12/28/2021 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 12:1-13:9, Revelation 19:1-21, Psalms 147:1-20, Proverbs 31:1-7

Today is the 28th day of December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we continue our journey through the final week of the year and the final days together on this journey through the Scriptures. I’m starting to feel it now. There’s always just a little lump that starts to bubble up inside my heart like we’re reaching the end of another journey. And it's…we’re…I mean there isn’t a day off…like once it’s January 1st we…just starts again, the journey. It doesn’t end but I’m, starting to feel…feel that, right? It…it as goes with this week in between Christmas and New Year’s when we start thinking about what the next year’s gonna look like and how to finish this one well. And, so, I’m thinking about those things as you probably are too. But we do have several steps in front of us before we reach the conclusion and a new beginning. And, so, let’s dive in. We are reading from the English Standard Version this week. Zechariah chapters 12 and 13 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, there are a couple of verses in the Psalms in our reading from Psalms today that every time I come to them for one reason or another, they stop me, especially this time of the year. So, let me just quote from Psalms. “His delight”, speaking of God, “His delight is not in the strength of the horse nor His pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, and those who hope in His steadfast love.” And, so, what we see here is that God isn’t so impressed with your strength, It’s not what you’re capable of. It’s not in what you’re capable…capable of dominating. What is your strength compared to the Lord of Heaven’s armies, the Creator of all? What strength or activity could we do that would be impressive to Him? And yet in a way that’s answered. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, and those who hope in His steadfast love.” So, it’s those who actually find themselves utterly dependent upon God, fully engaged and trusting in Him. The Lord takes pleasure in people who hope in His steadfast love, His unwavering, immovable, unchangeable love. Those who hope in that bring pleasure to the Lord. The reason that stops me is I want to be that guy. And in my own strength, which is just like everybody else, we have our old worn habits and we may know better, but there’s often times that we’re like, I don’t care that I know better I’m gonna say this, I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna act this way. But it becomes stark when you realize this brings no pleasure to the Lord. There’s nothing good that can come from this. Now let’s think about the resolutions we’re beginning to form. Maybe we’ve written a couple down now. Maybe we’ve made a few phone calls. Maybe we’ve renewed some things. Maybe…maybe we’re on our way or maybe we’re just starting to think about it, but most everybody, not everybody, but most everybody comes to certain conclusions as they go into a new year about things they would like to not repeat and things that they would like to improve. And some people get very very serious and meticulous about it and actually achieve those goals, and other people just kinda walk into the new year with the idea of making some changes. But no matter what those changes might be normally they are about making our existence a better thing, right, our experience of life a better thing, which is not a bad thing. But if our resolutions are purely and entirely self-focused, even if one of our resolutions is to read the Bible or one of our resolutions is to walk more closely with God, so often that feels like if we would do that our life would be better. So, it’s not typical that we think of how we’re going to improve someone else’s life as a resolution and we rarely think how we would bring the Lord pleasure in the new year as a goal, as a resolution. And, so, that immediately lets us look okay, maybe I am a little self-focused here. Maybe the things that I’m thinking about in this in between week are more comprehensive than just more ease for my existence. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him and those who hope in His steadfast love. And, so, that is going on my list again. I will fear the Lord and hope in His steadfast love because I want to please my Father in heaven. I want to bring pleasure to the Lord. The Lord, if I’m speaking personally, has sustained me through an awful lot in my life and every single one of us would have to declare and confess the same thing. Each of us have our own stories and our own ups and downs but the Lord has carried me through things in my life that I didn’t know how to navigate, or even if I could. The Lord has sustained me. I don’t want to take that and say thank you and move back into my self-absorbed existence. Everything good that has happened to me has come from the hands of the Lord, right? Wouldn’t you say the same thing? Whether God is using other people or whether He is just involved. The Lord is responsible for the good of my life. I can’t ignore that. We can’t ignore that. And here in psalms we’re told, well…here’s a simple thing, “fear the Lord and hope in His steadfast love and you will bring pleasure to the Lord.” I’m resolving to move in that direction in the same way that I am resolving from the Proverbs yesterday to not stir up anger so that there isn’t an increased strife and divisiveness in my life and that I’m not adding to the divisiveness that is pervasive in the world. The Bible speaks to us if we’re listening. And may we listen because we were given something today that is pretty huge, a way to bring pleasure to the God of the universe, the God of all things, the Creator of all things. We actually have a way, and that way is to fear Him, and hope in His steadfast love. May be easier said than done because it is really throwing our allegiance and all of our hope completely on Him. But this is the direction we should head in.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for this. On some level it’s like You shouldn’t have to tell us this, we should know You by now, and in many ways that…in many ways we do, but we need constant reminders. We are constantly pressed in by our culture. We find ourselves just behaving the same way that the communities we’re involved in behave and often we find ourselves out in a field somewhere. We’ve lost the path, we’ve lost the plot and we’re just thrashing around in our lives with words that shouldn’t be said and actions that shouldn’t be taken, and we cause mayhem and destruction for ourselves and those around us when we can bring You pleasure if we walk in fear and awe and wonder and hope in Your steadfast love. And like everything else, who are we to accomplish this in our own strength? But You sort of already spoke to that in the Psalms. That doesn’t impress You. Our own strength isn’t the thing that You’re after. What is our strength compared to You? And, so, we set aside our own self-absorption and our own strength and fall utterly and helplessly into Your steadfast love, which we discover truly is the only safe place to be. And, so, Holy Spirit may this be a theme, may this be something that sticks, may this be something that we walk into and are purposeful about. And we pray this, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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

We’re right at the cusp, like we are so close to closing this year down that we can see the shore very clearly. It’s like right in front of as. We’ve sailed across a year together. And, so, one of the things that we’re doing is preparing. That’s what happens in this week between the holidays, preparing for the new year. We will disembark from this year and board the next ship sailing across the new year every day together the rhythm of life in the Bible and what a difference it makes. So, I’m in a week that’s kind of like the melancholy week for me. It’s the coming to a close of the year and all of the flood of thoughts of all of the different seasons of the year and all of the things that happen in the year reflecting back and being grateful, but looking forward with great anticipation for all that is yet to come. And I’m sure not the only one involved with thoughts like that. But one thing that I know is that the Bible can guide us through whatever is coming our way and can really be there with counsel and wisdom when we need it. And, so, I’m looking forward to continuing our journey.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in these waning days of the year with just a handful of them left than you profoundly, profoundly for your partnership. We would not be here if we were not in this together and that has always been true. And, so, thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage, dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi DAB fam James the teacher on my sixth try trying to get the story into two minutes. I just had a divine appointment right now. Fellow needed a tow. I basically had to insist that he stopped because he was about to destroy the rims on his wheel. Well, we got to talking. I find out his daughters getting straight A’s at a local school here that’s tough and I encourage him like make sure you tell your daughter that you’re proud of her, you know. If I had been more in encouraging with my family maybe I wouldn’t be going through a divorce right now. And he stopped me, and he said you know what? Before of my separation I didn’t believe in God and it’s to the point where I was drinking, sleeping in my car. Long story but someone came and sat down and opened the Bible with him. He hadn’t been…he hadn’t believed in God. Someone opened the Bible with him and helped him to see, yeah, he could be mad his wife and all that but, you know, he needed to focus on what was going on inside of his heart and what needed to change and how could he repent and love Jesus. And I don’t have any guarantee that God is going to do that specific thing in my life, but, you know, I was so encouraged that, you know, sharing the gospel bares fruit. You never know who and when that trusting Jesus bears fruit. You never know how or when, but it does. You guys, God is so good. God is so good. Please don’t forget that this time of year. OK. I love you guys. Have a wonderful Christmas. Amen.

Hey DAB family it’s Beloved in Texas and…and I just wanted to let you all know that I have a praise report and I wanted to thank you for all of your prayers. That job that I was interviewing for, and I had to do a presentation for I got offered that position and I start on Monday the 27th. And not only is this an amazingly awesome opportunity and I think I’m really going to love this job. This is a big financial blessing to our family. So, thank you for so much for all of your prayers and support.

Hello DAB family I am a first-time caller. I am calling for prayer for my 13-year-old daughter. As I heard the words today from King David, “do not allow my deepest desires to lead me into darkness.” In hearing the words “let those who love righteousness strike me down in kindness, let them correct me in love.” I’m asking that this would be her state, her hearts state. Right now, she is loving the darkness. Her father and I are praying for her, confronting her as she does not see the error in her ways, and she is not willing to humble herself. And, so, I’m asking you family to come and join me in prayer for her battle over her soul and her mind. If you would just pray for us as well, encourage…that the Lord would encourage us and guide us as we lovingly bring her up in the Lord. She also has five younger siblings that this is affecting. So, I just would covet your prayers in that. Thank you so much. You guys bless me. I just cannot say enough about this community. I don’t know where I would be without you guys. Thank you. Have a great day.

Hello my DAB and DABC family. This is __ calling from the UK. By the time this plays this will probably pass on Christmas Day so let me start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and the grace and peace of God in the coming year. Brothers and sisters, I’m calling too Sikh prayers for the parish person to my local church Father Phillip. He's…he had surgery on his foot a while ago and right now he’s in so much pain. He’s in so much pain. He…he can barely make it around the altar. He can barely walk up the stairs of the altar. And he…he keeps a brave face but when you when you look at him you know that he’s in so much pain. And my heart breaks. And all I ask is that you please lift him up in prayers and ask the good Lord to heal that foot. That foot has been a thorn in his flesh for so long. We ask the Lord to please heal that foot, the balm of Gilead. Please Lord I beg you, I ask you to please heal Father Phillip and if it is you’re not you will to heal that foot then give him the grace to carry on regardless. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with each and every one of us both now and forever. Thank you for your prayers because I know that we have prayer warriors standing by.

[singing starts] build yourselves in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourself in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life [singing stops]. This is Candace from Oregon encouraging you to soak long, listen, and just be with the Lord, be in His word. Memorize some of it and let Him lead you in all things. Thank you, God for Daily Audio Bible. Thank you for your word, your Holy Spirit. Thank you so much for the Hardin family. In Jesus’ name. Candace from Oregon.

Hi good morning Daily Audio Bible listeners my name is Cheryl of New Beginnings I’m a first-time caller and this is the first time I’ve gone through the Bible in a year with Brian. And thank you so much Brian and Jill for what you do. I’m just…I’m thinking today is December 23rd it’s my husband’s birthday. He…we gather together as a family at Christmas time to celebrate his birthday and I was just thinking this morning about where he is. And the fact is that he is with Jesus. And, so, we have a lot to celebrate, and I just want to pray for those who have lost loved ones in the past year. God has given us eternal life and the life is in the Son. As a father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the son gives life to whom He will. Jesus, you said you are the resurrection and the life. He who believes in you though he dies yet he shall live and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Oh, Jesus, I thank You so much for coming into the world and making a way that our loved ones can be with You for eternity and we can join them there one day. Oh God, we praise You and thank You. Joey to the world the Lord has come let earth receiver king. Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing. God bless you friends who have lost loved ones. May you be encouraged today in Jesus. We praise your Lord. Amen.