Isaiah 37:1-38:22, Galatians 6:1-18, Psalm 65:1-13, Proverbs 23:24
Today is the 21st day of September, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today, wonderful to be here every day, wonderful that this place exists for us to be. So glad that we can be together as we take another step forward and our next step forward leads us to the book of Isaiah. And today we will read chapters 37 and 38.
Commentary:
Okay, so, we concluded the letter to the Galatians today and in Paul’s last chapter of this letter, his final exhortations he gives us a pretty straightforward look at the postures of life that we’re supposed to be cultivating. These aren’t really like Paul’s Christian life packs for the first century because the things that he suggests that we’re supposed to live into, the things that we’re supposed to be doing. And so, if we’re supposed to be doing them, we can outwardly just force ourselves to try to do these things. Or we can understand that the Gospel is from within, the transformation happens from within and the without, the exterior follows that and to cultivate these things are like shortcuts to an easier life. They’re the posture of life itself as a believer and follower of Jesus. So, let’s just consider the things that Paul is laying out. First, carry one another’s burdens, in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Okay so, like that’s something to consider, do we fulfill the law of Christ by carrying one another’s burdens? Do we have a desire for…for helping each other carry our loads so that we are not all being crushed, so that we all have this together? Or are we looking out for ourselves thinking that we’re something that we’re not, just deceiving ourselves. There’s a lot to be considered and that’s the first one. Next, let each person examine his own work and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load. Right, right, keep your eyes on your own life. Examine your own self first. Or how about this one, let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit. Right, so take care of the ones who help you grow, who become your teachers. Don't…don’t withhold from them. Don’t be deceived. That they’re showing you the way and understand the way, because if you’re gonna sew from the exterior, from the flesh, if you’re gonna navigate yourself from that perspective, then you will reap what you sow, which will be that your flesh will ultimately destroy you. If you sew from within to the Spirit, eternal life is what wells up from within and overflows. Or this one, let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. I guess on the one hand, we can imagine a world like that and that’s a different world than the world that we live in, and that is the invitation of the Gospel. There’s a better way. There’s a better way for people to be and that is to take care of each other, knowing that we’re in this together. So, this is great advice that has to be cultivated from within where the change actually happens, and the desires actually grow to take care of each other and then that overflows into our lives. It changes us dramatically. If we look at what Paul is describing, we would say that would be a different world. That’s the world we’re invited to build in collaboration with God. We are being transformed, according to the Scriptures, into new creations, and that’s gonna change the way we look at things altogether. And Paul’s giving us a glimpse of what that looks like, as we close the letter to the Galatians.
Prayer:
So, Holy Spirit, these glimpses, like they set something off in us. They ignite something in us like yeah, that…that’s where we’re going, that’s where this is supposed to be all headed. And sometimes we get lost in the fact that it won’t head in that direction, if we don’t go in that direction. And we all have to go in that direction for the world to find transformation, but it does kind of boil down to us. Are we gonna walk the path? Are we gonna live from the heart? Are we going to cultivate from within a relationship with You that spills out and affects those around us. Paul’s given us a glimpse of some of what that looks like, help us live into it from within. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hi, this is Loriann from South Carolina. And I just wanna thank all of you, my family, my fellow DAB family and church for praying for me the way that you have since I’ve lost Steven. And there’s so many days that I do good. But then there are so many days that I just want my husband back. And right now, I feel like, and I don’t know if this is true, but I feel like God just wants me to belong to Him. And He be my husband. And He teach me His ways. And He teaches me how to love and how to live and to minister for Him. And all I wanna do is ask you guys to please pray for me because this grief is killing me. And I know that’s from Satan, but I loved my husband Steven, with all my heart. And I miss him so much. Please pray for me, my sisters and brothers and I know you will because you always do. And thank you Brian Hardin and family. I love you so much. You mean everything to me. I hope you guys have a good night and I love you.
You always keep your word, and your word is true. Thank you for all you have done for us in the past. We thank you for the things we’re, You are doing now for us and we thank You for all that You will do for us in the future. We want to please You with our faith. Give us the strength to have faith and pray, even when we don’t feel like we can believe. For we know that nothing is impossible with You. Help us to remember that our faith relies on believing in Your son, Jesus Christ and Your word. Not in what we see or feel. Help us to resist the devil through Your word. Help us to resist his lies of doubt, fear, negative thoughts and temptations. We want all things to be possible for us. We want blessings to be unlocked for us by faith. And we want to have testimonies in our lives to share with others to build their faith. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for praying along with me my brothers and sisters. I love each and every one of you. Have a good night.
Hi everyone, it’s Lisa the Encourager. I wanted to call, like many others, and just tell Liza I’m praying for you and how much I really admire your courage with everything that you’re going through. So, God laid on my heart the Bible verse James 4: 14 and it talks about what, how are lives are so short. And it is a good reminder that all of us have an opportunity to really look at what we’re gonna do with our time, no matter where we are in life. And the Bible verse says, you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life, it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. And I just think that Liza has given us a beautiful picture of her walking through her vapor and doing it so beautifully, with so much courage and so much humbleness. And it helps us all see how life; we don’t know when our lives will end. So, this is the challenge to me. What am I going to do with my vapor? What am I gonna do with my time. And I just think, I just wanna thank you Liza for helping us all look at you and be so encouraged by your love and your grace and your humbleness and your courage. And we’re all so happy to pray for you as you’re going through your illness and we’re praying that you are healed. But it also challenges us to look at our own lives and see what we can do in this time that we are staring at and what we can do to please God.
Hi, my name’s Clint, calling for my son, Vincent Blankenship. He, he’s had a mental break and we need prayer. He’s in the clinic right now getting help. And I’m just so thankful people are praying with me here in my community and thankful for this Daily Audio Bible. Thanks to Brian for reading the Bible for all these years for us. My son’s doing better but we believe that God can heal and we’re asking for complete healing of his mind. Thanks so much for your prayers. I’m just so thankful to know the Lord and know His family. Thanks guys.