2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33, Romans 16:10-27, Psalm 26:1-12, Proverbs 20:19
Today is August 3rd, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is great to be here with you today, as it is every day, as we gather around the Global Campfire together. Find a place and exhale on let it go and relax. As we come together and enjoy each other’s company, take the next step forward in the Scriptures. And so, let’s get to that. We are continuing our journey through the book of second Chronicles were also continuing our journey through Romans. Today, we will conclude Paul’s letter to the Romans and I believe tomorrow, we will conclude second Chronicles so, we’re moving into some new territory over the next couple of days, but right now we’re in the process of finishing well what we’ve started. Today, second Chronicles chapter 33 verse 14 through 34 verse 33.
Commentary:
Okay so, we have come very near to the end of second Chronicles, one day left there and today we met Josiah the good and reforming King. We also finished the book of Romans today, a letter in which Paul lays out the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the fact that everyone, regardless Jew or Gentile, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of background or circumstance or status, everyone is invited to be a part of the restoration of the world. Jesus redeemed and is restoring all things, making all things new again, and we are invited into that story. And then when we look into the book of Proverbs and seek wisdom and the voice of wisdom in our lives at every crossroads, we are told again something that the Proverbs speak of often and that is, what we say matters. And so, the Proverb today said “a gossip betrays a confidence; so, avoid anyone who talks too much.” So, essentially if you want something held in confidence that you are confessing or working through or wrestling with or trying to get clarity on, a gossip may not be the best place to do that offloading. Because a gossip betrays a confidence. So, who is a gossip? I mean, basically, if you’re the kind of person who hears juicy morsels of personal or private information and then you can’t wait to share that information. And the way to share that information is to kind of frame it like a concern but your deeply in the know. Then you’re probably a gossip. And that probably sounds offensive to hear but nowhere near as offensive as what you do when you betray a confidence. And we might wonder like, why does Proverbs, why does the Bible itself continually kind of, circle back to themes like this, that what we say matters, that things happen through our words. It’s probably because it’s always been and always will be important that we guard what comes out of our mouths. And I sincerely doubt that that’s a big stretch like, that what…what I just said that we should guard what comes out of our mouths, that that is a revelation that no one’s ever thought of before. Oh, I should pay attention to what I’m saying, wow, that explains so much. We all know this, we’ve all been on the giving and receiving end of this. We actually know from life experience that what the Proverb is saying, although it’s ancient, although it’s thousands of years ago, it is very, very true right now. Gossip destroys relationships. I mean, think about when you’ve been gossiped about and found out about it. Did that deepen your trust and relationship with the one who was gossiping about you? And when you are a gossip, sharing the juicy morsels and the person finds out that you’ve been gossiping about them, do they feel deeply committed and loyal to you? We are counseled in the Scriptures, including today, but in many other places in the Bible to avoid these kinds of things. Or let me just quote the Proverb again “a gossip betrays a confidence; so, avoid anyone who talks too much.” We are being counseled to not be on the giving or receiving end of gossip. And so today, like most every day were left with some things to think about that we can carry through the day with us and ponder, watching ourselves, watching the directions that we get pulled in, watching the way that we fall into habits of reacting to things, that may include gossip. But when we catch ourselves, we see it in action and we remember the counsel of wisdom in our lives and we can change. When we make a decision to stop dispensing gossip or ingesting gossip, it’s remarkable how gossip begins to disappear from our story. That doesn’t take it out of the world. People who are gossip’s, who have lost a person that they can gossip too, often find another place, but it’s not a part of our story anymore. It’s not affecting us; we’re not picking up offenses that we don’t actually have. We’re not filling in blanks that we don’t actually know. We’re not wasting time from the precious gift of life that we’ve been given, on things that don’t do anything good. And so, let’s give that some thought today.
Prayer:
And Jesus, as we ask every day, as the Scriptures lead us to pondering things most every day, we invite You into this. We have no way of demystifying everything about why we do what we do or untangling the mixed motivations that we have in our lives but we don’t have to figure out everything. We have to surrender and trust and follow Your leadership. And so, Holy Spirit, the great Comforter, come, heal us, comfort us, but reveal to us, the ways that we perpetuate problems that are destructive, by the way that we construct our sentences and the things that we choose to say and disclose. Especially when those things were said in confidence. May we never again betray a confidence through gossip. We pray this in the precious 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.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hey family, I’m Jeberson and I’m a very long-time listener but I don’t call often. I’m calling today to share a praise report. So more than a year ago I started getting heart palpitations and sometimes it will last for days. I’m a well fit guy who is also a runner and I’m in my late 30s. So, I started every single part of my practice, it could be coffee, or it may be because I am running a lot. So, I have plenty of theories. So, for an example, I would just stop running four weeks and I will still have palpitations and then again, I will start running and the palpitations I won’t have it. So, I tested every single theories. And then, finally, I went to the doctor and upon testing and they didn’t find anything like, they were like, my heart is just fine. So, now I was scared. I mean, I was scared as of, I don’t want to leave my family alone to fend for themselves. And so, again I keep on continuing to test my theories, but eventually like nothing. So, I came to the realization that I could never figure this out. So, then I started praying that, you know, I don’t know what is this. But God helped me and every day I use to pray. And all of a sudden couple of months back it just were used and became nothing and today it’s been, it’s been a month, I guess, since I have…have any palpitations. So, yeah, I just wanted to share this as a praise report and thanking God. And also, to boost the family that never stopped praying.
Hi, DAB family. It’s July 30th and another scorching hot day in beautiful BC Canada. My name is Grant. My wife and myself have appreciated listening to the word and praying with ya’ll for several years now. Today, I’m requesting prayer for healing for myself. I’ve had a heart condition with other complications for several years and would appreciate you joining with us in prayer for healing. We have a great God as David said in Psalms, you are the one who forgives all our sins. You are the one who heals all your diseases, give Him the glory and praise for what He has done and what He is going to do. And just appreciate everybody out there for the…the blessing to be part of His family and for this ministry and opportunity we have to bless each other, to encourage, to hear the word. Be encouraged. Just thank you very much.
Hi DAB brothers and sisters, this is Maggie form Massachusetts. This is my first-time calling. Today, is the 30th. I’m reaching out for prayer for deliverance from depression and anxiety and also physical healing for me, as well as my husband. I’ve just lost my mom, who was estranged for me for, since last May but had been in and out of my life for several years. And my family had been estranged from each other too and me. I lost her in April after just reconnecting with her in March after her diagnosis of cancer of the kidneys. And I had reconnected with my brother Stephen, who I miss the most growing up. And I saw him two days before my mom passed. And sadly, I tragically lost him on May 3rd, just one month exactly after losing my mom. He ended his life. I’m having a really hard time. I have a wonderful, loving husband but he has had a hard time trying to be there for me and my daughter, who is also, who’s not saved and in a very toxic relationship. So, I’m just reaching out really for prayer. I’ve only been listening for a little over a week and just grateful that I can call for prayer and connect with all of you. So, God bless you all, thank you.
Hi, my name is Joe, Joe Cane from Seattle. I need prayer for my brother. He was released from prison a couple years ago and he recently had a relapse and went back into using drugs. He is now becoming homeless because she’s been evicted from his place. I want to come up beside him and help him. Help him be restored by loving him. I’m asking God to put him in a safe place and to open his heart to receiving the Holy Spirit. And that he recognizes that he doesn’t, he can’t do this alone. That he needs the help of the Holy Spirit, to seek God for strength. And I just ask this in Jesus name, that he finds a place to live, that he finds people to love him and show him love. And if that person is me, give me the strength and the opportunity to do it. In Jesus’s name. His name is Matthew, thanks.
Hey DAB Family, this is Jonathan from Denver. I just wanted to call in and say hey to Jared from Ohio, tell you that your prayer is a blessing to me and your message today on the 31st is a blessing to me. And it also reminded me of something that I did not even process or think about at all, which is that this July marks one year since starting listening to the Daily Audio Bible. You know, it’s been busy and crazy and I didn’t even stop to think about that. And just to think that there are people that have been following through in prayer that whole time is really, really special and it’s followed me through a lot of ups and downs, a pretty major breakup. A lot of life changes and it’s just such a blessing to know that I have this family where I can know that I am understood, that you will be there through everything that I go through. So, I just wanted to thank you for that. And offer bit of a praise report. Last week, I called in feeling pretty lousy but I’m feeling better. God is very, very good to me. He gave me a very particularly special and restful time listening to the Daily Audio Bible this morning out on the back porch, just drinking coffee. It was beautiful. And also, to kind of bare myself out a little. I am now one-week clean off pornography, which is the first time in a long time, that’s happened. So, thank you all for your prayers and know that I’m praying for you Jared. I’m praying for your work situation, for your church situation and I’ll be looking forward to hearing that praise report. Thank you.