of and become a carrier and power of attorney and everything. Plus, I have my own 3 little kids and other businesses that I’m running and new ventures for career paths and I manage artists. I’m deeply embedded in the music community and just trying to function as a normal person when your life isn’t normal it’s very hard it’s overwhelming. So, I’m asking everybody for prayer today that I can stay balanced and… 

Hi DAB Emmy from Illinois here just calling in to say hi and just continued prayer for my husband and I that we can find a way to work through our marriage. My husband is still pretty much adamant that nothing can be fixed. He’s actually contemplated moving across the country and working at a job that he would only be home a couple of weeks every few months and I haven’t he’s not really communicating much with me so I don’t know if he got the job or not. But if that happens it would be in June in that would leave me through the bulk of my pregnancy to be home alone. I have support systems but both of them are an hour plus away. I kind of live in the middle of nowhere. So, it would just be a really hard transition of living life by myself. I can do it, I did it for 37 years before we got married but I wasn’t pregnant then. So, I’m hoping and praying that God will use my pregnancy and I don’t know maybe my husband going across the country to open his eyes to the realities that running from God is what’s making him unhappy, and our marriage is just taking the is the scapegoat for his struggles. So, if you could just continue to pray. I am trying to stay happy and positive and stay as healthy as possible for this baby. So, thank you. Bye. 

Hi everyone this is Mary. I don’t really have a nickname but I guess it could be white or something. I don’t know. But I just wanted to come on here and just ask for prayer for my mom. She recently lost her job and it’s just been really scary. But I’m trusting in God and, you know, I say that but it’s hard to do, you know, and so he’s first. So, I just ask that you pray that she gets to find another job. She’s actually going on an interview today. So, I hope it goes well. I know God blessed her with the interview. So, I know that he will bring her through it. But yeah, if you could just keep us in your prayers. And yeah, I’m keeping you all in my prayers. Thank you for inspiring me and reminding me that God’s in control and just all the inspiration, all the positivity that you guys say. It just really, really encourages me. So, I thank you. God is so, so good even in, you know, the worst moments. And, yeah, thank you Brian for this community. I pray blessings over your new granddaughter. And yeah, I was so excited for that new chapter that you guys are experiencing. My sisters also having a baby in July. So, I’m really excited. She’ll be having a baby boy. So, yeah, I just pray blessings over you guys and peace and yeah, I love you guys. Have a good one. Bye. 

Hey family this is Lazarus calling. I’ll let you know through the prayer request since I was baptized, reborn I went deeper and deeper into Christ father and his Holy Spirit has just been amazing transformation and powerful. I, so, I want you to know that I pray for you all and I care about you all deeply and here for you. Just know about that was out there praying for you in response to your prayer request. So, I have an ask. And come along way. Some of you know my story. It’s been pretty brutal. But right now, I’m about to finish up here on a project that will at least dig me out of the ditch for the moment and it’s been a deep and long ditch as many know. So, I just ask for your prayers. The other party has been this more complicated and has put me at risk even more risk than I am and this will make a huge difference for what I can do for the community. It’s not about me. That job is dead this is the new Lazarus talking and this is about God. This is about doing the right thing getting in a posture of heart and position to be able to work out his plan the father’s plan support his plan. And again, he’s first, I’m last and that’s just the agreement that we have. So, we go out together every day to fight evil and darkness and he’s with me and it’s made all the difference. So, I ask your prayers that I get through this one last step and get on my new track completely. I pray in Jesus’ name. God bless you all. 

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Carla Mathis from Orlando FL. I’m calling to pray from my husband and my family. My husband is in a federal facility in __ County Texas so I’m here with my daughters. I just wanna say a quick prayer for him. Oh Lord I pray that you will protect __ from any accidents, diseases, dangers or evil influences ___ especially where he is, hide him from violence __ evil people wherever he walks secure his steps keep him on your path so that his feet don’t slip. If his foot does slip, hold him up by your mercy. Give him the wisdom and the discretion that will help him walk away safely and not fall into danger. Be his fortress, his strength, his shield, and his stronghold. Make him to dwell in the shadow of your wings. I pray that__ that we might __ what will happen around him will not come near us and not hurt him. Save him from anything that the enemy __ against him or to destroy him. Lord God I just __ continue in the faith and let him come home. __ When I come back __ . __ I love him so much and I love daddy and he’s going to come home sooner but we have to wait until __. Amen. Amen. 

Hi family this is Biola from Maryland I hope you’re all doing well. Well, congratulations China and Ben on the birth of Reagan the Brave. What a beautiful name. Beautiful baby, I saw her on Facebook. Congratulations to you Brian and Jill. Brian I must say that I am really impressed. I mean I’ve always been impressed by the I am doubly impressed by your dedication to this beautiful ministry you know even after your first grandbaby girl. I know you have other grandkids who are who are boys. Came into the world you still came to read to us. May God bless you brother. May God answer you before your call you and Jill in the name of Jesus and I pray for Reagan Brave. I pray that as her name indicates she will be brave for the Lord. This little girl will be on fire may God give her parents wisdom to know how to raise her in the way of the Lord in the name of Jesus. May they never lack for any good thing in Jesus’ name. And I pray the same for you Brian and I want to encourage everyone who listens to Daily Audio Bible, as you listen and put your log in the fire, please give to Daily Audio Bible. This is really important. Honey Bee I am praying for you my sister that God will touch your eyes and heal you, that God will work a miracle in your life in the name of Jesus. Cammy, I want to give you kudos for such a beautiful, beautiful encouragement that you give to the sister who wanted to know what to do while she’s in an unequally yoked relationship. What a beautiful advice that you gave to her. And Lastly, Tony the Truck Driver I’m so sorry for your loss. I pray for the Ramirez family that God will touch them, that God will wrap his arms around them, that God would comfort them, and God would provide for them. It’s a name of Jesus…

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday May 8, 2021 (NIV)

1 Samuel 2:22-4

22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything(A) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women(B) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[a] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will(C) intercede(D) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow(E) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(F)

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

27 Now a man of God(G) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose(H) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(I) and to wear an ephod(J) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(K) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[b] scorn my sacrifice and offering(L) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(M) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.(N)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(O) but those who despise(P) me will be disdained.(Q) 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,(R) 32 and you will see distress(S) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(T) 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants(U) will die in the prime of life.

34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(V) to you—they will both die(W) on the same day.(X) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(Y) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed(Z) one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,(AA) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(AB)”’”

The Lord Calls Samuel

The boy Samuel ministered(AC) before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare;(AD) there were not many visions.(AE)

One night Eli, whose eyes(AF) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,(AG) was lying down in his usual place. The lamp(AH) of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house(AI) of the Lord, where the ark(AJ) of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.(AK) And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

Now Samuel did not yet know(AL) the Lord: The word(AM) of the Lord had not yet been revealed(AN) to him.

A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!(AO)

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.(AP) 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything(AQ) I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[c] and he failed to restrain(AR) them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned(AS) for by sacrifice or offering.’”

15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide(AT) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,(AU) if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”(AV)

19 The Lord was with(AW) Samuel as he grew(AX) up, and he let none(AY) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba(AZ) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.(BA) 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed(BB) himself to Samuel through his word.

And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer,(BC) and the Philistines at Aphek.(BD) The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why(BE) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark(BF) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,(BG) so that he may go with us(BH) and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.(BI) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout(BJ) that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew(BK) camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid.(BL) “A god has[d] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck(BM) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues(BN) in the wilderness. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they(BO) have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated(BP) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.(BQ)

Death of Eli

12 That same day a Benjamite(BR) ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust(BS) on his head. 13 When he arrived, there was Eli(BT) sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes(BU) had failed so that he could not see. 16 He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

17 The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead,(BV) and the ark of God has been captured.”(BW)

18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led[e](BX) Israel forty years.(BY)

19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

21 She named the boy Ichabod,[f](BZ) saying, “The Glory(CA) has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The Glory(CB) has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”(CC)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
  2. 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. 1 Samuel 3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible
  4. 1 Samuel 4:7 Or “Gods have (see Septuagint)
  5. 1 Samuel 4:18 Traditionally judged
  6. 1 Samuel 4:21 Ichabod means no glory.

Cross references:

  1. 1 Samuel 2:22 : S ver 17
  2. 1 Samuel 2:22 : S Ex 38:8
  3. 1 Samuel 2:25 : Ex 4:21; Jos 11:20
  4. 1 Samuel 2:25 : S Ex 32:10; S Nu 11:2; 1Sa 3:14; 1Ki 13:6; Job 9:33; Ps 106:30; Isa 1:18; 22:14; Jer 15:1; Heb 10:26
  5. 1 Samuel 2:26 : S Jdg 13:24; Lk 2:52
  6. 1 Samuel 2:26 : Pr 3:4
  7. 1 Samuel 2:27 : S Dt 33:1; S Jdg 13:6
  8. 1 Samuel 2:28 : S Ex 28:1
  9. 1 Samuel 2:28 : S Ex 30:7
  10. 1 Samuel 2:28 : 1Sa 22:18; 23:6, 9; 30:7
  11. 1 Samuel 2:28 : Lev 7:35-36
  12. 1 Samuel 2:29 : ver 12-17
  13. 1 Samuel 2:29 : S Dt 12:5
  14. 1 Samuel 2:30 : S Ex 29:9
  15. 1 Samuel 2:30 : Ps 50:23; 91:15; Pr 8:17
  16. 1 Samuel 2:30 : Isa 53:3; Na 3:6; Mal 2:9
  17. 1 Samuel 2:30 : Jer 18:10
  18. 1 Samuel 2:31 : 1Sa 4:11-18; 22:16
  19. 1 Samuel 2:32 : 1Sa 4:3; 22:17-20; Jer 7:12, 14
  20. 1 Samuel 2:32 : 1Ki 2:26-27
  21. 1 Samuel 2:33 : Jer 29:32; Mal 2:12
  22. 1 Samuel 2:34 : S Dt 13:2
  23. 1 Samuel 2:34 : 1Sa 4:11
  24. 1 Samuel 2:34 : 1Ki 13:3
  25. 1 Samuel 2:35 : 2Sa 8:17; 20:25; 1Ki 1:8, 32; 2:35; 4:4; 1Ch 16:39; 29:22; Eze 44:15-16
  26. 1 Samuel 2:35 : 1Sa 9:16; 10:1; 16:13; 2Sa 2:4; 12:7; 23:1; 1Ki 1:34; Ps 89:20
  27. 1 Samuel 2:36 : Eze 44:10-14
  28. 1 Samuel 2:36 : 1Sa 3:12; 1Ki 2:27
  29. 1 Samuel 3:1 : S 1Sa 2:11
  30. 1 Samuel 3:1 : Ps 74:9; La 2:9; Eze 7:26
  31. 1 Samuel 3:1 : Am 8:11
  32. 1 Samuel 3:2 : 1Sa 4:15
  33. 1 Samuel 3:2 : S Ge 27:1
  34. 1 Samuel 3:3 : Ex 25:31-38; Lev 24:1-4
  35. 1 Samuel 3:3 : 1Sa 1:9
  36. 1 Samuel 3:3 : Dt 10:1-5; 1Ki 6:19; 8:1
  37. 1 Samuel 3:4 : S Ge 22:1; S Ex 3:4
  38. 1 Samuel 3:7 : 1Sa 2:12
  39. 1 Samuel 3:7 : Jer 1:2
  40. 1 Samuel 3:7 : S Nu 12:6; Am 3:7
  41. 1 Samuel 3:10 : Ex 3:4
  42. 1 Samuel 3:11 : 2Ki 21:12; Job 15:21; Jer 19:3
  43. 1 Samuel 3:12 : S 1Sa 2:27-36
  44. 1 Samuel 3:13 : 1Ki 1:6
  45. 1 Samuel 3:14 : S 1Sa 2:25
  46. 1 Samuel 3:17 : 1Ki 22:14; Jer 23:28; 38:14; 42:4
  47. 1 Samuel 3:17 : S Ru 1:17
  48. 1 Samuel 3:18 : S Jdg 10:15
  49. 1 Samuel 3:19 : S Ge 21:22; S Nu 14:43
  50. 1 Samuel 3:19 : S Jdg 13:24
  51. 1 Samuel 3:19 : 1Sa 9:6
  52. 1 Samuel 3:20 : S Jdg 20:1
  53. 1 Samuel 3:20 : S Dt 18:22; Eze 33:33
  54. 1 Samuel 3:21 : S Nu 12:6
  55. 1 Samuel 4:1 : 1Sa 5:1; 7:12
  56. 1 Samuel 4:1 : Jos 12:18; 1Sa 29:1; 1Ki 20:26
  57. 1 Samuel 4:3 : Jos 7:7
  58. 1 Samuel 4:3 : S Jos 6:7
  59. 1 Samuel 4:3 : S Jos 18:1; S 1Sa 2:32
  60. 1 Samuel 4:3 : 2Ch 13:8
  61. 1 Samuel 4:4 : S Ge 3:24; S Ex 25:22
  62. 1 Samuel 4:5 : S Jos 6:5, 10
  63. 1 Samuel 4:6 : S Ge 14:13
  64. 1 Samuel 4:7 : S Ex 15:14
  65. 1 Samuel 4:8 : Ex 12:30; 1Sa 5:12
  66. 1 Samuel 4:8 : Rev 11:6
  67. 1 Samuel 4:9 : S Jdg 13:1
  68. 1 Samuel 4:10 : S Dt 28:25
  69. 1 Samuel 4:11 : Ps 78:64; Jer 7:12
  70. 1 Samuel 4:12 : Eze 24:26; 33:21
  71. 1 Samuel 4:12 : S Jos 7:6; S 2Sa 1:2
  72. 1 Samuel 4:13 : ver 18
  73. 1 Samuel 4:15 : S 1Sa 3:2
  74. 1 Samuel 4:17 : 1Sa 22:18; Ps 78:64
  75. 1 Samuel 4:17 : Ps 78:61
  76. 1 Samuel 4:18 : S Jdg 2:16; S 16:31
  77. 1 Samuel 4:18 : 1Sa 2:31
  78. 1 Samuel 4:21 : S Ge 35:18
  79. 1 Samuel 4:21 : S Ex 24:16; Ps 106:20; Jer 2:11; Eze 1:28; 9:3; 10:18
  80. 1 Samuel 4:22 : S Ex 24:16; Ps 78:61
  81. 1 Samuel 4:22 : Jer 7:12
New International Version (NIV)

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John 5:24-47

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me(A) has eternal life(B) and will not be judged(C) but has crossed over from death to life.(D) 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come(E) when the dead will hear(F) the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life(G) in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge(H) because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming(I) when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.(J) 30 By myself I can do nothing;(K) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,(L) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(M)

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(N) 32 There is another who testifies in my favor,(O) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified(P) to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony;(Q) but I mention it that you may be saved.(R) 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,(S) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John.(T) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing(U)—testify that the Father has sent me.(V) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.(W) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(X) 38 nor does his word dwell in you,(Y) for you do not believe(Z) the one he sent.(AA) 39 You study[a] the Scriptures(AB) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.(AC) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,(AD) 40 yet you refuse to come to me(AE) to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,(AF) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[b]?(AG)

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(AH) on whom your hopes are set.(AI) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(AJ) 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”(AK)

Footnotes:

  1. John 5:39 Or 39 Study
  2. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm 106:1-12

Psalm 106(A)

Praise the Lord.[a](B)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;(C)
his love endures forever.(D)

Who can proclaim the mighty acts(E) of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are those who act justly,(F)
who always do what is right.(G)

Remember me,(H) Lord, when you show favor(I) to your people,
come to my aid(J) when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity(K) of your chosen ones,(L)
that I may share in the joy(M) of your nation
and join your inheritance(N) in giving praise.

We have sinned,(O) even as our ancestors(P) did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.(Q)
When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought(R) to your miracles;
they did not remember(S) your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea,(T) the Red Sea.[b]
Yet he saved them(U) for his name’s sake,(V)
to make his mighty power(W) known.
He rebuked(X) the Red Sea, and it dried up;(Y)
he led them through(Z) the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them(AA) from the hand of the foe;(AB)
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.(AC)
11 The waters covered(AD) their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.(AE)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 106:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 48
  2. Psalm 106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 22
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Proverbs 14:30-31

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.(A)

31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,(B)
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.(C)

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.