Isaiah 45:11-48:11, Ephesians 4:1-16, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 24:3-4Today is the 25th day of…

Isaiah 45:11-48:11, Ephesians 4:1-16, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 24:3-4

Today is the 25th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here. I cannot believe it is almost the end of September. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We got…we got…we have some days to go, but man here we are getting ready to bring another month in for a landing in just a few short days. But everyday matters. Every day that we spend in the Scriptures matters. And, so, we have a few days left in this month and we can choose to embrace and end strong and finish well as we prepare to go into the final quarter of the year, but I’m getting ahead of ourselves here. So, rather than staying ahead of ourselves let’s center ourselves right here right now where we are, the 25th day of September, the 269th day of this year. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. Isaiah chapter 45 verse 11 through 48 verse 11.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we continue our journey through the letter to the Ephesians, this…this letter keeps telling us the story is bigger than you think it is, there’s a lot more at stake, you have to open your eyes and see what’s going on here, this is of big deal. And, so, we’ve been kind of looking…looking at these different vista points as we make our way to the letter. And today, basically, the letter is telling us something we probably don’t like to be told, but need to be told, “it’s time to grow up.” And we might be thinking, “well…I'm…I’m up in years, you know, I'm…I’ve…I’ve been a grown-up, I’ve been an adult for a long time now. I don’t need to grow up.” But, yeah, we…we probably have areas that we need to grow up in. For example, let me just quote what this letter suggests we should do. “Always be humble and gentle.” Like, I’m gonna go on but let me just pause there. Like are we that? Then we could say, “yeah. I’m mature in that area”, but if not, then there is some growing up to do. “Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.” So, we’re seeing that maybe we all have some growing up to do. I continue to quote. “Try your best to let God Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body.” In other words, we are all in this together and it will not work any other way. Just like our bodies, right? Our hand can’t just divorce itself from our body and it could be…it could be lopped off in some terrible accident but the hands not gonna live and the body’s gonna suffer. This is what Paul’s been saying all along in his letters. So, continuing. “All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people. We have only one Lord, one faith and one baptism. There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but He works by using all of us and He lives in all of us.” Again, like that last thing, “He lives in all of us.” Chew on today. God lives in you. And all the things that are being suggested in this letter are things we can live into. We can choose not to. And honestly, most of the time we do choose not to, but that doesn’t mean it’s not available and that it’s not real. Maybe we don’t have eyes to see. Maybe there is some growing up to do. So, the letter continues to tell us that in order to become mature, in order to grow up, that Jesus has equipped the church. There are apostles and prophets and missionaries and pastors and teachers so that we could all grow and learn to serve and understand that we are part of one body and then when we grow strong, we are all growing strong. And when we are weak, we are all weak. We are one. We are one body, and this is gonna continue, these gifts that God has given to help us to mature and grow. According to Ephesians this is going to continue until we are united by our faith and our understanding of the Son of God, then…and I’m quoting…”then we will be mature just as Christ is and we will be” brace yourself… “and we will be completely like Him.” That’s where this story is headed and according to the letter to the Ephesians and I’m just mostly quoting all of this, according to Ephesians “we must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings which are like winds the toss us around from place to place. Love should always make us tell the truth, then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body. And Christ holds it all together and makes all of its parts work perfectly as it grows and becomes strong because of love.” So, maybe we do have some years under our belts. Maybe we do have lots of experiences upon this earth, but are we, for all of those experiences and all of those years, are we still spiritual children? Are we still immature? And if that were the case would that not explain so much about the rest of our story? Because so often we are confused at ordering our world around us with our senses is the key when actually life is inside out. If we are spiritually mature our world, our lives will fall in line accordingly because we will be spiritually mature. We will be closer day by day step-by-step into the likeness of Christ or re-quoting Ephesians, “we will be mature, just as Christ is and we will be completely like Him.” I mentioned where we are in the year at the beginning of our reading today and I was like yeah, we’re out in front of ourselves. There’s still five more days or whatever left this month, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But maybe just knowing that there are these days left in this month and then we will be turning into the final quarter of the year, maybe taking these days to consider our spiritual maturity, to consider maybe it’s time to grow up and stop being little kids in this. Maybe that’s what we spend our next few days preparing for and considering and meditating upon as we continue the journey forward because I would wager that a year like no other, this year, has done a lot of things but one thing that it has certainly done is expose different levels of immaturity in our lives. And I also would wager to say that, in order to finish this year well, this very very weird strange year we’ve been a part of and all the strangeness that is still out in front of us, we’re gonna need spiritual maturity. And, so maybe there’s nothing more important to focus on today and in the coming days.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit we invite You. We invite You because You have promised to lead us into all truth. We are counting on that. And as You lead us, we are being made mature, we are growing up, we are being transformed into the likeness of the Savior. This is the goal, and this is what we are after. This is what our hearts long for. This is what we are crying out for. It’s just that growing up exposes that we’re not. Becoming mature exposes, the areas that we’re not. And then we squirm, and we don’t like it because growing up takes work and requires responsibility and we don’t usually think of this in spiritual terms. And yet the quicker that we grow up spiritually and become mature within, the quicker we will be able to act with wisdom without. Come Holy Spirit we pray into this 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:

What’s up everyone? It’s Evan Olson from Greenville South Carolina just calling in a prayer request for my friend/coworker. Quite a divine appointment from God really. I just put in my two weeks at the pizza place I’m working at and then God presented a great opportunity for a job for me and my wife __  us before but…anyways I worked tonight…I prayed after I put my two weeks in and my coworker his name is Alex and he was standing in the back doing dishes and I just said I’m gonna go talk to him because he never really…he just started like a week ago and I just figured I’ll go talk to him. So, I walked up to him and talked to him and I mean the next thing I know he was telling me about stuff he was going through. His wife has cheated on him. He is going through a lot of suicidal thoughts. He’s tried commit suicide 17 times. I asked him if I..I asked him if I could call into this show and request prayer for him and he said yes and it was just amazing because, well, the Spirit just presented an opportunity and I invited him to church and everything and I just request prayer…prayer for him because he’s in a really tough spot right now. Thank you everybody. I love the Daily Audio Bible, longtime listener first-time caller.

This is Kitty Cat from Pennsylvania. This name was given to me by my beloved brother Tad and he’s actually also a DABber. He listens to Daily Audio Bible. I listened about four years and I just…I…this is my first time calling in for a prayer request. My prayer request is, after 65 years of really really excellent health…health…I’ve been so blessed in my life…I was diagnosed about six months ago with __ cell cancer in my face that unfortunately travels to some nerves. Now I went for 33 rounds of radiation and…and my prayer request is that while I wait for the test results that the anxiety will just be gone and that I can just be a shining light to my family and my friends and everyone, you know, and…and hopefully try to help them go through trials as well. And this, you know, obviously I hope the news is good and I pray for good news that I’m cancer free in November but I ask that you just pray that the fear is taken away…I…and I just can be a shining light during this time. And I listened today Psalm 63, O my word, that’s great. My soul clings to you, my soul thirsts for you. Your steadfast love Lord is better than light. And I love the Daily Audio Bible. And I just…I’m so thankful that you can pray for me. Thank you this is Kitty Cat from PA. Bye-bye.

Hi this is Jesse I am a resident in a hospital in Georgia. First of all, God bless everyone. And I’m having some problems at my residency. I just ask that God would give me the knowledge and wisdom to do right. I am being evaluated now so I’m just asking for God’s favor and I would ask if you can all join me in that prayer. And I will also ask for His grace and thank Him for it. I’ll say a prayer. Father, I only come before you and I just give you the thanks for everyone on this network. I thank you Lord God for letting them know you, letting them know who …who to come to and who to trust. I thank you for creating us. I thank you Lord God for the love that you’ve placed in us to give to others. And I pray now Lord God that every miracle in everyone’s heart of God will be made manifest Lord God before their eyes. And I thank you O Lord. God bless everyone. I love you.

Hey everybody this is Pelham calling from the great state of Alabama. I can’t even give you a city anymore because the Lord is moving me around, protecting me, healing me, binding up my broken heart and trying to show me the extent of His love, which is infinite. But I’m…I’m making this little call here today for Terry the Trucker. I’m trying something new. I’m gonna try to start caring about others instead of caring about myself. Wow…let’s see how long that lasts. But Terry, your call played like five days ago or a week ago something like that and I wanted you to know that I remember the first time you contacted the DAB. I remember…I remember the first time that you reached out and boy it feels like a lifetime ago but I wanted you to know there’s a guy in Alabama that’s praying for your peace and your strength and for your family and I’ve got to confess I probably need to listen to your prayer request again because there’s so much going on in my world that I can’t pay attention for longer than a few seconds. And the Holy Spirit has been gently nudging me to try something new and try to stop focusing on me and focus on others. And I’ll tell you, that’s not easy. But the Lord is so cool that He gives us the…the opportunity to experience how hard His job is getting the deal with all of his children and all of the forgiveness and the cross. I love you guys. Just wanted to say I’m alive. Bye.

Good day DAB family my name is Ron from the Philippines and I’ve been living in Dubai for 12 years it’s my first time calling using the app. Firstly I’d like to thank the people who have prayed for me on the Prayer Wall. They have been great blessing and encouragement and right now I’m just asking for more prayers because I’ve recently just lost my job and I only have a month to stay here in Dubai to try to find a new job otherwise I will need to go back home which is going to be tough. And, so, I need your prayers for God to direct me to the path that He wants me to go to. I’m also asking for prayers for comfort because there are bad days where I would sleep with a heavy heart, have nightmares, and wake up with palpitation. And, so, I’m just praying for God to cover me with this piece. I’m also facing the fact that I might not get anything after 12 years of service because I still have a loan and they would probably involuntarily put my benefits to the bank to pay off the loan. I’ve talked to the company and it seems that there’s no way, but I know that God will make a way and God will provide. And, yeah, I just thank you because I know that once you hear this a lot of people would be praying for me for an…an…an amazing job opportunity as well. And that gives me hope and strength and I know that this is a great testimony in the making. I am very grateful for this app for strengthening my faith immensely and for the people who are going to the same thing. We just need to trust God and He has amazing plans for our lives. God is good in God is Sovereign and we take comfort in that. Thank you, family, God bless you all.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible community today is September 21st 2020 and it is 1:40 AM in the morning Central Time here in Newburgh Indiana. This is Diane Olive Brown shalom, shalom I’m putting my log in the fire and I want to go back to the 17th when I don’t know if it was a little girl or little boy but the song was so pure and so holy and I just wanted…I won’t be able to sing it like they…that little person did. [singing starts] Dear God please all the people that are in the fire. Please help them to be safe and not get harmed. Please help them to know that You are with them. Dear Lord, we love You so much. Dear Lord, we love You. You’re in our heart. We are in Yours too. Please help all the people to learn about You [singing stops]. Thank you little one.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday September 25, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 45:11-48

11 I am the Lord, the Creator,
the holy God of Israel.
Do you dare question me
about my own nation
or about what I have done?
12 I created the world
and covered it with people;
I stretched out the sky
and filled it with stars.
13 I have done the right thing
by placing Cyrus in power,
and I will make the roads easy
for him to follow.
I am the Lord All-Powerful!
Cyrus will rebuild my city
and set my people free
without being paid a thing.
I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Lord Alone Can Save

14 My people, I, the Lord, promise
that the riches of Egypt
and the treasures of Ethiopia[a]
will belong to you.
You will force into slavery
those tall people of Seba.[b]

They will bow down and say,
“The only true God is with you;
there are no other gods.”
15 People of Israel,
your God is a mystery,
though he alone can save.
16 Anyone who makes idols
will be confused
and terribly disgraced.
17 But Israel, I, the Lord,
will always keep you safe
and free from shame.

Everyone Is Invited

18 The Lord alone is God!
He created the heavens
and made a world
where people can live,
instead of creating
an empty desert.
The Lord alone is God;
there are no others.
19 The Lord did not speak
in a dark secret place
or command Jacob’s descendants
to search for him in vain.

The Lord speaks the truth,
and this is what he says
20 to every survivor
from every nation:
“Gather around me!
Learn how senseless it is
to worship wooden idols
or pray to helpless gods.

21 “Why don’t you get together
and meet me in court?
Didn’t I tell you long ago
what would happen?
I am the only God!
There are no others.
I bring about justice,
and have the power to save.

22 “I invite the whole world
to turn to me and be saved.
I alone am God!
No others are real.
23 I have made a solemn promise,
one that won’t be broken:
Everyone will bow down
and worship me.
24 They will admit that I alone
can bring about justice.
Everyone who is angry with me
will be terribly ashamed
and will turn to me.
25 I, the Lord, will give
victory and great honor
to the people of Israel.”

Babylonia’s Gods Are Helpless

The Lord said:

46 The gods Bel and Nebo[c]
are down on their knees,
as wooden images of them
are carried away
on weary animals.[d]
They are down on their knees
to rescue the heavy load,
but the images are still taken
to a foreign country.

You survivors in Israel,
listen to me, the Lord.
Since the day you were born,
I have carried you along.
I will still be the same
when you are old and gray,
and I will take care of you.
I created you. I will carry you
and always keep you safe.

Can anyone compare with me?
Is anyone my equal?
Some people hire a goldsmith
and give silver and gold
to be formed into an idol
for them to worship.
They carry the idol
on their shoulders,
then put it on a stand,
but it cannot move.

They call out to the idol
when they are in trouble,
but it doesn’t answer,
and it cannot help.
Now keep this in mind,[e]
you sinful people.
And don’t ever forget it.

The Lord Alone Is God

I alone am God!
There are no other gods;
no one is like me.
Think about what happened
many years ago.
10 From the very beginning,
I told what would happen
long before it took place.

I kept my word 11 and brought
someone from a distant land
to do what I wanted.
He attacked from the east,
like a hawk swooping down.
Now I will keep my promise
and do what I planned.

12 You people are stubborn
and far from being safe,
so listen to me.
13 I will soon come to save you.
I am not far away
and will waste no time;
I take pride in Israel
and will save Jerusalem.

Babylon Will Fall

The Lord said:

47 City of Babylon,
You are delicate
and untouched,
but that will change.
Surrender your royal power
and sit in the dirt.
Start grinding grain!
Take off your veil.
Strip off your fancy clothes
and cross over rivers.[f]
You will suffer the shame
of going naked,
because I will take revenge,
and no one can escape.[g]
I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the holy God of Israel.
I am their Savior.

Babylon, be silent!
Sit in the dark.
No longer will nations
accept you as their queen.
I was angry with my people.
So I let you take their land
and bring disgrace on them.
You showed them no mercy,
but were especially cruel
to those who were old.
You thought that you
would be queen forever.
You didn’t care what you did;
it never entered your mind
that you might get caught.

You think that you alone
are all-powerful,
that you won’t be a widow
or lose your children.
All you care about is pleasure,
but listen to what I say.
Your magic powers and charms
will suddenly fail,
then you will be a widow
and lose your children.

10 You hid behind evil
like a shield and said,
“No one can see me!”
You were fooled by your wisdom
and your knowledge;
you felt sure that you alone
were in full control.
11 But without warning,
disaster will strike—
and your magic charms
won’t help at all.

12 Keep using your magic powers
and your charms
as you have always done.
Maybe—just maybe—
you will frighten somebody!
13 You have worn yourself out,
asking for advice
from those who study the stars
and tell the future
month after month.
Go ask them how to be saved
from what will happen.
14 People who trust the stars
are as helpless
as straw
in a flaming fire.
No one can even keep warm,[h]
sitting by a fire
that feeds only on straw.
15 These are the fortunetellers
you have done business with
all of your life.
But they don’t know
where they are going,
and they can’t save you.

The Lord Corrects His People

48 People of Israel,
you come from Jacob’s family
and the tribe[i] of Judah.
You claim to worship me,
the Lord God of Israel,
but you are lying.
You call Jerusalem your home
and say you depend on me,
the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.

Long ago I announced
what was going to be,
then without warning,
I made it happen.
I knew you were stubborn
and hardheaded.
And I told you these things,
so that when they happened
you would not say,
“The idols we worship did this.”

You heard what I said,
and you have seen it happen.
Now admit that it’s true!
I will show you secrets
you have never known.
Today I am doing something new,
something you cannot say
you have heard before.
You have never been willing
to listen to what I say;
from the moment of your birth,
I knew you would rebel.

The Lord Warns Israel

I, the Lord, am true to myself;
I will be praised
for not punishing
and destroying you.
10 I tested you in hard times
just as silver is refined
in a heated furnace.[j]
11 I did this because of who I am.
I refuse to be dishonored[k]
or share my praise
with any other god.

Footnotes:

  1. 45.14 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
  2. 45.14 Seba: See the note at 43.3.
  3. 46.1 Bel and Nebo: Bel was another name for Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonians. Nebo was the son of Marduk and also an important god.
  4. 46.1 as. . . animals: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. 46.8 Now. . . mind: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  6. 47.2 Strip. . . rivers: This may be a command to get ready for work that requires wading in the river, or it may be a warning that they are going to be taken away as slaves.
  7. 47.3 escape: Or “oppose me.”
  8. 47.14 keep warm: Or “cook food.”
  9. 48.1 tribe: Hebrew “waters.”
  10. 48.10 furnace: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
  11. 48.11 I refuse to be dishonored: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Ephesians 4:1-16

Unity with Christ

As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people. We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.

Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. As the Scriptures say,

“When he went up
to the highest place,
he led away many prisoners
and gave gifts to people.”

When it says, “he went up,” it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. 10 This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe.

11 Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, 12 so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. 13 This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.[a]

14 We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. 15 Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head 16 of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

Footnotes:

  1. 4.13 and we will be completely like him: Or <<and he is completely perfect.’>

Psalm 68:19-35

19 We praise you, Lord God!
You treat us with kindness
day after day,
and you rescue us.
20 You always protect us
and save us from death.

21 Our Lord and our God,
your terrible enemies
are ready for war,[a]
but you will crush
their skulls.
22 You promised to bring them
from Bashan
and from the deepest sea.
23 Then we could stomp
on their blood,
and our dogs could chew
on their bones.

24 We have seen crowds marching
to your place of worship,
our God and King.
25 The singers come first,
and then the musicians,
surrounded by young women
playing tambourines.
26 They come shouting,
“People of Israel,
praise the Lord God!”
27 The small tribe of Benjamin
leads the way,
followed by the leaders
from Judah.
Then come the leaders
from Zebulun and Naphtali.

28 Our God, show your strength!
Show us once again.
29 Then kings will bring gifts
to your temple
in Jerusalem.[b]

30 Punish that animal
that lives in the swamp![c]
Punish that nation
whose leaders and people
are like wild bulls.
Make them come crawling
with gifts of silver.
Scatter those nations
that enjoy making war.[d]
31 Force the Egyptians to bring
gifts of bronze;
make the Ethiopians[e] hurry
to offer presents.[f]

32 Now sing praises to God!
Every kingdom on earth,
sing to the Lord!
33 Praise the one who rides
across the ancient skies;
listen as he speaks
with a mighty voice.

34 Tell about God’s power!
He is honored in Israel,
and he rules the skies.
35 The God of Israel is fearsome
in his temple,
and he makes us strong.
Let’s praise our God!

Footnotes:

  1. 68.21 are ready for war: The Hebrew text has “have long hair,” which probably refers to the ancient custom of wearing long hair on special occasions, such as a “holy war.”
  2. 68.28,29 Our God. . . Jerusalem: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verses 28,29.
  3. 68.30 animal. . . swamp: Probably Egypt.
  4. 68.30 war: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
  5. 68.31 the Ethiopians: The Hebrew text has “the people of Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
  6. 68.31 presents: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 31.

Proverbs 24:3-4

-20-

Use wisdom and understanding
to establish your home;
let good sense fill the rooms
with priceless treasures.

09/24/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 43:14-45:10, Ephesians 3:1-21, Psalms 68:1-18, Proverbs 24:1-2

Today is the 24th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you as we lock in, buckle up, move forward, take the next step in our journey through the Scriptures this year. So, we’ve been working our way through the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament and we’re in the book of Ephesians or the letter to the Ephesians in the New and now we’ve got a ways to go…I guess about another 20 chapters in the book of Isaiah, one of the longer books in the Bible. And, so, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the contemporary English version this week. Isaiah chapter 43 verse 14 through 45 verse 10.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we move our way through the letter to the Ephesians I have kind of referred to it as like this mountain road experience where we are headed to the top, and there’s all these turn offs along the long way and there’s beautiful vistas all along the path because that’s just kinda how I…I…I read Ephesians. There was this one year where I’m reading it and stopping and going, “wait a minute. What? What…what is being said here?” Just truly contemplate the level, like the bigness of some of the things that are being said. And, so, it’s always kind of been like this to me. We reach this point the Bible and it’s like, this is why this is called Good News. And if this is all true, then this is not just a life game changer, like this is a world game changer, this is a humanity game changer. And, so, in our reading today Paul’s saying like, “there was…that there’s a mystery, a mystery that God is revealing, a mystery that God has always planned to reveal and He’s revealing it now and this is the mystery: because of Jesus, the good news…well…let me just quote Paul, “because of Christ Jesus the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be a part of the same body.” Now we’ve already talked about Paul being controversial and so we could understand from a more traditional Hebrew perspective that people would be against Paul in this declaration, but the truth of…of the Christian faith is that it is vastly, vastly a Gentile form of spirituality now. That’s how things have turned out in the last couple of thousand years. And, so, what we’re reading in Ephesians is that this is the plan, that God has grafted us into the master story that He’s been telling through the Hebrew people, that He has invited us all to be a part of the same body through the Savior, through Jesus. I know that we know that but if we would slow down a second, understand that we just kind of turned off into this little parking area and we’re looking out over the journey upward that we’re taking and it’s this beautiful scene, we could understand we are so fortunate. We are so, so fortunate that God loves us and has always loved us and has always intended us to be a part of His story. What Paul’s saying is your ethnicity doesn’t matter, what boundaries you live behind, what nation you are in, whatever the ide…ideology of your culture is, you are invited through Jesus to be a part of the family of God. So, indeed, that is good news. But…buckle up because we’re about to get a cosmic view of things that we probably will need to ponder today. There’s a reason for all of this. So…so, I’m quoting Paul again, “God who created everything wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that it always been hidden in His mind. Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that He has many different kinds of wisdom. God did this according to His eternal plan. And He was able to do what he had planned because of all that Christ Jesus our Lord had done.” Okay. So, it’s good that we’re parked here at this vista instead of trying to drive because this requires us to widen our horizon and understand that there are way bigger things going on surrounding our faith. Like we try to work out our faith most the time to try…to just try to have some kind of balance in life and follow and love God and…but it’s really centered around our experience in our own consciousness, what we personally are perceiving that we are experiencing. Well, what Paul is saying is God has all kinds of wisdom and it’s being borne out in what He is doing and what He is doing is revealing this wisdom to the spiritual realms, to the unseen rulers and authorities, to beings in the heavenly places, the powers and authorities in the spiritual world. In other words, our lives and our faith and our pursuit of union with God reveals the wisdom of God beyond what we can physically, with our bodily senses, with our human flesh, perceive, that there is more going on in the spiritual realms than we may be aware of. This isn’t just about the rescue of our hearts. It is. This isn’t just about us walking with God through this world and being a light in the darkness. It is. But the revelation of God’s unlimited wisdom is being revealed in the spiritual realms because of this. Right? That’s something…that’s something to think about, that’s something to go ponder, that’s something to reread and consider, that the story is bigger than we knew or than…that we mostly paid attention to, that the weightiness of our lives is revealing the wisdom of God far beyond what we can see or perceive. And because of this, and I’m quoting again, “Christ now gives us courage and confidence so that we can come to God by faith.” In other words, the presence of God and our awareness of His presence is always available, and we can be confident and even bold about it. I mean…I know we know some of the stuff but if we slow down, like…as if we were…we were driving up a mountain road pulling off at the scenery along the way, we’d understand we are talking about really big things. And, so, as we end our short, short reading but power packed reading from the letter to the Ephesians today, Paul prays a prayer and it’s kind of Paul’s response to what he is sharing, like, “look at what is going on here, perceive this, understand who you are.” And then he prays this prayer. And, so, let me just, again, like…I’m kind of re-quoting a lot of what we already read, but let’s receive this prayer. So, Paul says, “I kneel in prayer to the Father. All beings”…and we just explored that…“all beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from Him. God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that His Spirit will make you become strong followers and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. I pray that you and all of God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep. I want you to know all about Christ’s love. Although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.”

Prayer:

Father we acknowledge that’s big news and we acknowledge that we gloss over these realities, these spiritual realities daily as we just try to deal with the chaos that’s flying at us in…in…in our senses. And yet we are being shown today that there is way more going on and way more at stake than we ever perceive or pay attention to. But the deeper that we become aware of Your love for us, the deeper that we move into a committed loving relationship with You, the deeper we fall in love with You, the more we realize that Your love is too wonderful to be measured and that we become aware that our lives are being intertwined with You as You intended. This was always the plan, that we might be filled with all that You are. And that last thing, we don’t even know…we don’t even know how to think about it or how to become aware of it, that You would permeate us, that You would surround and envelop us, that we would…that we would as Paul said, that our lives will be filled with all that God is. That this so good there are no words. And, so, Holy Spirit we invite You to well up from within as we meditate upon these things today, that they might become the way we look at things, this would be the eyes that Christ looked at the world through, this would be looking through Your eyes. And in part, that requires us to look at ourselves differently. It requires us to look at ourselves the way that You do and then that requires us to look at everyone else the way You do, even the people that we think are the problem. And, so, come Holy Spirit into this we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

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Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Nalin from Dubai it’s my first time to call in. I’ve been listening to this beautiful program for eight years and now I’m a double DABber as well this year with China. Anyway, I would like some prayer requests for myself, my boss, and my colleagues. It’s been very tough since the COVID-19 and yes, we’ve had several cuts and we’ve had many issues and ups and downs and…but now we’ve got a dictator. A new manager came and she’s so dictatorship and rude and not the family-oriented atmosphere we have. And, so, I just want us for you guys to pray for me and my colleagues, especially my boss to be strong and hang in there and just to have the faith that we do our job and we get through this and we can conquer all with God. Thank you very much.

Hi this is Susanna in North Carolina I really need some prayer. I don’t feel like this is something that supposed to be between me and God and me learning to figure it out but I’m not doing a good job at all. I don’t know exactly what to ask for. I have a pretty good lot in life and yet I easily fall back into anxiety and live out of fear. I want to get back to a consistent level of joy and peace and having enthusiasm and drive for what I do each day, being able to trust God even when I can’t see around the next bend, to be able to rest in his light yoke. It’s a __ with me and something worth doing, to be able to rest in who he made me or made me to be or who I am now and in whose I am and to be finding my identity there. I don’t know if that’s one of those weird situations where you need something to actually cry about but…because I mean He’s…He’s been there for me and been faithful and I feel like I just have this mental battleground going on. So, if He gives you anything crave to pray for is appreciated for anything comes to mind. Thank you.

Good morning DAB family this is Chris from Virginia. Can you please pray for a friend of mine, he’s like a cousin, his name is Dennis? He’s going through some major intestinal complications and most importantly he is not saved and currently has a __ negative mindset. Please pray for his salvation. Please also pray for me as I am going to make an attempt to have a salvation conversation with him and just hopefully please pray that God gives me the words to share with him the vision I see for him and his future with just complete healing and salvation through Christ. Thank you all for all that you pray for. I love you all. Thank you, Brian it’s amazing what you do for us all. God bless you. Bye.

Good morning DABbers my name is Mary this is…I am a first-time caller and I’m just calling to request prayer for my daughter. She’s been fighting cancer since 2016. She’s 25 now. She has dealt with this like a trooper. She’s lost her hair. She’s not been able to walk. She’s done everything and she just loves the Lord and spreading the word. The reason I’m calling for prayer is right now she is losing her speech. She’s having trouble talking and this has been the hardest thing for her because she loves the Lord, she loves telling the people about the Lord and right now she can’t because she can’t speak very well and that’s really…really bringing her down because she doesn’t understand. And I just…I pray…I pray that God will restore her speech and will help her to continue spreading His love. We are so grateful for everything He’s done. He’s sustained her through all of this. She’s never stopped trusting in Him. But this one’s a hard one and I’m just needing prayer. It’s hard as her mom. It’s hard as her mom to watch her go to this and I just need more prayer out there to help with her speech. Thanks.

Hi, my name is LeeAnn it’s my first time calling. I’d just like to ask for prayers for my daughter. She has severe anxiety and she’s having trouble coping with it. Just asking for your prayers for her. Thank you. Thank you all for being here for everybody that listens to this Daily Audio Bible. I have found a lot of peace and comfort here through you guys. Thank you. May God bless you all.

This is Denise from North Carolina I’ve called in before about my situation. First I want to apologize for calling about something so selfish and something so frivolous when there’s so many other people suffering worse than I am, have more things going on that’s more significant than what I’m going through but hurt is hurt, pain is pain and I pray that you would pray for me and my pain. I called in once before about being in a marriage that has no intimacy. We’re friends and we do what God tells us to do but we have no intimacy and I’m lonely in my marriage. I also admitted to the fact that I had a previous affair and I ended that because I knew it was not of God because I was lonely and just wanted attention. I really miss that person even though I’m not supposed to. And I know it’s the spirit that I miss and it’s not the person because I need that companionship and __ . I ask that you pray that God would give me what I need so I can do what’s right and so that my husband and I can live a marriage that’s supposed to be fulfilling, which it’s not right now. We’re companions, we take care of business, we raise our children, but I’m not fulfilled and I ask God to show me what He wants me to do. I try to be all about God but it’s not the same as having someone to hold you and care for you and make you feel important. So, I ask that you pray that I will continue to do what God has me to do and God will open the doors up for me and I not be selfish in this.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday September 24, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 43:14-45:10

The Lord Will Prepare the Way

14 I, the Lord, will rescue you!
I am Israel’s holy God,
and this is my promise:
For your sake, I will send
an army against Babylon
to drag its people away,
crying as they go.[a]

15 I am the Lord, your holy God,
Israel’s Creator and King.
16 I am the one who cut a path
through the mighty ocean.
17 I sent an army to chase you
with chariots and horses;
now they lie dead,
unable to move.
They are like an oil lamp
with the flame snuffed out.

Forget the Past

The Lord said:

18 Forget what happened long ago!
Don’t think about the past.
19 I am creating something new.
There it is! Do you see it?
I have put roads in deserts,
streams[b] in thirsty lands.
20 Every wild animal honors me,
even jackals[c] and owls.
I provide water in deserts—
streams in thirsty lands
for my chosen people.
21 I made them my own nation,
so they would praise me.

22 I, the Lord, said to Israel:
You have become weary,
but not from worshiping me.
23 You have not honored me
by sacrificing sheep
or other animals.
And I have not burdened you
with demands for sacrifices
or sweet-smelling incense.

24 You have not brought
delicious spices for me
or given me the best part
of your sacrificed animals.
Instead, you burden me down
with your terrible sins.
25 But I wipe away your sins
because of who I am.
And so, I will forget
the wrongs you have done.

26 Meet me in court!
State your case
and prove
that you are right.
27 Your earliest ancestor[d]
and all of your leaders[e]
rebelled against me.
28 That’s why I don’t allow
your priests to serve me;
I let Israel be destroyed
and your people disgraced.

The Lord’s Promise to Israel

44 People of Israel,
I have chosen you
as my servant.
I am your Creator.
You were in my care
even before you were born.
Israel, don’t be terrified!
You are my chosen servant,
my very favorite.[f]

I will bless the thirsty land
by sending streams of water;
I will bless your descendants
by giving them my Spirit.
They will spring up like grass[g]
or like willow trees
near flowing streams.
They will worship me
and become my people.
They will write my name
on the back of their hands.[h]

I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the first and the last,
the one and only God.
Israel, I have rescued you!
I am your King.
Can anyone compare with me?
If so, let them speak up
and tell me now.
Let them say what has happened
since I made my nation
long ago,
and let them tell
what is going to happen.[i]
Don’t tremble with fear!
Didn’t I tell you long ago?
Didn’t you hear me?
I alone am God—
no one else is a mighty rock.[j]

Idols Can’t Do a Thing

The Lord said:

Those people who make idols
are nothing themselves,
and the idols they treasure
are just as worthless.
Worshipers of idols are blind,
stupid, and foolish.
10 Why make an idol or an image
that can’t do a thing?
11 Everyone who makes idols
and all who worship them
are mere humans,
who will end up
sadly disappointed.
Let them face me in court
and be terrified.

Idols and Firewood

12 A metalworker shapes an idol
by using a hammer[k]
and heat from the fire.
In his powerful hand
he holds a hammer,
as he pounds the metal
into the proper shape.
But he gets hungry and thirsty
and loses his strength.

13 Some woodcarver measures
a piece of wood,
then draws an outline.
The idol is carefully carved
with each detail exact.
At last it looks like a person
and is placed in a temple.
14 Either cedar, cypress, oak,
or any tree from the forest
may be chosen.
Or even a pine tree planted
by the woodcarver
and watered by the rain.

15 Some of the wood is used
to make a fire for heating
or for cooking.
One piece is made into an idol,
then the woodcarver bows down
and worships it.
16 He enjoys the warm fire
and the meat that was roasted
over the burning coals.
17 Afterwards, he bows down
to worship the wooden idol.
“Protect me!” he says.
“You are my god.”

18 Those who worship idols are stupid and blind! 19 They don’t have enough sense to say to themselves, “I made a fire with half of the wood and cooked my bread and meat on it. Then I made something worthless with the other half. Why worship a block of wood?”

20 How can anyone be stupid enough to trust something that can be burned to ashes?[l] No one can save themselves like that. Don’t they realize that the idols they hold in their hands are not really gods?

The Lord Won’t Forget His People

21 People of Israel,
you are my servant,
so remember all of this.
Israel, I created you,
and you are my servant.
I won’t forget you.[m]
22 Turn back to me!
I have rescued you
and swept away your sins
as though they were clouds.

Sing Praises to the Lord

23 Tell the heavens and the earth
to start singing!
Tell the mountains
and every tree in the forest
to join in the song!
The Lord has rescued his people;
now they will worship him.

The Lord Created Everything

24 Israel, I am your Lord.
I am your source of life,
and I have rescued you.
I created everything
from the sky above
to the earth below.

25 I make liars of false prophets
and fools of fortunetellers.
I take human wisdom
and turn it into nonsense.
26 I will make the message
of my prophets come true.
They are saying, “Jerusalem
will be filled with people,
and the Lord will rebuild
the towns of Judah.”

27 I am the one who commands
the sea and its streams
to run dry.
28 I am also the one who says,
“Cyrus will lead my people
and obey my orders.
Jerusalem and the temple
will be rebuilt.”

Cyrus Obeys the Lord’s Commands

45 The Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen one:

I have taken hold
of your right hand
to help you capture nations
and remove kings from power.
City gates will open for you;
not one will stay closed.
As I lead you,
I will level mountains[n]
and break the iron bars
on bronze gates of cities.

I will give you treasures
hidden in dark
and secret places.
Then you will know that I,
the Lord God of Israel,
have called you by name.
Cyrus, you don’t even know me!
But I have called you by name
and highly honored you[o]
because of Israel,
my chosen servant.

Only I am the Lord!
There are no other gods.
I have made you strong,
though you don’t know me.
Now everyone from east to west
will learn that I am the Lord.
No other gods are real.
I create light and darkness,
happiness and sorrow.
I, the Lord, do all of this.

Tell the heavens
to send down justice
like showers of rain.
Prepare the earth
for my saving power
to sprout
and produce justice
that I, the Lord, create.[p]

The Lord’s Mighty Power

The Lord said:

Israel, you have no right
to argue with your Creator.
You are merely a clay pot
shaped by a potter.
The clay doesn’t ask,
“Why did you make me this way?
Where are the handles?”
10 Children don’t have the right
to demand of their parents,
“What have you done
to make us what we are?”

Footnotes:

  1. 43.14 crying as they go: Or “in their glorious ships.”
  2. 43.19 streams: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls “paths.”
  3. 43.20 jackals: Desert animals related to wolves, but smaller.
  4. 43.27 earliest ancestor: Jacob, also known as Israel.
  5. 43.27 leaders: Probably prophets, but perhaps also priests and kings.
  6. 44.2 my very favorite: Or “Jeshurun.”
  7. 44.4 like grass: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  8. 44.5 write. . . hands: To show that they belong to the Lord and to Israel.
  9. 44.7 Let them say. . . happen: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  10. 44.8 mighty rock: See the note at 17.10.
  11. 44.12 by using a hammer: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  12. 44.20 How. . . ashes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  13. 44.21 I won’t forget you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  14. 45.2 mountains: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “rising waves.”
  15. 45.4 But. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  16. 45.8 Prepare. . . create: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Ephesians 3

Paul’s Mission to the Gentiles

Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God’s kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. No one knew about this mystery until God’s Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises that God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body.

God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the good news. I am the least important of all God’s people. But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that cannot be measured. God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. 10 Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom.

11 God did this according to his eternal plan. And he was able to do what he had planned because of all that Christ Jesus our Lord had done. 12 Christ now gives us courage and confidence, so that we can come to God by faith. 13 That’s why you should not be discouraged when I suffer for you. After all, it will bring honor to you.

Christ’s Love for Us

14 I kneel in prayer to the Father. 15 All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from him.[a] 16 God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers 17 and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. 18 I pray that you and all of God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep.[b] 19 I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.

20-21 I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.

Footnotes:

  1. 3.15 receive their life from him: Or <<know who they really are because of him.’>
  2. 3.18 what is called wide or long or high or deep: This may refer to the heavenly Jerusalem or to God’s love or wisdom or to the meaning of the cross.

Psalm 68:1-18

(A psalm and a song by David for the music leader.)

God Will Win the Battle

68 Do something, God!
Scatter your hateful enemies.
Make them turn and run.
Scatter them like smoke!
When you come near,
make them melt
like wax in a fire.
But let your people be happy
and celebrate because of you.

Our God, you are the one
who rides on the clouds,
and we praise you.
Your name is the Lord,
and we celebrate
as we worship you.

Our God, from your sacred home
you take care of orphans
and protect widows.
You find families
for those who are lonely.
You set prisoners free
and let them prosper,[a]
but all who rebel will live
in a scorching desert.

You set your people free,
and you led them
through the desert.
God of Israel,
the earth trembled,
and rain poured down.
You alone are the God
who rules from Mount Sinai.
When your land was thirsty,
you sent showers
to refresh it.
10 Your people settled there,
and you were generous
to everyone in need.

11 You gave the command,
and a chorus of women told
what had happened:
12 “Kings and their armies
retreated and ran,
and everything they left
is now being divided.
13 And for those who stayed back
to guard the sheep,
there are metal doves
with silver-coated wings
and shiny gold feathers.”

14 God All-Powerful, you scattered
the kings
like snow falling
on Mount Zalmon.[b]

15 Our Lord and our God,
Bashan is a mighty mountain
covered with peaks.
16 Why is it jealous of Zion,
the mountain you chose
as your home forever?

17 When you, Lord God, appeared
to your people[c] at Sinai,
you came with thousands
of mighty chariots.
18 When you climbed
the high mountain,
you took prisoners with you
and were given gifts.
Your enemies didn’t want you
to live there,
but they gave you gifts.

Footnotes:

  1. 68.6 and let them prosper: Or “and give them a song.”
  2. 68.14 Mount Zalmon: The location of this mountain is not known.
  3. 68.17 to your people: Or “in all your holiness” or “in your holy place.”

Proverbs 24:1-2

-19-

24 Don’t be jealous of crooks
or want to be their friends.
All they think about
and talk about
is violence and cruelty.

09/23/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 41:17-43:13, Ephesians 2:1-22, Psalms 67:1-7, Proverbs 23:29-35

Today is the 23rd day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is a joy to be here with you today as we come around the Global Campfire together and just…well…like we say…let it go, release. Whatever the cares of this world are we can pick them up at the door when we leave if that’s what we want to do. But it’s possible, it’s just possible that as we orient ourselves to God through the Scriptures, we…we may leave this space looking at things a little bit differently and that may give us what we need to navigate. So, let’s just kind of leave it. Let’s exhale. Let’s just take a deep breath and let it go as we enter into our time in the Scriptures today. So, we’re reading from the Contemporary English Version working our way through the book of Isaiah. Today, Isaiah chapter 41 verse 17 through 43 verse 13.

Commentary:

Okay. So, I have been on top of many mountains in my life. I have…you may have too. Some of you live on top of mountains or live in mountains somewhere in the world. But if you’ve ever been to the top of a mountain, like you are actually at the summit of the mountain well then you can kind of look…like you can do a 360. Like there’s nothing above you anymore and you may be able to look 100 miles or you may be able to look way down into that city you are in, you know, so long ago before you drove up or  hiked up or whatever. You…you may be able to look far off into the mountain wilderness and see peak after peak after peak just cascading off into the distance. And to me, Ephesians is kind of like that mountain top experience in the Bible or even the journey. Like if you drive up to the top of a mountain there’s gonna be a lot of turnoffs along the way where you can kinda get a vantage point on your way to the summit and everywhere you look you’re just like, “this can’t be real, this is so beautiful. Like, this is a postcard. This is unbelievable.” And that’s kinda how Ephesians reads to me. So, like just reading from what we…what we read from the letter today, “you were saved by faith in God who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned. So, there is nothing you can brag about. God planned for us to do good things and to live as He has always wanted us to live. That’s why He sent Christ to make us what we are.” Okay. We could be like, “okay. Yup. Theologically I understand that. That's…that is kind of laying out the good news in a nice bite-size morsel” or we could slow down and understand we are on a journey and this is a vista and what’s being said here is that God wants us. Like we’re not earning our way into anything. He wants us and there’s nothing we can do to puff ourselves up like we’re super spiritual. He can see right through that obviously but so can everybody else. We haven’t earned anything. We can’t earn this. It was bestowed upon us. It’s a gift because He wants us. He planned for our lives and sent Jesus to make it possible. Okay. So, there…there’s no…there’s like little chart with stars on it for good behavior that we can earn, and if we get enough stars then we get to the next level of heaven or something or even get there at all. This is a gift. It’s something that we receive by faith, which…which basically at its essential core simply means that we believe that it’s true. We didn’t God. God found us. Like, we didn’t choose God He chose us personally. He came near and we reached out and He reached back, and we embraced, and this fantastic gift of salvation was given. We didn’t earn it and He’s not gonna take it back and nobody can take it from us. We can reject it, but it can’t be taken from us. No one can steal it from us. And since we can’t earn then we have…like there’s nothing to be puffed up about. The only thing we can rightfully be is humbled, humbled with such unbelievable undeserved kindness. So, I know that you know because we sing songs about it and you might hear it in church and might recite it, that God knows who you are, that you are His child, that He knows your name. But have you ever just like slowed down enough to think about what we are talking about. The most-high God, the Creator of all things…I mean just look around you…just look at the trees…just look around and understand that all of this was set in motion by God, the most-high God. This isn’t our planet or our nation. This is God’s creation. He owns all of it and we fight over which part of it we get to steward. This is His, He made it and we are here because He loves us. That is a lot to take in when you slow down enough to see how good the Good News is. And, so, may we…well…may we relax. Remember those cares of the world we were talking about at the beginning, like we can pick all that stuff up when we leave the Global Campfire here but what good is that gonna do? The most-high God has come for us and chosen us. Certainly, whatever we’re carrying around that’s bringing us stress and anxiety right now pales in comparison to that. The most-high God, who created the world that we live on and this place is His, He can handle whatever is we’re draggin’ around. And maybe we’re draggin’ around a bunch of stuff because we think it gives us some sort of value or some sort of identity when there is no greater identity than to be the child of the most-high God. Like that’s winning the lottery. That’s the cosmic lottery. There is nothing ever that’s going to be better than that. So, whatever’s leaning by the door that we can pick up when we leave, we need to look at it with a whole new set of eyes, eyes to see and ears to hear.

Prayer:

Father we thank You that You have chosen us, that You came to find us. We keep thinking we found God, we found Jesus…we…You came for us. You were always there. Just one day we had eyes to see and things have never been the same because we can’t unsee Your goodness. We can be blinded to it and be distracted away from it. That is the work of the world. You have called us to rise above it all and see hundreds of miles to see the grand vista peak after peak after peak of Your glory. And we will move from glory to glory because we are Your children. Come Holy Spirit and lead us into all truth. Come Holy Spirit and give us eyes to see and ears to hear. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

Announcements:

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Check out the Community section. That is a good place to find all the different links to where we are on social media. The Prayer Wall also lives there. And the Prayer Wall is a constant, always on, never off resource, a way to reach out in prayer or a way to reach out for prayer. And, so, check that out.

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And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the red button up at the top and you can begin to share from there or there are number of numbers that you can use depending on where you are. If you’re in the Americas 877-942-4253 is the number to call. If you are in the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 is the number to dial. And if you are in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to dial.

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 Smiley Gail from Canada I’m calling today to…for the first time and I’d like to lift up Terry the Trucker to You Lord. He’s lonely and he’s hurting, and he’s worried about his family, but I just pray that You would heal his granddaughter and make his home safe for him to return to. And Lord while he’s in his truck isolating, I just pray that You would meet his every need. I pray also for all the people who are in AA and Al-Anon and groups like that who are suffering during this pandemic because they can’t get together like they usually do. And I pray those who aren’t in those groups but should be, that You would lead them in. And Lord I pray for my own family members who are struggling with addictions to alcohol and other substances, that You would help them to find freedom and put them in touch with other people who would support them. And I just ask Your blessing on the woman who called in who was a special needs children worker and that you would restore her to her job in Jesus’ name I pray this. Amen.

O Lord God who thou has made the heavens and the earth by thy great power. Father Your ruling over all things and it’s Sunday and it’s Your day it’s a day of worship but Lord there’s so many…so many people suffering, so many people in fear and hurt who need You and need Your help. Thank You for the woman who reached out for the first time after listening for seven years to ask for prayer. I pray that her husband will be completely exonerated and that the relationship between him and his family and their extended family will be healed. I pray for the woman who feels like she’s being attacked from all sides that You will give her strength and that You will give her somebody to lean on. I pray for Terry the Trucker who is, I guess You could say, a full-time trucker now. I pray that You will give him courage and give him strength to bear through and bear up and to not be afraid. And I pray that the COVID symptoms and everything will pass, and his family will be clean soon so that he can be with them again. Father I pray that You will renew a right spirit in us all and a spirit of joy and trust in You. Thank You that You’re here. Thank You for this family. And it’s in Jesus’ name that I pray. Amen. This is Mark Turner from New Jersey. I love you all.

Hello from beautiful Cincinnati Ohio this is Daniel Johnson Junior how y’all doing? Thank you to everybody that prayed for me when…after I called in earlier this month…last month. The situation is still very dire for us financially…don’t know exactly how we are going to make ends meet but working out some things to get that happening. Wanted to share something that I kind of…that I was thinking about from Brian’s reading on Friday, September 18th from Galatians chapter…chapter 3 verse 23 through 29. And just to echo what Brian had said…shared the Bible is just a boo. What we do because of it, how we live because of it, that’s what matters. It reveals the extent of God’s love for us and urges us to respond to that love by committing our own styles to His ways. It got me thinking, well, you know, a marriage certificate is just a piece of paper. What we do as married couples because we’re married, how we live in marriage, that’s what matters. Yes, the wedding and may have been awesome and we got that piece of paper to show that were married but unless we live it out in our daily commitment to our spouses it means nothing. The same way, a birth certificate, yes, even a birth certificate is just a piece of paper showing that you were born. By itself it’s only that but what you do because you were born, that’s what matters. And I was reminded about what Paul writes in first Corinthians 15. He says, “by the grace” and this is NIV, “by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace to me is not without effect.” So, brothers and sisters let’s live out what we read in the Bible and what we have understood in the Bible so that God’s grace will not be without effect, that the Bible will be more than just this book that we rely on. God bless you all from beautiful Cincinnati Ohio. Make it a great day.

Hey, my precious DAB family this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel from Chicago. I want to speak to Melissa. Your husband is being wrongfully accused for molesting a family member many years ago. I want to pray for you sis, but I just want you to know I…I know this story all too well. And, so, my heart is right there with you. And, so, family let’s pray for our sister and our brother. Dear God, our Father we thank You that You all the Lord of hosts. You are the God of armies and You are in control of everything. You know our down sitting from our uprising. You know exactly what is taking place with this accusation that’s being formed against Melissa’s husband. God, will You be the judge and the jury O God on this matter and will You expose the works of Satan as he is attempting to bring down a family and a man’s life in particular. God, I pray that You would be the one to rescue our brother from this wrongful accusation. Will You allow truth to prevail. Will You allow justice to prevail. And would You allow mercy to prevail in the name of Jesus. We thank You God that You are the one that vindicates us, and we are believing that You will vindicate Melissa’s husband according to Your divine will. Will You strengthen my sister, encourage her and comfort her to know that all is well because You see all. In Jesus’ name. Be encouraged sis.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is Laura in West Palm Beach Florida. I’m calling to pray for Terry the trucker. Terry, I heard your message this morning on this 20th of September that your granddaughter has COVID. And I want to tell you Terry that I’m praying for your granddaughter for healing, for quick recovery, for no one else in the family to have any…any symptoms of this COVID as a result of her sickness and I pray that she would soon be well. I pray that you would be well while you’re waiting and quarantining yourself in your truck and Terry that you would stay well and not get this disease. I pray that your fear would be replaced with faith and I pray Father…heavenly Father that You would just protect his family. Lord I pray they would see Terry’s faith and they would be encouraged, that they would recover from the sickness as a family Father because when one person in the family hurts they all hurt and that’s how we feel about you Terry. This family is praying with you. This family is lifting you up to the Father because He didn’t bring you this far to leave you Terry. We love you.

Hi, DABbers. Hi Brian and thank you for your ministry and thank you DABbers for all your prayers. I’m sorry for my English. It is not my first language. I want to reach out for a prayer for someone I know. He needs very much help because he’s very young in faith and he has to grow a lot as a man to be able to care for the people around him and for himself and to grow towards what God has purposed for him, towards the image of the son of God. Please pray for him because my time and abilities haven’t been as good as I had hoped. Thank you all. Bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday September 23, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 41:17-43:13

The Lord Helps the Poor

17 When the poor and needy
are dying of thirst
and cannot find water,
I, the Lord God of Israel,
will come to their rescue.
I won’t forget them.
18 I will make rivers flow
on mountain peaks.
I will send streams
to fill the valleys.
Dry and barren land
will flow with springs
and become a lake.
19 I will fill the desert
with all kinds of trees—
cedars, acacias, and myrtles;
olive and cypress trees;
fir trees and pines.
20 Everyone will see this
and know that I,
the holy Lord God of Israel,
created it all.

Idols Are Useless

21 I am the Lord,
the King of Israel!
Come argue your case with me.
Present your evidence.
22 Come near me, you idols.[a]
Tell us about the past,
and we will think about it.
Tell us about the future,
so we will know
what is going to happen.
23 Prove that you are gods
by making your predictions
come true.
Do something good or evil,
so we can be amazed
and terrified.[b]
24 You idols are nothing,
and you are powerless.[c]
To worship you
would be disgusting.

25 I, the Lord, appointed a ruler
in the north;
now he comes from the east
to honor my name.
He tramples[d] kings like mud,
as potters trample clay.[e]
26 Did any of you idols predict
what would happen?
Did any of you get it right?
None of you told about this
or even spoke a word.
27 I was the first to tell
the people of Jerusalem,
“Look, it’s happening!”[f]
I was the one who announced
this good news to Zion.

28 None of these idols
are able to give advice
or answer questions.
29 They are nothing,[g]
and they can do nothing—
they are less
than a passing breeze.

The Lord’s Servant

42 Here is my servant!

I have made him strong.
He is my chosen one;
I am pleased with him.
I have given him my Spirit,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.
He won’t shout or yell
or call out in the streets.
He won’t break off a bent reed
or put out a dying flame,
but he will make sure
that justice is done.
He won’t quit or give up
until he brings justice
everywhere on earth,
and people in foreign nations
long for his teaching.

I am the Lord God.
I created the heavens
like an open tent above.
I made the earth and everything
that grows on it.
I am the source of life
for all who live on this earth,
so listen to what I say.
I chose you to bring justice,
and I am here at your side.
I selected and sent you[h]
to bring light
and my promise of hope
to the nations.
You will give sight
to the blind;
you will set prisoners free
from dark dungeons.

My name is the Lord!
I won’t let idols or humans
share my glory and praise.
Everything has happened
just as I said it would;
now I will announce
what will happen next.

Sing Praises to the Lord

10 Tell the whole world to sing
a new song to the Lord!
Tell those who sail the ocean
and those who live far away
to join in the praise.
11 Tell the tribes of the desert
and everyone in the mountains[i]
to celebrate and sing.
12 Let them announce
his praises everywhere.
13 The Lord is marching out
like an angry soldier,
shouting with all his might
while attacking his enemies.

The Lord Will Help His People

14 For a long time, I, the Lord,
have held my temper;
now I will scream and groan
like a woman giving birth.
15 I will destroy the mountains
and what grows on them;
I will dry up rivers and ponds.

16 I will lead the blind on roads
they have never known;
I will guide them on paths
they have never traveled.
Their road is dark and rough,
but I will give light
to keep them from stumbling.
This is my solemn promise.

17 Everyone who worships idols
as though they were gods
will be terribly ashamed.

God’s People Won’t Obey

18 You people are deaf and blind,
but the Lord commands you
to listen and to see.
19 No one is as blind or deaf
as his messenger,
his chosen servant,
20 who sees and hears so much,
but pays no attention.

21 The Lord always does right,
and so he wanted his Law
to be greatly praised.[j]
22 But his people were trapped
and imprisoned in holes
with no one to rescue them.
All they owned had been taken,
and no one was willing
to give it back.
23 Why won’t his people
ever learn to listen?

24 Israel sinned and refused
to obey the Lord
or follow his instructions.
So the Lord let them be robbed
of everything they owned.
25 He was furious with them
and punished their nation
with the fires of war.
Still they paid no attention.
They didn’t even care
when they were surrounded
and scorched by flames.

The Lord Has Rescued His People

43 Descendants of Jacob,
I, the Lord, created you
and formed your nation.
Israel, don’t be afraid.
I have rescued you.
I have called you by name;
now you belong to me.
When you cross deep rivers,
I will be with you,
and you won’t drown.
When you walk through fire,
you won’t be burned
or scorched by the flames.

I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
the God who saves you.
I gave up Egypt, Ethiopia,[k]
and the region of Seba[l]
in exchange for you.
To me, you are very dear,
and I love you.
That’s why I gave up nations
and people to rescue you.

Don’t be afraid! I am with you.
From both east and west
I will bring you together.
I will say to the north
and to the south,
“Free my sons and daughters!
Let them return
from distant lands.
They are my people—
I created each of them
to bring honor to me.”

The Lord Alone Is God

The Lord said:

Bring my people together.
They have eyes and ears,
but they can’t see or hear.
Tell everyone of every nation
to gather around.
None of them can honestly say,
“We told you so!”
If someone heard them say this,
then tell us about it now.

10 My people, you are my witnesses
and my chosen servant.
I want you to know me,
to trust me,
and understand
that I alone am God.
I have always been God;
there can be no others.

11 I alone am the Lord;
only I can rescue you.
12 I promised to save you,
and I kept my promise.
You are my witnesses
that no other god did this.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 I am God now and forever.
No one can snatch you from me
or stand in my way.

Footnotes:

  1. 41.22 Come near. . . idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 41.23 and terrified: Or “when we see it.”
  3. 41.24 powerless: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 41.25 tramples: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. 41.25 trample clay: This was done to soften the clay and make it easier to shape.
  6. 41.27 Look. . . happening: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. 41.29 nothing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  8. 42.6 I selected. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  9. 42.11 desert. . . mountains: The Hebrew text includes the place names of Kedar in the desert and Sela in the mountains.
  10. 42.21 greatly praised: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 21.
  11. 43.3 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
  12. 43.3 Seba: A region in southwest Arabia. Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba probably stood for all that was known of Africa in biblical times.

Ephesians 2

From Death to Life

In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God. Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.

4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.[a] This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10 God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

United by Christ

11 Don’t forget that you are Gentiles. In fact, you used to be called “uncircumcised” by those who take pride in being circumcised. 12 At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises that God had made to them. You were living in this world without hope and without God, 13 and you were far from God. But Christ offered his life’s blood as a sacrifice and brought you near God.

14 Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body 15 to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace. 16 On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace[b] between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body. 17 Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God. 18 And because of Christ, all of us can come to the Father by the same Spirit.

19 You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens with everyone else who belongs to the family of God. 20 You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone. 21 Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord. 22 And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God’s own Spirit to live.

Footnotes:

  1. 2.8 treats us much better than we deserve: The Greek word charis, traditionally rendered <<grace,>> is translated here and other places in the CEV to express the overwhelming kindness of God.
  2. 2.16 He also made peace: Or <<The cross also made peace.’>

Psalm 67

(A psalm and a song for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)

Tell the Nations To Praise God

67 Our God, be kind and bless us!
Be pleased and smile.
Then everyone on earth
will learn to follow you,
and all nations will see
your power to save us.

Make everyone praise you
and shout your praises.
Let the nations celebrate
with joyful songs,
because you judge fairly
and guide all nations.
Make everyone praise you
and shout your praises.

Our God has blessed the earth
with a wonderful harvest!
Pray for his blessings
to continue
and for everyone on earth
to worship our God.

Proverbs 23:29-35

-18-

29 Who is always in trouble?
Who argues and fights?
Who has cuts and bruises?
Whose eyes are red?
30 Everyone who stays up late,
having just one more drink.
31 Don’t even look
at that colorful stuff
bubbling up in the glass!
It goes down so easily,
32 but later it bites
like a poisonous snake.
33 You will see weird things,
and your mind
will play tricks on you.
34 You will feel tossed about
like someone trying to sleep
on a ship in a storm.
35 You will be bruised all over,
without even remembering
how it all happened.
And you will lie awake asking,
“When will morning come,
so I can drink some more?”

09/22/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 39:1-41:16, Ephesians 1:1-23, Psalms 66:1-20, Proverbs 23:25-28

Today is the 22nd day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today just like it’s great to be here with you any day, every day. And that’s what we do, every day we get together and take…take another step forward in our adventure through the Scriptures. We…our…are about…I’m thinking 75% through the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament and we will be beginning a new letter in the New Testament, the letter to the Ephesians today and we’ll talk about that when we get there. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. Isaiah chapter 39 verse 1 through 41, verse 16 today.

Introduction to the letter to the Ephesians:

Okay. So, we are entering into the letter to the Ephesians today. So, let’s just kind of talk about it for a minute and get our bearings. Ephesians…well…on a personal note, reading Ephesians, getting to this place every year is a joy because the things that are in this letter are mind boggling things. Like there are things in the letter to the Ephesians that we will read and then think about what’s being said, and then apply that to our own lives and realize that this is good news that’s almost too good to be true, like this is how good the good news actually is. And, so, it’s a joy to kind of reach this letter because it gives us these mountaintop views that are…they go on forever it seems. Just unbelievable what is true of us because of our faith in Christ. But, we’ll see that Ephesians is very different than, for example, the letter that we just read, Galatians, which leads biblical scholars to debate, and they have been debating for century’s, hotly debated out whether Paul wrote this letter or not, whether Ephesians is Pauline or is more of Paul’s school of thought or maybe even an actual school that Paul trained and taught people up and then this material came later. That’s, again though, that’s a hotly debated thing. Ephesians is one of the disputed letters of Paul in the Scriptures, has been for a long time, way before any of us who are alive today were alive. Like, it’s not a new thing. It’s very old and those who would argue in favor of Paul authoring these would just simply say like, that the way….the reason that some of the language is different, the reason some of the terminology’s different is…is just the way these letters were passed around and copied, the way that…the way that they were given. Like Paul would’ve spoken, dictated out loud to a scribe and different scribes wrote different letters. Some of them even pop up in the letters and basically go like, “hey me too…like…hey hello” when Paul is kind of closing his letters down. So…so, those scholars then would say, “it's…it’s these things. Like that…that’s what creates these nuances.” Nevertheless, this is a letter that was sent to the church in Ephesus. And Paul had spent time, about three years establishing this community. And that the time of Paul Ephesus was one of the more important cities of the Roman Empire. So again, another urban centered community of faith, mixed community, Jew and Gentile. Ephesus was a port city. So, all kinds of goods coming from all over the world and all kinds of goods going out from there. So, you can see people coming in and out of there. It was just a melting pot. Ideas were coming in. Ideas were going out. Culture was being imported in. Culture was being imported out. But Paul wasn’t writing Ephesians to combat a false teaching as we’ve witnessed in other letters or to correct some sort of a misbehavior as we’ve seen in other letters or to answer specific questions about how to live into this faith in Christ as we’ve seen in other letters. And that could be because he knew these people. He spent years among these people and…and was writing this letter to…to give…to give them a mountaintop vista, like I said before, of where their faith is headed and what this all means. There are…there are passages that we’re gonna go through in the letter to the Ephesians that we could ponder, like literally meditate upon for days, weeks, maybe even a lifetime. It’s that remarkable. And the truth is, we’ve headed through all kinds of territory recently that have allowed us to go deep inside of our hearts and explore the emotions of our hearts, especially in terms of suffering and…and to contemplate that. And, so, now as we reach the letter to the Ephesians, we get the opportunity and just gaze upon the beauty of the promise of the Good News. And, so, let’s dive in. Ephesians chapter 1.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for Your word and we thank You for…for new territory that we keep moving into. As we keep taking steps forward we come to all of the different facets of this beautiful library really that is the Bible, all of these different books, spanning millennia telling us an ancient story of who You are and leading us into relationship with You. And then we enter in and live this out. And, so, as we come into the letter to the Ephesians, we invite Your Holy Spirit to speak to us in the days ahead about how this is not only good news, this is really big news. What You began at the cross is like…we know it’s revolutionary, but it profoundly shifts everything if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. And, so, we’re asking for that as we move forward. Come Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth. Plant the words spoken today in our hearts and may they yield the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, like I say about…I don’t know…365 times every year because it is. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here. It’s how you dive into community, it’s where the Prayer Wall is, it’s where resources in the Shop are, various resources for the journey of a lifetime moving through the Bible together in a year. And it’s also the place that if…if you want, you can partner with the Daily Audio Bible and I cannot, as….as I also say many, many times, I cannot thank you enough. We literally truly wouldn’t be here if we weren’t in this together. And, so, the Global Campfire is us…it’s us doing this together, it’s this rhythm of us being in this together. And, so, if…if that is meaningful to you than thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button, it’s in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if you prefer, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement 877-942-4253 would be the phone number to call but you can also press the red button, the Hotline button in the app no matter where you are in the world and begin to share right from there.

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:

Hey this is Jared calling from Duluth Minnesota it’s Saturday, September 19th at 1 AM in the morning. Day 262 of the year, day 511 since April 26th, 2019 where God has woken me up every night and…to have my DAB time. The prayer requests today were just such a blessing to hear. Some of the old-timers of Biola from Maryland and Duane from Wisconsin. So thankful your son is gonna soon be getting out of jail. And thank you so much for praying for my kids and so many kids in the DAB family. And the new caller, Openhearted Overcome in Michigan, thanks for calling. And Joe the wife whose daughters stopped going to church and praying for Joe the protector and Tammy from Texas and Val in Vegas. Thanks for just sharing on the 15th what a tough day it was and guilt in a sense for being okay when there’s so many not okay. And for Abigail in Oregon for your baby that was a loss and your husband who is…who is grieving and for the Oregon fire’s. So many cool things happening and God I…and challenging things as well. And God I thank you for all those who’ve prayed for my kids who have two of my four kids are bipolar and I suffer with it as well. I appreciate you…your prayers during this time. It’s been kind of a rough season right now, but God is good. Thank you again for all that you’ve done. God bless. Bye.

Hi, I’d just like to pray for Abigail from Oregon. And yes, we have been praying about all those who are being affected by the fire…the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest in California. And I’d just like to pray for you now Abigail and for your family and community and friends there. Lord Jesus You are our rock and refuge. This is got to be such an unsettling unstable time and one where there these dear people don’t know for sure what will happen to their homes or their churches or their physical communities. But we look to You and I just want to pray specifically for Abigail who has lost a child and now is in danger of losing a home and church and all these different things. And I pray that they can experience Your supernatural provision and Your pouring out of Your Spirit during this time that they, despite the pain and the unsettledness and the disruption, that they experience Your perfect peace that surpasses all comprehension in the beautiful precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Good morning DAB family my name is Vincent and I am Vincent Walking in Love or at least I try to. I have one minute and 47 seconds to tell you that God must be extremely pleased with this communications, how much love and care there is from seemingly all over the world. I want to say that on the 17th, I don’t know if anyone heard, well I’m sure you did, that young lady, that little girl that sang and has the voice of an angel. You should sing again and say your name so that I could properly thank you. I wanted to tell Val in Vegas that…to keep going and God’s got you. Joe, I’m praying for your family, that they come back to you. I want to say God bless Tammy in Texas and Susan from Canada. God’s lovely flower, God’s Yellow flower, that I greatly appreciate your prayers they are truly heartfelt. And Abigail from Oregon, I feel your pain. God bless you. Pray for me family that I find love with the one that I love, miss Becky, and that God helps me to find my purpose. I’m getting too old to find out what I’m going to do when I grow up. Vincent Walking in Love. God bless.

Hello people I’m Sean and I am a sinner. I am despicable and I really, really, really can’t stand myself. And what I’m asking for is for your prayers. Our God, our Lord Jesus Christ has told me to do stuff, he’s told me to write and I’m having great difficulty with that and I just want your prayers please.

The Lord bless you and keep you
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you
I pray he gives you peace
and that all that you have will increase
that your blessings never ever cease
and that your life be one big gigantic feast
but the truth of the matter is the road is long and rough
the battles are hard and tough
your best is never enough
and Satan will always call your bluff
but I still know you can make it
I know that you can stand
the Lord will not forsake you and there’s not much he’ll demand
keep your eyes upon his promises
let your vows be firm and true
let your friends be in his service
let your strength his renew
don’t be afraid to call his name when problems are too tough
and you might have to do some fasting too when prayer just isn’t enough
but whatever problems come your way whatever storms may arise
if you stay connected to the Lord in the end you’ll win the prize
honesty and integrity are things you should possess
and if humbly you just ask for strength he’ll give you all the rest
the Lord bless you and keep you
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
I pray he gives you peace
and that all that you have will increase
may your blessings never ever cease
and your life be one big gigantic feast

blindtony1016@gmail.com I’d like to give a shout out to the little girl that sang the song. It was a wonderful song, had a lot of purity in it and I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much. And once again Brian and the Hardin family, thank you for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowin’ y’all. All right. Bye-bye.

Hey family it’s Jesse from Washington. I need some more prayers. Looks like gonna be going to court and it’s looking like it’s going to get super ugly and I just…first praise report that I’ve felt all your prayers and all the negative stuff that’s been happening over the last week, it’s just multiple just nightmare situations and, you know, in…in it I felt, you know, I felt peace simultaneously with just the fear and shame and anger and every…every negative emotion a person can have, you know, in these situations and it’s…it’s…it’s been all of them. So, God’s there, I know you guys are there. And I thank you for just…your love and your prayers and just pray for accountability, I pray for the truth to come out. You know it’s gonna come out for me too, so I’m prepared no matter what happens. I know God’s got me. I pray for repentance for me, true repentance for forgiveness for my…for my sins. You know on both sides I hope we can work that out. I hope that, you know, a guardian ad Litem is, you know, assigned that they have, you know, eyes and ears and hearts to hear and see the truth and I’m just ready, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, you know and I know that no matter what happens God has me and I’m prepared, I’m prepared for whatever he has for me because I know no matter what it’s going to be okay even worse case scenario I know it’s going to be okay and I know he has me because he’s been here every second with me through this. So, I love you. Thank you, family.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday September 22, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 39:1-41:16

Isaiah Speaks the Lord’s Message to Hezekiah

39 Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan, was now king of Babylonia. And when he learned that Hezekiah was well, he sent messengers with letters and a gift for him. Hezekiah welcomed the messengers and showed them all the silver, the gold, the spices, and the fine oils that were in his storehouse. He even showed them where he kept his weapons. Nothing in his palace or in his entire kingdom was kept hidden from them.

I asked Hezekiah, “Where did these men come from? What did they want?”

“They came all the way from Babylonia,” Hezekiah answered.

“What did you show them?” I asked.

Hezekiah answered, “I showed them everything in my kingdom.”

Then I told Hezekiah:

I have a message for you from the Lord All-Powerful. One day everything you and your ancestors have stored up will be taken to Babylonia. The Lord has promised that nothing will be left. Some of your own sons will be taken to Babylonia, where they will be disgraced and made to serve in the king’s palace.

Hezekiah thought, “At least our nation will be at peace for a while.” So he told me, “The message you brought from the Lord is good.”

Encourage God’s People

40 Our God has said:

“Encourage my people!
Give them comfort.
Speak kindly to Jerusalem
and announce:
Your slavery is past;
your punishment is over.
I, the Lord, made you pay
double for your sins.”

Someone is shouting:
“Clear a path in the desert!
Make a straight road
for the Lord our God.
Fill in the valleys;
flatten every hill
and mountain.
Level the rough
and rugged ground.
Then the glory of the Lord
will appear for all to see.
The Lord has promised this!”

Someone told me to shout,
and I asked,
“What should I shout?”
We humans are merely grass,
and we last no longer
than wild flowers.
At the Lord’s command,
flowers and grass disappear,
and so do we.
Flowers and grass fade away,
but what our God has said
will never change.

Your God Is Here!

There is good news
for the city of Zion.
Shout it as loud as you can[a]
from the highest mountain.
Don’t be afraid to shout
to the towns of Judah,
“Your God is here!”
10 Look! The powerful Lord God
is coming
to rule
with his mighty arm.
He brings with him
what he has taken in war,
and he rewards his people.
11 The Lord cares for his nation,
just as shepherds care
for their flocks.
He carries the lambs
in his arms,
while gently leading
the mother sheep.

Who Compares with God?

12 Did any of you measure
the ocean by yourself
or stretch out the sky
with your own hands?
Did you put the soil
of the earth in a bucket
or weigh the hills and mountains
on balance scales?

13 Has anyone told the Lord[b]
what he must do
or given him advice?
14 Did the Lord ask anyone
to teach him wisdom
and justice?
Who gave him knowledge
and understanding?
15 To the Lord, all nations
are merely a drop in a bucket
or dust on balance scales;
all of the islands
are but a handful of sand.
16 The cattle
on Lebanon’s mountains
would not be enough
to offer
as a sacrifice to God,
and the trees would not
be enough for the fire.
17 God thinks of the nations
as far less than nothing.

18 Who compares with God?
Is anything like him?
19 Is an idol at all like God?
It is made of bronze
with a thin layer of gold,
and decorated with silver.
20 Or special wood may be chosen[c]
because it doesn’t rot—
then skilled hands
take care to make an idol
that won’t fall on its face.

God Rules the Whole Earth

21 Don’t you know?
Haven’t you heard?
Isn’t it clear that God
created the world?[d]
22 God is the one who rules
the whole earth,
and we that live here
are merely insects.
He spread out the heavens
like a curtain or an open tent.

23 God brings down rulers
and turns them into nothing.
24 They are like flowers
freshly sprung up
and starting to grow.
But when God blows on them,
they wilt
and are carried off
like straw in a storm.

25 The holy God asks,
“Who compares with me?
Is anyone my equal?”

26 Look at the evening sky!
Who created the stars?
Who gave them each a name?
Who leads them like an army?
The Lord is so powerful
that none of the stars
are ever missing.

The Lord Gives Strength

27 You people of Israel, say,
“God pays no attention to us!
He doesn’t care if we
are treated unjustly.”

But how can you say that?
28 Don’t you know?
Haven’t you heard?
The Lord is the eternal God,
Creator of the earth.
He never gets weary or tired;
his wisdom cannot be measured.

29 The Lord gives strength
to those who are weary.
30 Even young people get tired,
then stumble and fall.
31 But those who trust the Lord
will find new strength.
They will be strong like eagles
soaring upward on wings;
they will walk and run
without getting tired.

The Lord Controls Human Events

41 Be silent and listen,
every island in the sea.
Have courage and come near,
every one of you nations.
Let’s settle this matter!
Who appointed this ruler
from the east?[e]
Who puts nations and kings
in his power?[f]
His sword and his arrows
turn them to dust
blown by the wind.
He goes after them so quickly
that his feet
barely touch the ground—
he doesn’t even get hurt.

Who makes these things happen?
Who controls human events?
I do! I am the Lord.
I was there at the beginning;
I will be there at the end.
Islands and foreign nations
saw what I did
and trembled
as they came near.

What Can Idols Do?

Worshipers of idols
comfort each other,
saying, “Don’t worry!”
Woodcarvers, goldsmiths,
and other workers[g]
encourage one another and say,
“We’ve done a great job!”
Then they nail the idol down,
so it won’t fall over.

The Lord’s Chosen Servant

Israel, you are my servant.
I chose you,
the family
of my friend Abraham.
From far across the earth
I brought you here and said,
“You are my chosen servant.
I haven’t forgotten you.”

10 Don’t be afraid. I am with you.
Don’t tremble with fear.
I am your God.
I will make you strong,
as I protect you with my arm
and give you victories.
11 Everyone who hates you
will be terribly disgraced;
those who attack
will vanish into thin air.
12 You will look around
for those brutal enemies,
but you won’t find them
because they will be gone.

13 I am the Lord your God.
I am holding your hand,
so don’t be afraid.
I am here to help you.

14 People of Israel, don’t worry,
though others may say,
“Israel is only a worm!”
I am the holy God of Israel,
who saves and protects you.
15 I will let you be like a log
covered with sharp spikes.[h]
You will grind and crush
every mountain and hill[i]
until they turn to dust.
16 A strong wind will scatter them
in all directions.
Then you will celebrate
and praise me, your Lord,
the holy God of Israel.

Footnotes:

  1. 40.9 There. . . can: Or “City of Jerusalem, you have good news. Shout it as loud as you can.”
  2. 40.13 the Lord: Or “the Lord’s Spirit.”
  3. 40.20 Or. . . chosen: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Two kinds of idols seem to be described: bronze idols covered with gold (verse 19) and wooden idols (verse 20).
  4. 40.21 Isn’t. . . world: Or “Hasn’t it been clear since the time of creation?”
  5. 41.2 ruler from the east: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1; 48.14).
  6. 41.2 Who puts. . . power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. 41.7 and other workers: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  8. 41.15 I will let. . . sharp spikes: In ancient times a heavy object was sometimes dragged over wheat or barley to separate the grain from the husk. This was called threshing.
  9. 41.15 mountain and hill: These stand for the power and pride of Israel’s enemies.

Ephesians 1

From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

To God’s people who live in Ephesus and[a] are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

Christ Brings Spiritual Blessings

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. God was kind[b] and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.

7-8 Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding, and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways. 10 Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.

11 God always does what he plans, and that’s why he appointed Christ to choose us. 12 He did this so that we Jews would bring honor to him and be the first ones to have hope because of him. 13 Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God. 14 The Spirit also makes us sure that we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised.

Paul’s Prayer

15 I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 16 So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. 18 My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.

19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side[c] in heaven. 21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.[d]

Footnotes:

  1. 1.1 live in Ephesus and: Some manuscripts do not have these words.
  2. 1.4,5 holy and innocent and loving people. God was kind: Or <<holy and innocent people. God was loving and kind.’>
  3. 1.20 right side: The place of power and honor.
  4. 1.23 and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything: Or <<which completely fills Christ and fully completes his work.’>

Psalm 66

(A song and a psalm for the music leader.)

Shout Praises to God

66 Tell everyone on this earth
to shout praises to God!
Sing about his glorious name.
Honor him with praises.
Say to God, “Everything you do
is fearsome,
and your mighty power makes
your enemies come crawling.
You are worshiped by everyone!
We all sing praises to you.”

Come and see the fearsome things
our God has done!
When God made the sea dry up,
our people walked across,
and because of him,
we celebrated there.
His mighty power rules forever,
and nothing the nations do
can be hidden from him.
So don’t turn against God.

All of you people,
come praise our God!
Let his praises be heard.
God protects us from death
and keeps us steady.

10 Our God, you tested us,
just as silver is tested.
11 You trapped us in a net
and gave us heavy burdens.
12 You sent war chariots
to crush our skulls.
We traveled through fire
and through floods,
but you brought us
to a land of plenty.

13 I will bring sacrifices
into your house, my God,
and I will do what I promised
14 when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice my best sheep
and offer bulls and goats
on your altar.

16 All who worship God,
come here and listen;
I will tell you everything
God has done for me.
17 I prayed to the Lord,
and I praised him.
18 If my thoughts had been sinful,
he would have refused
to hear me.
19 But God did listen
and answered my prayer.
20 Let’s praise God!
He listened when I prayed,
and he is always kind.

Proverbs 23:25-28

25 Make your parents proud,
especially your mother.

-17-

26 My son, pay close attention,
and gladly follow
my example.
27 Bad women and unfaithful wives
are like a deep pit—
28 they are waiting to attack you
like a gang of robbers
with victim after victim.

09/21/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 37:1-38:22, Galatians 6:1-18, Psalms 65:1-13, Proverbs 23:24

Today is the 21st day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today. It’s great to be here with you any day and every day as we take steps forward. That’s all we…that’s all we do. We step forward every single day and we are always moving forward in our lives and in the Scriptures. And, so, let’s move forward. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. Isaiah chapters 37 and 38.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we concluded the letter to the Galatians today, which means we’ll be moving into some new territory tomorrow. And Paul’s kinda been landing this plane, this letter to the Galatians basically by outlining some paths, especially in yesterday’s reading when…when we came to be the fruit of the Spirit which is a famous passage…passage of Scripture. And Paul is contrasting the fruit of the Spirit as one pathway, a pathway that leads to eternal life. He contrasts that with other choices, with another path that we can choose, a path that leads to destruction. And he ends up saying, “look…the fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy peace, long-suffering, kindness, gentleness, like there are no laws anywhere that would forbid you from the fruit of the Spirit. Like doesn’t matter what kind of rule you live under, nothing is gonna outlaw the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Like, where do you find a law against kindness or perseverance or long-suffering or patience?” And, so, in today’s reading, as we…as we conclude the letter, Paul’s saying like, “here…here’s the posture, here’s where you should center yourself.” And I just…I guess…let me just read this section. Let me just quote Paul rather than try to put it in other words it’s very clear. “You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand. And if you think you are better than others when you really aren’t, your wrong. Do your own work well and then you’ll have something to be proud of but don’t compare yourself with others. We each must carry our own load. And share every good thing you have with anyone who teaches you what God has said. You can’t fool God. So, don’t make a fool out of yourself. You’re going to harvest what you plany. If you follow your selfish desires, you’re gonna harvest destruction, but if you follow the spirit then you’re gonna harvest eternal life. So, don’t get tired of helping others. You’ll be rewarded when the time is right if you don’t give up”, right? It’s a…it’s a theme of endurance that becomes more and more and more hard to get away from the further and further and further we go into the New Testament. And then he says, “we should help people whenever we can, especially if they’re followers of the Lord.” Okay. So, the beauty of some of the…some of the writing style Paul is that we’ll get these concise kinds of paragraphs or sentences or…that we can almost even make a list and go, “okay. how much of this describes me? Like is what he…did…did what he say here in Galatians have…does it resemble me? Like, do I believe I’m obeying the law of Christ when I help…when I give a helping hand? And do I think I’m better than somebody else or am I always lost in comparison? So, this gives us some things to consider and meditate upon today. But probably primarily, one of the things that we should meditate as we leave Galatians behind for this…this year is the fact that the law of sowing and reaping shows up here. Like what you plant is what you get. It’s a natural law that we all accept, right? If you throw corn out on your field, then you do not expect pole beans. You expect corn. If you’re going to pick some fruit and you come to an apple tree then you do not expect strawberries, you expect to yield what was planted. And we just sort of get disconnected with the fact that that is a spiritual law as well. That is the truth of our lives. We are living the harvest that we planted. Our lives are as they are because of what we planted previously. And, so, in so many ways what Paul is trying to encourage any he encourages in this direction in many letters,  “like what if you started planting the fruit of the Spirit and didn’t stop that so that season after season after season this is what you were reaping. This is going to lead you to the harvest of eternal life but if you’re gonna plant the fruit of the spirit, like this row over here is for the fruit of the Spirit…this little section of my life I’m gonna plant through the fruit of the Spirit of here, but the rest of the field of my heart, it’s going to be a mixture of things.” Well then, that’s what you are going to harvest. And, so, what if we did plant the fruit of the Spirit systematically over and over, season after season after season? Then the truth is we would always be harvesting the fruit of the Spirit. We would have left over to give away, which is the point. It would be bursting out of us into the world. We would have a pantry full of canned fruit of the Spirit that we can go get any time…like we would be abundantly immersed in the fruit of the Spirit. That’s available. That’s the thing of it. That’s available. It just depends on what we’re…what we’re gonna plant. And the choice is ours.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, well up from within us, make us aware of Your presence in our lives. We become aware of the shape of our lives. We look out across the fields of our heart and we see what’s growing there and we may have some work to do. And we can’t do that work on our own. We need You. And, so, as harvests come and go, as harvests come that we didn’t want. And as they go when it’s time to plant again in their place, we plant the fruit of the Spirit, which means we’re gonna have to live according to this. And, so, make us aware, make us present to what we are putting into the soil of our hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus. 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 DAB family this is D also known as A New Day in Florida and I had called in at the end of August feeling really lonely. Have lost my husband four years ago and my mom three years ago. Don’t have children and it’s just been really difficult. And I listened to the Community Prayer and I heard a woman mention me. She did not give her name, but she definitely understood that I did not stumble onto this and I’m so grateful for this app and for Brian and the Hardin family. And thinking of Mike from Missouri who also mentioned me and praying for me. There’s a particular backdrop to the story that I didn’t give the day that I called to pray, and I hope I can finish it before the two minutes. But I’m a September 11th responder and my husband was a responder and we came here so that he could heal up and he actually was killed here in Florida and a motorcycle accident. So, that’s kind of the backdrop. And I think all the loneliness I was feeling is because it was leading up to September 11th. And I also want to thank a woman who took the time to mention September 11th and pray for those who were affected. I didn’t get her name, but she was on the Community Prayer podcast as well. Okay, my time is running out and thank you guys so much. I love you.

Hello, my dear Daily Audio Bible family missionary in Mexico. I had been missing you. Oh, my goodness it’s good to be back and hearing the community prayers and catching up. So good to be caught up again with the Bible reading. My husband has been doing a lot of ministry flights just like Margot’s husband, my husband too is a missionary pilot. And anyway, yeah, so he was gone and I was kind of holding down the fort and very busy with our family and home schooling and all the stuff going on. But oh my goodness it’s so good to hear all your voices and I’m not gonna even try because there’s so many of you I just go, “it’s so good to hear his voice, her voice” and I love you all very much. I’m calling in today because a coworker of ours, a wonderful lady named Barbara has a tumor and she has been a huge blessing to so many different people in so many different countries. She’s worked in Columbia, in the Philippines, here in Mexico, and…well…before she became a missionary, in Australia. She’s just kind of been everywhere and knows everyone. She’s one of those kinds of people. She was our daughters, our oldest daughter’s kindergarten teacher way back when she…when our daughter was in kindergarten. She is going to be going in for surgery and we’re just really playing that she can use the surgery that uses the gamma knife, which is a much less invasive surgery rather than doing the more invasive surgery that might end up messing with her nerves in her mouth and her cheek and stuff. So, please be praying for Barb. But we love her so much. She is a blessing here. She’s one of our…she’s a neighbor of ours here. We live in a community outside of town and…and she just loves everybody, and everybody loves her and she has helped so many people come to know Jesus. And, so, I appreciate your prayers family. Thanks.

Hi beloved DAB this is God’s Life Speaker. And for someone who always wants to be speaking life words because I believe them, and their God’s words, and He calls us to hire places I feel like I need your prayer. I have called in before for our 20-year-old son. I don’t even know where to begin. He’s… he…he is lonely. He is depressed. He’s everything negative and everything of the opposite that I would desire him to be, right? And I know God doesn’t desire him to be the way that he is choosing right now. And he talks about just wanting to be dead though I’ve asked him directly if has plans to hurt himself because when he was a teenager, he did threaten to kill himself. And that was a hard time, but we got through that by God’s grace, but now he’s away at school. Even though he’s only a little bit from our house, he stays there and he’s just in this deep place. And I ask him if…if he’s inviting God into this place. And he practices a different religion than us. And we believe the Bible and he believes the Bible plus all these other documents. And I just feel that his head is full of knowledge and I want this relationship with God to occur, to lean on Him. And all I can do is pray. And all I can ask is for your prayers. And I will continue to speak life into my son believing that God will bring this family back under one roof so that we can worship him together in the house of God. So, I just ask for your prayers. My son’s name is Joshua. Thank you, DABbers. I’m praying for all of you. I love you.

Hello DAB family or maybe I should say greetings to the DAB nation. You are a holy people, a royal priesthood, a people set apart. This is Louise from Arkansas. I called about a month and half ago to ask for prayers for my son Peter Thank you so much for the people that prayed. It meant so much to me and hear somebody else pray for my son other than me. But today I’m…and I wish I had a wonderful testimony about great things that God had done in his life but so far as I know everything remains the same. So, today I’m calling about my daughter Melody. She’s going to be 35 on the 20th. I figured a good way to celebrate was to call and ask for prayers since I can’t really celebrate with her. Please pray she will turn her car heart back to Jesus. Once she walked to God but life has been hard and she has turned her back on God. Thank you for your prayers.

Good morning DABers this is __ from Juba in South Sudan. I’m…I’m basically calling to ask for prayer because for the first time I am traveling from Juba for the first time this year, traveling from Juba to Nigeria. I will be in Nigeria for about a month and a half before coming back to work. I need your prayer for travel mercies and for continued protection from the coronavirus and also that whatever the reason I have to travel to Nigeria that God will continue to use me for His glory there, that I will continue to make impact for the kingdom of God when I get to Nigeria. The airspace is just opened and making it possible for me to be able to travel. So, thank you once again and thank you for being there. Thank you, Brian and Jill and China and Ben and Simon and Ezekiel, all that is behind DAB. May God bless you. May God keep you. May God strengthen all of you. May God meet you at the points of you need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hello DAB family it’s Tim from Edinburgh in Scotland in the UK. I phoned a couple weeks ago for prayer about some eye surgery for a detached retina. I’ve been really calm and…post-surgery…just resting in Jesus. And as I said to some folks, we needn’t pray for physical healing or the job offer or the lost nc-nak to be found but sometimes we just need to pray and to hear Jesus say, “it’s okay. I’ve got this. I’ve got you. Your safe. Rest easy.” So I’ve been resting easy and today, which is the 18th of September I was heading into the eye hospital for the follow-up appointment and I just had time to listen to DAB and a verse from Scripture which just leapt out at me was Isaiah 29:18, “eyes of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.” So, I went in for my appointment and the consultant was very happy. My vision is just wonderful. I can still drive. I can still cycle. I can still work. So, thank you for your prayers and most of all, Jesus, thank You for Your love and healing. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday September 21, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 37-38

Hezekiah Asks Isaiah for Advice

37 As soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went into the temple of the Lord. He told Prime Minister Eliakim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebna, and the senior priests to dress in sackcloth and tell me:

Isaiah, these are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it’s time for her baby to be born. Please pray for those of us who are left alive. The king of Assyria sent his army commander to insult the living God. Perhaps the Lord heard what he said and will do something, if you will pray.

When these leaders came to me, I told them that the Lord had this message for Hezekiah:

I am the Lord. Don’t worry about the insulting things that have been said about me by these messengers from the king of Assyria. I will upset him with rumors about what’s happening in his own country. He will go back, and there I will make him die a violent death.

Meanwhile the commander of the Assyrian forces heard that his king had left the town of Lachish and was now attacking Libnah. So he went there.

About this same time, the king of Assyria learned that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia[a] was on his way to attack him. Then the king of Assyria sent some messengers with this note for Hezekiah:

10 Don’t trust your God or be fooled by his promise to defend Jerusalem against me. 11 You have heard how we Assyrian kings have completely wiped out other nations. What makes you feel so safe? 12 The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and everyone from Eden who lived in Telassar. What good did their gods do them? 13 The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared.

Hezekiah Prays

14 After Hezekiah had read the note from the king of Assyria, he took it to the temple and spread it out for the Lord to see. 15 Then he prayed:

16 Lord God All-Powerful of Israel, your throne is above the winged creatures.[b] You created the heavens and the earth, and you alone rule the kingdoms of this world. 17 Just look and see how Sennacherib has insulted you, the living God.

18 It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts. 19 They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped. 20 But you are our Lord and our God! We ask you to keep us safe from the Assyrian king. Then everyone in every kingdom on earth will know that you are the only Lord.

Isaiah Gives the Lord’s Answer to Hezekiah

21-22 I went to Hezekiah and told him that the Lord God of Israel had said:

Hezekiah, you prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria.[c] Now this is what I say to that king:

The people of Jerusalem
hate and make fun of you;
they laugh behind your back.

23 Sennacherib, you cursed,
shouted, and sneered at me,
the holy God of Israel.
24 You let your officials
insult me, the Lord.
And here is what you
have said about yourself,
“I led my chariots
to the highest heights
of Lebanon’s mountains.
I went deep into its forest,
cutting down the best cedar
and cypress trees.
25 I dried up every stream
in the land of Egypt,
and I drank water
from wells I had dug.”

26 Sennacherib, now listen
to me, the Lord.
I planned all of this long ago.
And you don’t even know
that I alone am the one
who decided that you
would do these things.
I let you make ruins
of fortified cities.
27 Their people became weak,
terribly confused.
They were like wild flowers
or like tender young grass
growing on a flat roof
or like a field of grain
before it matures.[d]

28 I know all about you,
even how fiercely angry
you are with me.
29 I have seen your pride
and the tremendous hatred
you have for me.
Now I will put a hook
in your nose,
a bit in your mouth,[e]
then I will send you back
to where you came from.

30 Hezekiah, I will tell you what’s going to happen. This year you will eat crops that grow on their own, and the next year you will eat whatever springs up where those crops grew. But the third year, you will plant grain and vineyards, and you will eat what you harvest. 31 Those who survive in Judah will be like a vine that puts down deep roots and bears fruit. 32 I, the Lord All-Powerful, will see to it that some who live in Jerusalem will survive.

33 I promise that the king of Assyria won’t get into Jerusalem, or shoot an arrow into the city, or even surround it and prepare to attack. 34 As surely as I am the Lord, he will return by the way he came and will never enter Jerusalem. 35 I will protect it for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.

The Death of King Sennacherib

36 The Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed one hundred eighty-five thousand of them all in one night. The next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. 37 After this, King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. 38 One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king.[f]

Hezekiah Gets Sick and Almost Dies

38 About this time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. So I went in and told him, “The Lord says you won’t ever get well. You are going to die, and so you had better start doing what needs to be done.”

Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed, “Don’t forget that I have been faithful to you, Lord. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right.” After this, he cried hard.

Then the Lord sent me with this message for Hezekiah:

I am the Lord God, who was worshiped by your ancestor David. I heard you pray, and I saw you cry. I will let you live fifteen years more, while I protect you and your city from the king of Assyria.

Now I will prove to you that I will keep my promise. Do you see the shadow made by the setting sun on the stairway built for King Ahaz? I will make the shadow go back ten steps.

Then the shadow went back ten steps.[g]

King Hezekiah’s Song of Praise

This is what Hezekiah wrote after he got well:

10 I thought I would die
during my best years
and stay as a prisoner forever
in the world of the dead.
11 I thought I would never again
see you, my Lord,
or any of the people
who live on this earth.
12 My life was taken from me
like the tent that a shepherd
pulls up and moves.
You cut me off like thread
from a weaver’s loom;
you make a wreck of me
day and night.

13 Until morning came, I thought
you would crush my bones
just like a hungry lion;
both night and day
you make a wreck of me.[h]
14 I cry like a swallow;
I mourn like a dove.
My eyes are red
from looking to you, Lord.
I am terribly abused.
Please come and help me.[i]
15 There’s nothing I can say
in answer to you,
since you are the one
who has done this to me.[j]
My life has turned sour;
I will limp until I die.

16 Your words and your deeds
bring life to everyone,
including me.[k]
Please make me healthy
and strong again.
17 It was for my own good
that I had such hard times.
But your love protected me
from doom in the deep pit,[l]
and you turned your eyes
away from my sins.

18 No one in the world of the dead
can thank you
or praise you;
none of those in the deep pit
can hope for you
to show them
how faithful you are.
19 Only the living can thank you,
as I am doing today.
Each generation tells the next
about your faithfulness.[m]

20 You, Lord, will save me,
and every day that we live
we will sing in your temple
to the music
of stringed instruments.

Isaiah’s Advice to Hezekiah

21 I had told King Hezekiah’s servants to put some mashed figs on the king’s open sore, and he would get well. 22 Then Hezekiah asked for proof that he would again worship in the Lord’s temple.

Footnotes:

  1. 37.9 Ethiopia: See the note at 11.11.
  2. 37.16 winged creatures: Two winged creatures made of gold were on the top of the sacred chest and were symbols of the Lord’s throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18; 2 Samuel 6.2).
  3. 37.21,22 Hezekiah, you prayed. . . Assyria: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 37.27 tender young grass. . . matures: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and some Hebrew manuscripts “tender young grass, growing on a flat roof and scorched by the heat.” Many of the houses had roofs made of packed earth. Grass would sometimes grow on the roof, but would die quickly because of the sun and hot winds.
  5. 37.29 I will put. . . your mouth: This is how the Assyrians treated their prisoners, and now the Lord will treat Sennacherib the same way.
  6. 37.38 Esarhaddon became king: He ruled Assyria 681-669 B.C.
  7. 38.8 steps: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
  8. 38.13 of me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
  9. 38.14 help me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
  10. 38.15 There’s. . . me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  11. 38.16 Your. . . me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  12. 38.17 deep pit: The world of the dead, as in verse 18.
  13. 38.19 about your faithfulness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Galatians 6

Help Each Other

My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don’t be tempted yourself. You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.

If you think you are better than others, when you really aren’t, you are wrong. Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others. We each must carry our own load.

Share every good thing you have with anyone who teaches you what God has said.

You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. 10 We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.

Final Warnings

11 You can see what big letters I make when I write with my own hand.

12 Those people who are telling you to get circumcised are only trying to show how important they are. And they don’t want to get into trouble for preaching about the cross of Christ. 13 They are circumcised, but they don’t obey the Law of Moses. All they want is to brag about having you circumcised. 14 But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.

15 It doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person.

16 If you follow this rule, you will belong to God’s true people. God will treat you with undeserved kindness and will bless you with peace.

17 On my own body are scars that prove I belong to Christ Jesus. So I don’t want anyone to bother me anymore.

18 My friends, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you! Amen.

Psalm 65

(A psalm by David and a song for the music leader.)

God Answers Prayer

65 Our God, you deserve[a] praise
in Zion,
where we keep
our promises to you.
Everyone will come to you
because you answer prayer.
Our terrible sins get us down,
but you forgive us.
You bless your chosen ones,
and you invite them
to live near you
in your temple.
We will enjoy your house,
the sacred temple.

Our God, you save us,
and your fearsome deeds
answer our prayers for justice!
You give hope to people
everywhere on earth,
even those across the sea.
You are strong,
and your mighty power
put the mountains in place.
You silence the roaring waves
and the noisy shouts
of the nations.
People far away marvel
at your fearsome deeds,
and all who live under the sun
celebrate and sing
because of you.

You take care of the earth
and send rain
to help the soil
grow all kinds of crops.
Your rivers never run dry,
and you prepare the earth
to produce much grain.
10 You water all of its fields
and level the lumpy ground.
You send showers of rain
to soften the soil
and help the plants sprout.
11 Wherever your footsteps
touch the earth,
a rich harvest is gathered.
12 Desert pastures blossom,
and mountains celebrate.
13 Meadows are filled
with sheep and goats;
valleys overflow with grain
and echo with joyful songs.

Footnotes:

  1. 65.1 deserve: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Proverbs 23:24

24 Make your father truly happy
by living right
and showing
sound judgment.