05/18/2022 DAB Transcript

1 Samuel 22:1-23:29, John 10:1-21, Psalms 115:1-18, Proverbs 15:18-19

Today is the 18th day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian and it is wonderful to be here with you together as we take the next step forward on the journey that we have embarked upon, the one that takes us through this year together, the one that takes us through the Bible together. And, so, let’s dive in. We’ve been working our way through the book of first Samuel, which is what we will continue to do today. And since the arrival of this young man named David who has become a national hero, we have watched king Saul, Israel’s first king become more and more unstable, which is certainly making David’s life incredibly unstable because he has to look…well he has to look in all directions, like he’s gotta stay on guard at all times because Saul has tried to kill him a number of times. So, let’s pick up the story. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. First Samuel chapters 22 and 23 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we continue to move through the book of first Samuel, we continue to see the downward slide of Saul and really mental health issues. Like, he’s super paranoid and really kind of unhinged. We read of David. Once he knew that Saul would not stop until he was dead and he knew he was going to become a fugitive and he knew he had to go on the run. So, he went to the priest Ahimelech and got some supplies including the sword of Goliath and then went on the run, fleeing for his life hiding in place to place, wherever he can to stay alive. Eventually Saul, the king finds out that David has visited Ahimelech. And of course, Saul has it in his mind that nobody cares about him. Everybody’s being loyal and conspiring against the king and being loyal to David. And, so, Saul has Ahimelech and his entire household brought before the king. Accusations are made and an entire priestly family is executed. People who had nothing to do with it at all. 85 priests wearing their linen priestly robes are killed, which is…certainly that kind of news is going to spread throughout the land, which only further destabilizes Saul. And, so, we see David hiding places like the cave of the Adullam which is a place or hiding in the caves of En-Gedi which is actually a place near the Dead Sea. So, he’s moving all over the place to stay alive even though Saul the king is obsessed with killing him. And it’s becoming a problem. Saul is deteriorating.

Then when we flip over into the New Testament into the gospel of John, Jesus is talking and He’s talking about shepherding and sheep and being a shepherd and a sheep pen or sheepfold and how anybody who jumps over the wall to be among the sheep that doesn’t come in through the gate is a thief and a robber and that a true shepherd would enter the gate and call to the sheep and the sheep would hear his voice, and they would follow him. And Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd and I know my own and my own know me.” And it’s in our reading today that we come across a very, very quotable, very famous passage of Scripture. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” This very quoted, very famous verse of Scripture comes from a larger context of a conversation that Jesus is having about being the good Shepherd. And that passage that we quote all the time, “the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy.” That passage is one of the most concise statements in Scripture about the context of our lives. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” The contrast about what the thief wants and what the Lord wants is pretty clear. Why we would at times find ourselves following after a thief who has come to steal, kill and destroy is a great mystery, but God’s intention toward us, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” gives us clarity on what God’s intention is for us. So, the question then becomes if we are the sheep of his pasture if we are sheep, which voice are we following out of the sheepfold because Jesus said, “my sheep know my voice”.

Prayer:

Father as we do every day, we invite You into all of this. It’s pretty clear that if we are one of Your sheep we should know Your voice and follow You. It’s also pretty clear that we navigate ourselves in places that are clearly not where You’re going and find ourselves in positions that are clearly not godly or Christlike. And, so, at times, there is a disconnect somewhere. And maybe that’s because we’ve stopped paying attention to who we’re listening to. Holy Spirit help us to examine that today. Help us to see that in our lives today and to consider where that sort of erratic back-and-forth will lead us. We’re seeing the extremes of it in King Saul’s life. And, so, we are grateful for these examples that show us what can happen and where roads go. We don’t want to be on that road. We want to be on the narrow path that leads to life, which will never happen if we are not following where You are leading. And, so, Holy Spirit come. We humble ourselves before You. We repent for listening to other voices and following them. May we hear Your voice and know You and follow You. We ask this in the name of Jesus. 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:

Good morning DAB family my name is Kelly from South Carolina. I’m a nurse, I my high school teacher. I teach Health Science to high school kids. I am also the high school soccer coach and mother of three daughters and wife and I just really need prayers from y'all. Been a really overwhelming year. I’ve had some pretty significant issues with all of the girls at one point or another just things that really made me doubt myself. Just recently the oldest who’s 23 moved back home and really that is for the best but it’s been a major adjustment. So, everybody is living back at home. She came home with a brand-new puppy that she’s not hardly around to help with because of her job. So, that’s been in a new strain as well. But marriage has been under pressure just because of everything. My husband made a pretty significant job change years back and it really really strapped us financially. It was what he thought he needed to do at the time but without really a plan in place. And I struggle not to be resentful with that because we just can’t even make hands meet most of the time. And all that being said now here facing end of school year which is exciting but also very stressful to get everything wrapped up and just feel like I’m drowning. Can’t hardly keep my head above water and I just really need some prayer. I’ve tried to call in in the past. That wouldn’t work right. I think Satan just got the better of me and I gave up and didn’t even try again because I was frustrated. So, just want you to know I listen every day. I love you all. You bring smiles to my face. You bring tears to my eyes. I consider you family. And I just hope that you’ll pray for me. See you soon or talk to you soon.

You let me see a baby deer that was grazing beside the road
you’ve given me tremendous strength father to help me bear my load
not just me but my parents too
all my relationships have become just like new
buzzards are circling overhead there’s a carcass down below
life and death are always there no matter where you go
the Suns are marvel of bright orange light
it’s getting dark it’s almost night
my music has been turned off but inside I still sing
praises to you father and Jesus Christ our king
still no matter where I go your love for me you always show
insects crickets birds and frogs
sing from fields and hollow logs
jets leave contrails as they fly
and orange sherbet is the color of the sky
there’s a crescent moon but still no stars
and for the last 40 minutes I’ve heard absolutely no cars
it’s getting dark I should go home
but there’s a part of me father that just loves to room
and study your wonders as they unfold
that last ray of sunlight was the greenest purple gold
now that’s a color that Crayola could never design
with all their substantial but much limited mind
who in their manifold awareness always trying to think outside the box
something is stalking me it looks like a fox
forgive me and my father I sometimes detach
I try to think like the world but my thoughts just don’t match
I try to live holly and be a vessel for you
I desire your fellowship in all that I do
my music my garden my writings my life
you’ve even shown me lately how to live above the strife
the things that I’m lacking I can live without
because the Kingdom of God is why life’s really about
I sometimes get lonely but thy will be done
I’m back in my yard now and that bike ride was fun

blindtony1016@gmail.com

Hello siblings. Psych! It’s your girl Val in Vegas. I know you guys thought I was someone else initially. I just gotta say shout out, shout out, shout out to everybody. I love peoples greetings how they come on and how they leave. But more importantly in this May 15th I gotta say the number one thing I love about this community, we pray. We pray. We pray for each other. We pray for ourselves. We pray for people we don’t know. But the bottom line is we pray. And you all know what, that’s the most powerful tool that we have. Please keep praying for me. I pray for this community every day. You all mean so much to me. So, let’s pray. Heavenly Father on this day Lord God May 15th, 2022 Lord everybody listening to this whatever they need right now Lord God I need You to rain on them. Give them a blessing Lord. How about a suddenly and immediately Lord. God I just want to thank You for this community and all the prayer warriors Lord. The ones that we hear are the ones that we don’t hear because oh I know there’s some people that are on their knees praying for this community that have never called in. Thank You. Please keep praying. God, we love You. We thank You for the ability to commune and to pray Lord. Oh God thank You for the knowledge of prayer. Thank You, Jesus. Now you all go, and you make it a great day. I love you it’s. It’s Val in Vegas. Until next time.

Hello everyone, I am listening to the Daily Audio Bible on May 15th from Maryland. I just heard some people call in that just really touched me. I heard from Justin who shared about work burnout and anxiety. I heard from Jesus in Florida who’s been calling recently to share encouragement and just pray for people which has been encouraging to hear and also from a guy, Michael in North Carolina who shared that he’s been dwelling in his sinful nature for the past few weeks and doesn’t like that and is seeking a grateful heart. And I really relate with these things. So, just thank you for calling in and asking for prayer and just sharing. And I would just like to pray with you guys now. Lord, thank You for the Daily Audio Bible and thank You for today’s message. Thank You for the opportunity to hear people stories as well. Lift up Justin to You and Michael as well. And You know each of these gentlemen’s respective situations. I just place these situations; I place these people in Your hands and ask that You would guide them right now through what they’re walking through and help them to set their hearts and their minds on You and to walk in the path that You would lead them on. I just pray that You would help them too maybe just live into the relationship You offer us through Jesus and that it would be a blessing to You and to people around them as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I’m calling to pray for Philippians 4:6 who is desperate for God’s love and wants guidance as how to navigate dating and job hunting. Lord heavenly Father I thank You oh God. I thank You oh God for Philippians 4:6 oh God. And I thank You oh  God that she has called and she has requested prayer oh God because You are a God who is concerned about everything that we are concerned about oh God, even the small things. Lord, You have said that we are to cast our cares upon You because You care for us oh God. Oh Lord You have said in Your word the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. God, I pray that You will rest in her during this time. Lord, I pray that she oh Lord will rest in Your love, on Your love oh God and be guided by You and all that she does. Holy Spirit have Your way. Holy Spirit encompass her with Your love oh God even now that she would know that You are there and that You care for her. Oh God I pray that You will give her good success in job hunting. God, I pray that You would lead her to the one job that You have for her. God, I pray that You would open her eyes at the right timing and for the person that You have desired for her life. Oh Lord, You will do it oh God because You were the one who makes everything beautiful in Your time. So, Lord, have Your way. Be upon our sister. Oh God give her a surety and guidance oh God and confirmation through You as she reads Your word and be comforted oh God. Have Your way oh God. May she not be dismayed or discouraged but may she stand firm on Your promises and on Your word in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.