One Verse at a Time: Recent Episodes
Joshua Bremerman
A little bit each day! We look at the Bible one verse at a time (and still in context!) in hopes of training our mind, heart, and hands (actions) to glorify God in all things. This makes for a great companion in the morning to launch into further study or prayer.
Josh Bremerman graduated from Bethlehem Seminary in Minneapolis, MN and works for Training Leaders International as a curriculum developer. He eagerly desires to build others up in finding delight in the Scriptures, enjoying communion with God through prayer, and living righteously in action. Find out more at joshbremerman.com.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:7, “For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace together with me.” Paul further explains his grounds for calling them participants in the gospel and for his confidence that God is at work in them. Our deep affection for fellow Christians and our fellow suffering for the gospel identifies us together with those who are united with Christ.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:6, “For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” When God starts a good work, he always finishes it. What sweet comfort for us.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:5, “because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” Paul is overflowing with joy and thanks because of the immediate and persevering partnership of the Philippians in the gospel. We should have a similar thankfulness for our partners in the gospel in ministry, church, and family.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:4, “I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you.” Thanksgiving and joy walk hand in hand. May it be so in our lives, and it may it prove to be a self-reinforcing cycle: thanks increases joy and joy prompts us to give thanks.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Paul thanks God for how the Philippians have come to his aid. May we do the same, and may we also be the ones who bring the aid so that thanksgiving to God will multiply.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:2, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!” Paul’s greatest hope for the Philippians is that God would pour out his unmerited favor (grace) upon them, and that this would result in a wholeness and tranquility in life (peace). What a sweet prayer we echo for those in our lives.
This episode looks at Philippians 1:1, “From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” Paul writes to all the saints, calling them to live in light of what God has done in them, and he specifically includes the overseers and deacons because of the special role they play in bringing these realities to fruition in the church body.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:28, “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.” This functions as a summary of the sections before it. Joyful diligence, righteous speech, humble acceptance of correction, etc. all lead on the path of righteousness—and thus life.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:27, “The lazy person does not roast his prey, but personal possessions are precious to the diligent.” The lazy person depends on others for their needs. The diligent person accumulates possessions, and they find them precious. This same truth is fulfilled in Christ’s diligent work on earth, imitated in Paul’s life and ministry, and commanded to us.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:26, “The righteous person is cautious in his friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” If we want friends who will pull us up out of seasons of depression, anxiety, and slothfulness and onto the joyful path of diligence, then we need to be thoughtful in our friendships. May God grant grace to make us worthy friends, help us to discern worthy friends, and then walk faithfully alongside our friends.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs him down, but an encouraging word brings him joy.” Anxiety can weigh us down and cause slothfulness, so we need encouraging words (and hope to give them to others) to bring us into joyful diligence.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:24, “The diligent person will rule, but the slothful will become a slave.” Diligence (acting consistently in pursuit of God’s calling) leads to rulership in our spheres of influence. Slothfulness leads to slavery (whether wage, debt, or ideological). May God help us pursue the one and forsake the other.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:23, “The shrewd person conceals knowledge, but foolish people publicize folly.” The wise person does not have a heart that overflows in foolishness. Rather, the wise person chooses words and information carefully, not out of self-protection but out of love for God and others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:22, “The Lord abhors a person who lies, but those who deal truthfully are his delight.” The reason the last two proverbs prove true is because God favors the ones who deal truthfully and abhors those who walk in falsehoods. By the Spirit’s help, may we find God’s favor as we walk in truth.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:21, “The righteous do not encounter any harm, but the wicked are filled with calamity.” Is this proverb true? Before Christ’s return, this proverb should encourage us that as we walk in righteousness we no that the harm we encounter is not from our own actions but rather from living in a fallen world. We can also look ahead to Christ’s coming, the time when this proverb will be actualized in every sense.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:20, “Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.“ We want joy, so we should counsel and promote peace — peace with God and peace in our communities.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:19, “The one who tells the truth will endure forever, but the one who lies will last only for a moment.” Only true, faithful speech can bring lasting value. Lying may succeed for a moment, but the foundations are faulty, and liars will be exposed for what they are in the end. May we speak truly, and may we discern righteous and wicked speech with an eye toward leaving value for coming generations.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:18, “Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.” We need the power of the Spirit at work in us to know what to say, when to say it, and how to say it so as to bring healing and not harm to others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:17, "The faithful witness tells what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit." When seeking to establish righteousness, we must stand on truth. Anything else is just deceiving ourselves and others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:16, “A fool’s annoyance is known at once, but the prudent overlooks an insult.” We need patience and self-control to not react to everything that annoys or vexes us. Instead, we can at times overlook even insults to accomplish something greater.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.” A foolish path is paved by the arrogant person who refuses all counsel and help. The wise man, to the contrary, seeks out, listens to, and often heeds wise counsel. May we be found in the latter group.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:14, “A person will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, and the work of his hands will be rendered to him.” This proverb stands or falls on applications of true justice: each person will receive what they are due. In God’s kindness, he absorbs our due punishment and grants us life instead. May we seek to live justly, speak truthfully, and offer mercy to others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:13, “The evil person is ensnared by the transgression of his speech, but the righteous person escapes out of trouble.”the one who transgresses in their speech is setting a trap for themselves later. They are also ensnaring themselves into bigger and bigger transgressions as time moves along. May it not be so with us, by the power of Christ’s Spirit working in us.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:12, “The wicked person desires a stronghold, but the righteous root endures.” Wicked people grasp at certainty by evil means, thus producing evil. The righteous have a firm root in Christ, and therefore they produce good fruit in season. May we be rooted in Christ.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:11, “The one who works his field will have plenty of food, but whoever chases daydreams lacks wisdom.” We can dream big, but we should do so in the context of what God has set before us to work after for today. God help us.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:10, “The righteous person cares for the life of his animal, but even the most compassionate acts of the wicked are cruel.” The righteous person loves animals — but not for the animal’s sake alone. The righteous person shows compassion to all that God has made, humans especially, and leverages all the resources under his command in order to serve the humans around him.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:9, “Better is a person of humble standing who nevertheless has a servant, than one who pretends to be somebody important yet has no food.” Reality matters more than appearance. We should care less about our self-presentation, and more about actually pursuing success and walking (speaking) in wisdom. God help us.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:8, “A person is praised in accordance with his wisdom, but the one who has a twisted mind is despised.” We should actually desire praise from others, but only in right relationship to God and in accord with praiseworthy wisdom. May God help us to acquire wisdom and to speak it at the right moments.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:7, “The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the righteous household will stand.” The house built on the firm foundation of Christ — thinking thoughts of justice, speaking words uprightly, living in nobility and strength — will leave a lasting legacy. The wicked, on the contrary, will come to nothing in the end. May we be counted among the righteous.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:6, “The words of the wicked lie in wait to shed innocent blood, but the words of the upright will deliver them.” The wicked kill with their words, but the upright are delivered — if not now, then certainly when God reveals all things. May we be found in the right with our speech.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:5, “The plans of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.” The thought-life of the righteous and the wicked is on two polar opposites: making sure all receive what is due to them versus making sure to trick others for the sake of shallow gain. May we pursue a righteous thought-life by God’s grace.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:4, “A noble wife is the crown of her husband, but the wife who acts shamefully is like rottenness in his bones.” The strength of the household rises and falls on the nobility [valor, strength, etc.] of the wife. May God help us all to walk in nobility, especially in marital relationships.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:3, “No one can be established through wickedness, but a righteous root cannot be moved.” Only righteousness can provide true, lasting roots. May God grant us grace to live into Christ’s righteousness.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:2, “A good person obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a person with wicked schemes.” God wants to bestow blessings on his obedient children. The truly good one, Jesus, obtained the favor of God and grants it by extension to all who have faith in him.
This episode looks at Proverbs 12:1, “The one who loves discipline loves knowledge, but the one who hates reproof is stupid.” In order to grow, we will need correction — from God and from others. To reject loving reproof is foolish.
This episode looks at Luke 3:38, “the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” Whereas Matthew presents his genealogy as promise-fulfillment, Luke presents his genealogy in a way that introduces a solution and then traces back to the problem that needed a remedy. Praise God for undoing the curse on mankind and saving us in Christ.
This episode looks at Luke 3:37, “the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan.” Enoch walked with God and was spared from death. In the line of Jesus, he is a foretaste of God repairing the breach between him and humanity, walking once again with us and sparing us all from death if we have faith in Christ.
This episode looks at Luke 3:36, “the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech.” Looking at Noah, we see a shining example of God’s patience and grace, and that patience and grace culminates in the person of Jesus Christ.
This episode looks at Luke 3:35, “the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah.” This is the generation post-babel, a time where there was a lot of hopelessness until Abraham comes and receives a promise of blessing for the nations. God worked good in the face of great rebellion.
This episode looks at Luke 3:34, “the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor.” The names of the great patriarchs bring about memories of God’s universal promises accomplished through his chosen people. Jesus is the ultimate instance of God blessing the nations.
This episode looks at Luke 3:33, “the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah.” Jesus comes as the fulfillment of Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49, as the lion of the tribe of Judah who will rule the nations with an iron scepter. This king is worthy of our praise!
This episode looks at Luke 3:32, “the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon.” The name Boaz should remind us of how God works Hope even into seemingly hopeless situations. What a God we serve!
This episode looks at Luke 3:31, “the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David.” David represents the high point of promise in Israel’s kingdom, but after him the kingdom divides. We thank God for Jesus, the eternal king who unites all of God’s people under his rule and reign.
This episode looks at Luke 3:30, “the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim.” Another list of relative nobodies should help us recognize even deeper the humility Christ embodied for us and for our salvation. May we learn a similar humility in our own lives.
This episode looks at Luke 3:29, “the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi.” More names in this genealogy that we may recognize, but we don’t know these people. What can they teach us? Patience and endurance in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances. May God do that work in us.
This episode looks at Luke 3:28, “the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er.” These names appear during years of exile for Israel. Even in dark times, God was still working. May God help us to remember this truth when we face similar times.
This episode looks at Luke 3:27, “the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri.” Way back in the times of Ezra–Nehemiah, God made a promise to Zerubbabel and Israel: a greater glory than the OT temple and peace. Seeing his name in the genealogy of Jesus should remind us that God kept his promise to do exactly that.
This episode looks at Luke 3:26, “the son of Maath, the ssson of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Joda.”
This episode looks at Luke 3:25, “the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai.”
This episode looks at Luke 3:24, “the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph.” Why does Joseph have a different father according to Luke and Matthew? One reason could be levirate marriage (cf. Deut. 25:5). If so, God takes methodical care to preserve the Davidic line for the coming of Jesus, and in that we can both rejoice and trust.
This episode looks at Luke 3:23, “So Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years old. He was the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.” Jesus’s genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, not just Abraham as in Matthew. Jesus is the only Savior not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. We praise God for such a Savior.
This episode looks at Luke 3:22, “and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.” Jesus comes as God’s Son (Ps. 2:7) to rule the nations and the Suffering Servant (Isa. 42:1) to bear the iniquities of God’s people. We praise God for the fulfillment of these expectations in Jesus.
This episode looks at Luke 3:21, “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened.” After 400 years of silence, Jesus’s baptism leads to the opening of the heavens. God has spoken through his Son, and Christ has opened up access for us to approach the throne of grace through faith in his work.
This episode looks at Luke 3:20, “Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.” We should not be surprised at Herod’s wickedness, nor the wickedness of the world around us. Yet, we should continue proclaiming the truth, because God can save the wicked.
This episode looks at Luke 3:19, “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds he had done…” John speaks the truth to the crowds, and he speaks it to the king of his region. May God give us this same fortitude and courage.
This episode looks at Luke 3:18, “And in this way, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed good news to the people.” There is no good news without bad news, and we thank God for those who share both while always pointing us to Christ. May we follow that example.
This episode looks at Luke 3:17, “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” Jesus’s work results in response — some positive, others negative. We need the Holy Spirit to work in us so that the former is true, and stays true, of us.
This episode looks at Luke 3:16, “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I am is coming - I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John knows who he is in relation to Christ—and he is humbled. May we similarly know who alone can transform by the power of the Holy Spirit, and would that cause us to view Jesus as even greater.
This episode looks at Luke 3:15, “While the people were filled with anticipation and they all wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ.” Though we know today the answer to their wondering, we want to adopt a similar wondering at the world around us as it relates to God’s word, and we want to anticipate that he is up to something in fulfilling his promises.
This episode looks at Luke 3:14, “Then some soldiers also asked him, “And as for us—what should we do?” He told them, “Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay.” Money is what twists the soldier and tax collector into unjust acts, and money keeps the crowds from charitably giving to one another. May we be drawn out of clutching our money tightly so that we can show our repentance by rightly using our money.
This episode looks at Luke 3:13, “He told them, “Collect no more than you are required to.” John doesn’t tell them to quit. Instead, he tells them to live within their means and to contribute to a fair economic system. We should do the same.
This episode looks at Luke 3:12, “Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” May we not just come to God to have our presuppositions confirmed. Instead, may we search with humility in order to be taught.
This episode looks at Luke 3:11, “John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” John’s sign to the crowds of a repentant person is charity. A changed person gives freely of their possessions. May we not be hoarders, and instead may we own our possessions well, rather than our possessions owning us.
This episode looks at Luke 3:10, “So the crowds were asking him, “What then should we do?” This is the question for every human in every age. And John’s answer is to repent and then show charity, compassion, integrity, and contentment as fruit in your life.
This episode looks at Luke 3:9, “Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Repentance is necessary, and good fruit proves the repentance. Judgment is imminent, though God is patient with us (cf. Luke 13:6–9).
As an update, I’m going to record podcasts five days a week rather than seven for the foreseeable future. I’m evaluating capacity, and I think this will allow me to hold up to my end of the deal and not miss episodes.
This episode looks at Luke 3:8, “Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!” True faith overflows in righteous deeds. John proclaimed the same message as Paul and James even before Jesus’s ministry. After it, though, we now have even more clarity that repentance and righteous deeds mean little without atonement for sin. So, we cast our faith on Jesus, receive forgiveness, and then walk in righteousness.
This episode looks at Luke 3:7, “So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” John calls them, even in their searching for repentance, the offspring of Satan. They need more than an outward show of repentance; they need Christ’s work to atone for sin. We think God for sending his Son for us and for our salvation.
This episode looks at Luke 3:6, “and all humanity will see the salvation of God.” This verse, in tandem with Acts 28:28, shows God’s global heart and the purpose of his mission. We thank him for that mission and how it dignifies all humanity.
This episode looks at Luke 3:5, “Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low, and the crooked will be made straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth.” When the Messiah comes, there will be a great reversal of the humble and prideful in terms of exaltation from God. May God humble us.
This episode looks at Luke 3:4, “As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” Luke presents John as the Isaianic prophet who will prepare the way for God—Jesus! This preparation involves repentance, so may we imitate this preparation in our own lives.
This episode looks at Luke 3:3, “He went into all the region around the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John preaches repentance, and though his baptism was not intended to start a new faith, the symbolism remains poignant for us today.
This episode looks at Luke 3:2, “during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” Irregardless of whom God chooses to speak through, we rejoice when the word of God is proclaimed—whether by the established leaders or not.
This episode looks at Luke 3:1, “In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene.” Many ruler are mentioned here in order to set up a drastic contrast with the way of John in the wilderness and Christ in the rest of the book. May we follow their example rather than the pagan kings’.
This episode looks at Psalm 15:5, “He does not charge interest when he lends his money. He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. The one who lives like this will never be shaken.” David continues on the theme of righteousness and blamelessness as the kind of person who can dwell with God. Then, he concludes on a note of sweet comfort: if we live this way, we will never be shaken.
This episode looks at Psalm 15:4, “He despises a reprobate, but honors the LORD’s loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.” Truth-telling extends into the area of showing honor and also into the area of promise-making and promise-keeping. We want to be people full of integrity and honesty, and we can only be so by the grace of God.
This episode looks at Psalm 15:3, “He does not slander, or do harm to others, or insult his neighbor.” In light of speaking truthfully (Ps. 15:2), we should not lie to harm or gain an advantage over others, we should aim to build up and not tear down with our words, and we should not listen to anything and everything about our neighbors, instead seeking out the truth behind every accusation. God help us.
This episode looks at Psalm 15:2, “Whoever lives a blameless life, does what is right, and speaks honestly.” None of us can do this, but through faith in the Righteous One, Jesus, we can actually dwell in God’s presence. Praise God! And as he transforms us, in some small measure we walk in righteousness. May God work this in us, especially in the area of truth-telling.
This episode looks at Psalm 15:1, “LORD, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill?” David wants to live with God, but he also knows that God is wholly other, completely holy, and so we need an answer to the question of who could possibly live with God in his holiness.
This episode looks at Psalm 14:7, “I wish the deliverance of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the well-being of his people, may Jacob rejoice, may Israel be happy!” David was looking forward to Christ. We look back, rejoicing, and ask for further grace for the trials we face today.
This episode looks at Psalm 14:6, “You want to humiliate the oppressed, even though the LORD is their shelter.” The fool doubles down on his folly by abusing power to attack the oppressed. May it never be with us, and when it comes, may we be reminded to run to the LORD for refuge.
This episode looks at Psalm 14:5, “They are absolutely terrified, for God defends the godly.” This episode reminds us that even God’s enemies fear him in the end. They may deny him, but ultimately that comes out of fear toward him. May God use that fear to draw them to him in repentance.
This episode looks at Psalm 14:4, “All those who behave wickedly do not understand — those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to the LORD.” God’s people should expect hostility and persecution. Even so, God is a shelter for the persecuted who defends the godly and causes us to rejoice.
This episode looks at Psalm 14:3, “Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one.” This verse clearly lays out the doctrine of total depravity. We may not be as bad as we could be, but we are all corrupt in every facet of our humanity. Thank God for his grace to free us from bondage to sin!
This episode looks at Psalm 14:2, “The LORD looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.” We need help from God to seek him rightly. May he grant us that help.
This episode looks at Psalm 14:1, “Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; non of them does what is right.” The fool denies God, and we need to be careful not to live out of this same heart and mindset.
This episode looks at Psalm 13:6, “I will sing praises to the LORD when he vindicates me.” This is not a hypothetical praise. This is a statement of God’s future vindication—a hope that fuels our singing even now before the vindication comes. May we sing praises to God because of who he is, what he has done, and what he will do.
This episode looks at Psalm 13:5, “But I trust in your faithfulness. May I rejoice because of your deliverance.” As the eyes of faith look to who God is—a God of faithfulness—we can move in our hearts from worry to rejoicing.
This episode looks at Psalm 13:4, “Then my enemy will say, “I have defeated him.” Then my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.” David is now less concerned with his enemies defeating him and more concerned with his enemies boasting that they have won. This concern focuses on God’s name being forgotten, and this should be our great and ultimate concern.
This episode looks at Psalm 13:3, “Look at me! Answer me, O LORD my God! Revive me, or else I will die.” The act of calling upon God to see us helps us see reality clearly: if he doesn’t act, we have no other plan or hope.
This episode looks at Psalm 13:2, “How long must I worry, and suffer in broad daylight? How long will my enemy gloat over me?” David needs help from God to move from verse 2 to verse 5. We need that same help to move beyond worry and into trust.
This episode looks at Psalm 13:1, “How long, LORD, will you continue to ignore me? How long will you pay no attention to me?” This experience is real in the moment, but God only hides his face for a short time compared to the great mercies he has in store for his people. May we be reminded of his smiling face even as we look at a harsh providence for a moment.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:8, “for the wicked seem to be everywhere, when people promote evil.” We need to examine our own capacity to promote evil, whether actively or passively, and work to propagate good and restrain evil in various capacities.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:7, “You, LORD, will protect them; you will continually shelter each one from these evil people.” God will keep his people until the end. Oh, what a joy!
This episode looks at Psalm 12:6, “The LORD’s words are absolutely reliable. They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground, where it is thoroughly refined.” God’s words always prove true. May we learn to speak like God, and may we continually trust our faithful God.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:5, “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, because of the painful cries of the needy, I will spring into action,” says the LORD. “I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” In trial, suffering, and oppression God sees and God hears. And he will act. This promise provides a strong foundation of comfort and hope.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:4, “They say, “We speak persuasively; we know how to flatter and boast. Who is our master?” Speech such as this fails to account for God as our master and the giver of all good gifts — including the gift of rhetoric and persuasive speech. May we be reminded of God as our Lord and master even as we use the gifts of speech he has given us.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:3, “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts!” Untruthful speech, whether through flattery or self-flattery, used to gain an advantage over others deserves God’s judgment. May we root this type of speech from our lives, and may we call others to account for it as well.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:2, “People lie to one another; they flatter and deceive.” We need God to fill us with integrity so that we refrain from lying, flattering, and deceiving. Then, from this place of integrity, we need wisdom to avoid and call to repentance those who do practice these things.
This episode looks at Psalm 12:1, “Deliver, LORD! For the godly have disappeared; people of integrity have vanished.” When trouble comes (whether physical, personal, or spiritual), may this prayer be our first reaction: Save us!
This episode looks at Haggai 2:23, “On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.” The book of Haggai concludes on the note of our promise-keeping God sending his eternal king to rule over his blessed people. In light of this promise, knowing that it is Jesus who has come and fulfilled it, we look forward to the Second Coming with hope and joy while also asking God to turn us back to him and away from our own sins.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:22, “and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.” This prophecy highlights the kingship of our messianic ruler, Jesus. His kingship should invoke in us humility, confidence, and hope.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:21, “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth.” God narrows in this promise to just Zerubbabel, raising the messianic significance. Zerubbabel may have been confused as he drew close to death about whether or not this promise would be fulfilled. Now that we have vision to see it fulfilled in Christ, we ask God for grace to trust his promises even when we don’t fully understand them.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:20, “The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month.” This message occurs the same day as the last one, and it should remind us that hope is close by—revealed to us in the Bible and confirmed to us by the Spirit.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:19, “Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.” We thank and praise God for his blessing to us in Christ—the fulfillment of the prophecy through Haggai.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:18, “Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider.” The people needed help to look at the future accurately, and we need that same help.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:17, “I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.” Even when disciplined, the Israelites would not repent and turn to God. May we not fall to the same fate when we face discipline from God.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:16, “How did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.” Yahweh was punishing the people for their rebellion, but they missed it. We need wisdom to discern whether hardship and suffering is rooted in opposition from the world against us or discipline from God upon us.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:15, “Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord.” Israel is confident in themselves because of their present work on the Temple, and God is going to humble them by calling them to look back on their past accurately.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:14, “14Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.” The people have a problem: they are unclean. May we recognize our need for a Savior fully so that we can rejoice in God’s forgiveness rightly.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:13, “Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” Whereas holy items cannot make us clean (only Christ can), unclean items can defile us. May God give us grace to witness to a defiled world without becoming corrupted ourselves. Thankfully, he has promised to do this work in us.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:12, “If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?” Holy items cannot cleanse unclean items. Only Christ can make common things holy. May we look to no one else for our holiness.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:11, “”Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law.” Haggai starts his illustration with a simple instruction: go to the leaders for instruction on God’s law. May we have leaders who guide us in the ways of God.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:10, “On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet.” The people have gone two months since God promised a greater glory for the house of God, and now they need a reminder that they are unclean and need God’s blessing. We often fall to the same temptations of pride and self-righteousness. May God humble us in the same way.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:9, “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.” This prophecy finds fulfillment in the coming of Christ and the establishment of the Church. We stand in awe of God’s wisdom in designing for Christ to make peace with God and man and for his Spirit to dwell in our midst.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:8, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.” God will bring the treasures of the nations in because he already owns it all. We should stand in awe of our mighty ruler and king.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:7, “And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.” The coming of Christ brings upheaval to the nations, and now all nations come into Christ and into the Spirit’s dwelling place—the church. We praise God for his divine plan to bring the blessing of Abraham to all people.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:6, “For thus says the LORD of host: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.” God’s unknown time of fulfillment for promises actually is part of our reason for courage. He is coming back to do something great, and he could be coming soon.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:5, “according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.” God is with them because of their covenant. As they learn to rightly fear him in relationship, they have nothing to fear from the world’s opposition.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:4, “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts.” God’s message to the people as they stare down the bleakness of their present circumstances? I am with you. May God’s presence be our strength and the motivating force behind our work.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:3, “‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” The people saw the bleakness of the present, but they needed hope for the future. We are often in a similar boat.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:2, “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say.” Yahweh speaks to the leaders, but he also speaks directly to the people. We can draw principles of both respect for leaders and individual responsibility from such a text. May we draw those principles with God’s help.
This episode looks at Haggai 2:1, “In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet.” The people have been building for a month, and they are seeing that things aren’t turning out as great as they might’ve thought. We need help, like them, to persevere in times like these.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:25, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” We need God’s grace in our communities if we are to know him rightly, love him truly, and obey him fully. Come, Lord Jesus.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:24, “and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.” Paul gives a reorientation of how we should view fellow Christians throughout this letter. May God give us his vision.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:23, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you.” Not only does Paul write about 1) theological truths or 2) commands to obey but also 3) greetings. Greetings matter for the other two things, and so we shouldn’t forget simple relationship-building in the family of faith. God help us.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:22, “At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.” Paul’s request here highlights the importance of hospitality. It also highlights community accountability in the church. May our churches hold one another accountable to the high standard of hospitality and to the standards of all of the Bible.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:21, “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” Paul believes that Philemon will do what is right. May we imitate him in doing so.
This episode look at Philemon 1:20, “Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” Paul brought joy and life to Philemon by bringing him the gospel. Paul now wants joy and life from Philemon in his receiving of Onesimus as a brother. May we seek to bring refreshing life and joy to others in our Christian communities.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:19, “I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” Paul guarantees the payment of debt with his own hand. When we make promises, may we similarly follow-through like Paul.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:18, “If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” Paul takes on Onesimus’s debts and transfers to him some of his own honor. This reflects Christ’s work of taking on our debt and shame at the cross and transferring righteousness and honor to us. May we learn to do the same to others so that Christ might be glorified more and more.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:17, “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.” Paul would have been received with honor and respect. He wants that same thing from Philemon toward Onesimus. May our transformed Christian communities be characterized by honoring others, especially the marginalized.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:16, “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Paul speculates that Philemon and Onesimus were separated so that he might receive Onesimus back as a brother. May we have hearts that treat one another with the same dignity, respect, and love.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:15, “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever.” Paul speculates as to the divine purpose behind this whole situation. May we have a big view of God’s work in the world, and may we point to it when we are uncertain in life or when we want to persuade others to do what is right.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:14, “but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.”
This episode looks at Philemon 1:13, “I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel.” Paul credits Philemon for what he left undone by pointing to what Onesimus has done. God does the same for us in Christ, and we thank him for it.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:12, “I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.” Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, but he wants Philemon to understand how deeply he loves Onesimus. May it be true of us in the same way that the well-being of other family members in the faith would be deeply attached to our well-being.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:11, “(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)” Paul uses a play on words with Philemon’s name to show how the traditional way to look at a slave/bondservant (undignified, useless, inferior) was incorrect and should be abolished. May we look at no fellow human beings as inferior or deficient in any way, and may our societies be transformed in the same way.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:10, “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.” Paul describes Onesimus with biological terms as a son—not just as a spiritual son, but as a biological son. May our Christian communities unite in this same way.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:9, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus.” Philemon’s love for the saints and Paul’s love for Onesimus motivate him to appeal to Philemon rather than command what is right. May we learn from Paul in this, and may we learn to love as these saints loved.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:8, “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required.” Paul wants Philemon to act in accordance with his character and to refresh him by receiving Philemon as a brother not a bondservant. He has the boldness to command him to do so, but ultimately chooses to appeal rather than command. May we have the boldness to command when necessary and the wisdom to appeal when boldness is not necessary.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:7, “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the heart of the saints have been refreshed through you.” Christian community offers joy, comfort, and refreshment. May our communities live up to this high calling, and may we live up to the calling individually as contributors to our communities.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:6, “and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” We share a faith with one another that should help us more and more to know Christ’s blessings and to obey Christ’s commands. May it be so in our communities.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:5, “because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.” Paul thanks God for Philemon’s faith in the Lord Jesus, a faith which overflows in love for the saints. We need help to live like this, and we need help to notice those in our lives who live like this (and who we should give thanks for to God).
This episode looks at Philemon 1:4, “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers.” The way we give thanks to God is by memorializing the faith and love of fellow Christians. May God teach us to do that well.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:3, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul prays for grace and peace for his readers. We are now his readers, and we ask that same grace upon ourselves.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:2, “and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house.” Paul continues his greetings, greetings that highlight the high calling of Christian community. May our churches resonate with familial bonds, union in the battle of faith, and accountability to follow Christ’s commands.
This episode looks at Philemon 1:1, “Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker.” Paul’s description of himself and Timothy transforms the way we think about ourselves. Our family ties and personal identity radically transform in light of Christ’s work. May God grant us grace to think of ourselves rightly.
This episode looks at Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Jesus lived the majority of his life in obscurity, and he did so while pursuing wisdom, maintaining his body, and pleasing God with his life. May we imitate him by God’s grace.
This episode looks at Luke 2:51, “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” Hearts that savor God’s goodness overflow in obedience to his commands. May God give us these kinds of hearts.
This episode looks at Luke 2:50, “And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.” Mary and Joseph didn’t understand God’s plan unfolding in their son. When we only see small pieces of God’s will in our own lives, may we have hearts to still worship God.
This episode looks at Luke 2:49, “And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Jesus came to carry out the divine plan, and he did so perfectly in every way. We worship him for this!
This episode looks at Luke 2:48, “And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” Mary and Joseph are rightfully upset and worried about their lost son, but they allow that to cause them to miss what God is up to with Jesus in the temple. May we avoid that fate by God’s grace.
This episode looks at Luke 2:47, “And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” All will be amazed, but only some will worship. May we be among those who not only marvel at Christ but also step further up and further into his majesty.
This episode looks at Luke 2:46, “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” Jesus stays in Jerusalem so that he can remain in the place where God meets man and learn more about God in dialogue with teachers. May we emulate this desire.
This episode looks at Luke 2:45, “and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.” Once they realize he is gone, they immediately go searching for him. May we do the same by going to the places we have seen him before and the places he has said he will be.
This episode looks at Luke 2:44, “but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search form among their relatives and acquaintances.” In this case, the community failed. But as a general principle, we should develop and take part in strong communities for the sake of building up the next generation well.
This episode looks at Luke 2:43, “And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it.” Sometimes we leave Jesus behind and don’t even notice. God help us.
This episode looks at Luke 2:42, “And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.” Jesus obeyed the law with perfect righteousness, and so through faith in him we both have our sins atoned for AND Christ’s righteousness credited to our account. We thank him for this and ask for grace to walk according to his law by the power of his Spirit in us.
This episode looks at Luke 2:41, “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.” We can take a cue from the saints of the Old Testament by not being captive to secular American time and instead to allow the Christian calendar to shape us for our good.
This episode looks at Luke 2:40, “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” In his humanity, Jesus grows up in wisdom by God’s grace. May the overflow of his grace be upon us as we also grow in wisdom.
This episode looks at Luke 2:39, “And when they had performed everything according to the Law fo the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” Repeatedly, we hear how Joseph and Mary obeyed the law of the Lord. This doesn’t go away with the mercy of Christ. Instead, we need God’s grace to obey (and teach) all that he commanded to us.
This episode looks at Luke 2:38, “And coming up that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel.” May God give us grace to search Christ out, see him, give thanks to God, and preach him to others.
This episode looks at Luke 2:37, “and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” When the eulogy of our life is written, may we be known as people wholly devoted to God at all times.
This episode looks at Luke 2:36, “And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin.” God is working a new exodus in the life of Jesus (Joshua). May we imitate Anna (Hannah) by recognizing the miraculous child of God and proclaiming his salvation to the world.
This episode looks at Luke 2:35, “(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” We pray that we will respond to Christ’s death not with opposition, but instead with the heartbroken love of Mary, while also acknowledging Christ’s tender care for us on the cross.
This episode looks at Luke 2:34, “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.” For the first time in Luke we see inklings of the future rejection of Jesus. May we have eyes and hearts to see and embrace Christ’s teaching and his work on the cross, and may we live our lives accordingly.
This episode looks at Luke 2:33, “And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.” Though they had heard and seen so many amazing things, Mary and Joseph never cease to marvel at what God is up to through Jesus. May we imitate them in doing the same thing.
This episode looks at Luke 2:32, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Jesus is a light for all nations, and we also now go out as lights to all the nations. May we carry that light well in our actions and in our words of life.
This episode looks at Luke 2:31, “that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” God has had the plan of salvation from the very beginning. Oh, what praise we can give him!
This episode looks at Luke 2:30, “for my eyes have seen your salvation.” Simeon can rest peacefully because he knows that he has seen God’s deliverance. May we desire to see God deliver us and others from captivity to the world, the flesh, and the devil, and may we also seek out freedom and liberation for physical captives as well.
This episode looks at Luke 2:29, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.” The righteous person who has seen the Savior can now look at death as if there is no death. We can truly rest in peace.
This episode looks at Luke 2:28, “he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said.” Simeon gladly receives Christ in his arms and responds in praise and thanksgiving to God. May we learn to do the same.
This episode looks at Luke 2:27, “And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law.” Simeon walked in the Spirit, and we want the same. To do this, we must devote ourselves to Christ’s teaching and pray for the Spirit to come upon us.
This episode looks at Luke 2:26, “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” God kept his promise to Simeon, he kept his promise to Israel, and so we can trust him to keep all of his promises moving forward.
This episode looks at Luke 2:25, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel.” Simeon lived rightly before God, waited well for God’s comfort to come to a struggling people, and rejoiced rightly by the Spirit’s help when the consolation came. May we go and do likewise.
This episode looks at Luke 2:24, “and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Luke emphasizes that Mary and Joseph worship God according to his prescriptions for worship. May we learn, washed clean already by the blood of Christ, to do the same.
This episode looks at Luke 2:23, “(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”). The ritual that is said (Exodus 13:2) is less significant than the one left unsaid (Numbers 18:15–16). Christ had no need of the redemption ritual because he is already set apart from sin and set apart for God’s purposes. Praise God for our sinless savior!
This episode looks at Luke 2:22, “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple according to God’s law, and this sets up responses to Christ in the following passages. May we go to the right places to meet with God, and may we respond rightly to him when he shows up.
This episode looks at Luke 2:21, “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Jesus’s name means “one who saves,” and he certainly lives up to that name. He lives perfectly under the law (signified by circumcision), so that he might redeem us from the law. Praise God!
This episode looks at Psalm 11:7, “For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” God himself is righteous, so he loves righteous actions, and those who walk according to his standard (by his forgiving and transforming grace) will receive his blessing here on earth and forevermore.
This episode looks at Psalm 11:6, “Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.” We can rightly plea to God to judge wickedness. As we do so, we should remember with gratefulness that Christ took our cup of judgment and drank it to the dregs for us.
This episode looks at Psalm 11:5, “The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” God does not play with his people, but he does bring us through times of refinement by fire. May he give us grace to persevere as he purifies us from wickedness and violence.
This episode looks at Psalm 11:4, “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven.” Yahweh sits enthroned in the heavens, and from there he watches over the earth and all that happens in it. In light of this, we repent of our sins and ask God to judge evildoers as well.
This episode looks at Psalm 11:3, “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” If our foundations are only in society, that is shifting sand. But if we put our refuge in God, we will last through the storms of life and any calamity from the wicked.
This episode looks at Psalm 11:2, “for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.” The strategy of the wicked is terror and calamity. May our hearts be still even in the face of such tactics.
This episode looks at Psalm 11:1, “To the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain.” David does not take the challenge of the wicked seriously because he knows in whom he takes refuge. May we do so as well.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:18, “to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.” We know that God will enact justice, so as we wait for him to do so we pray for confidence in the face of wickedness.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:17, “O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear.” We want God to hear us, so we stay humble and go to him in our need. The knowledge of him hearing our prayer establishes our hearts to face a harsh world.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:16, “The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.” God is the king over all and above all. This standing is why we can trust him, for he will defeat all of his enemies.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:15, “Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.” Even as we trust in the Lord’s judgment, we also call upon him to remove the evildoers’ ability to perpetrate wickedness against the helpless. We look forward to the day when their wickedness will surely be snuffed out.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:14, “But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.” God does see the evil in the world. So as we call out to him, we also trust him to judge rightly in his wise timing.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:13, “Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?” We call upon God to act not just for our good, but also ultimately for his glory.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:12, “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.” In the face of great wickedness we call on our caring, ever-present God to act. May he do so for persecuted Christians, the poor who are taken advantage of, abuse victims, and more.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:11, “He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” The wicked person sees the wicked flourishing and thinks, “God is not there. He doesn’t care.” The righteous person sees the wicked flourishing and prays, “God, you are there, and you do care, so do something, please!” And when he doesn’t, the righteous person enjoys life truly and fully by God’s help.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:10, “The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might.” The wicked person wants others to submit out of fear, but may we instead fear God alone and be freed from fearing the wicked person. God needs to do that work in us. Amen.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:9, “he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.” May we take part in God stopping this wickedness whenever we see it.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:8, “He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless.” The wicked person takes advantage of the weak and vulnerable. May God show us where we have done this as well and call us to repentance.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:7, “His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.” Like the serpent, wicked people use their speech to oppress and deceive. May we be purified in our speech, and may we be given ears to discern when someone is speaking this way.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:6, “He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” The wicked and the righteous both think they will not be shaken. The main difference is where the place their trust—the wicked in himself and the righteous in God alone.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:5, “His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.” Because the wicked does not face immediate judgment, they scoff at God’s law and at God’s people. May God bring the wicked in our lives to repentance.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:4, “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” The wicked ignore God and end up denying his very existence. May God keep us from such horrid self-sufficiency, and may he help us to call others to repent of it as well.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:3, “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.” We need God’s help to avoid the fate of the wicked. May we not be those who boast in evil things that we haven’t even accomplished. Instead may we boast in and honor Yahweh.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:2, “In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.” Only people who think too highly of themselves would take advantage of the poor when we all stand on the same playing field in common humanity. May God keep us humble and help us to protect the vulnerable.
This episode looks at Psalm 10:1, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” When we face difficulty or trial it seems as though God has left us. May we be reminded that he only brings us through what is necessary for our good and his glory.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:15, “on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” The people take about 23 days to begin building after they receive the message. That is a really quick turnaround. May we set to work quickly with the right priorities rather than always waiting for a “more convenient” time.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:14, “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.” Sometimes we need God to wake us up from our slumber. May it be so in our lives so that we live for him in all that we do.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:13, “Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” God is with us. When we have the right kind of fear, we no longer have to have the wrong kind of fear. This presence in Haggai is amplified in the dwelling of Jesus in the flesh with humans and will find ultimate fruition in the new heavens and new earth.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:12, “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.” The people hear God’s word, think about it rightly, feel in their hearts appropriately, and turn from their sin. May that be true of us as we encounter God’s word in our lives.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:11, “And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new win, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”
This episode looks at Haggai 1:10, “Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.” God disciplines his children when we sin. May we turn from sin when we receive corrective discipline, and may we come to love formative discipline. In this, may we find righteousness, holiness, and ultimately life.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:9, “You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” We get our priorities mixed up, and God’s punishment is actually a grace to wake us up when we need to be awakened to greater realities.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:8, “Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.” Repentant minds and hearts overflow into acceptable sacrifices to God. These sacrifices make much of him. May this be true of us.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:7, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.” This verse mirrors verse 5 but in a different sense. Verse 5 looks back in honest reflection at our thoughts, feelings, and actions in order to see the result of those things. Verse 7 calls us to look forward in hopes of changing our thoughts, feelings, and actions by God’s grace. May it be so.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:6, “You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” Not every hardship we experience is a discipline from God, but some of them might be. May we reflect humbly and receive correction when needed.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:5, “Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: consider your ways.” In order to live in right relationship with God, we need to look at our actions and also consider the results of our actions. May God give us clear minds to do this.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:4, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” God is shocked by how twisted their priorities have become. May he be kind to show us the areas in our lives where we have done the same.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:3, “Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet.” In his wisdom God has spoken to us through human servants (as it is inerrantly recorded in the Bible). May we have hearts that listen to God’s response to what we have spoken through our lives and words.
This episode looks at Haggai 1:2, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”
This episode looks at Haggai 1:1, “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest:” This verse sets the stage for the book of Haggai, and it also gives us a picture of the various roles God gives to his people, all of which are fulfilled by Christ Jesus.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:18, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” May we remember, pray for, send help to, and advocate on behalf of those who are suffering for the sake of Christ’s name. And may God give us undeserved help to do this and to live life in a way that honors him.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:17, “And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” May we hold one another accountable to do the ministry that God has set before us, and may he give us clarity as to what exactly our ministry should be in a world where we cannot do everything.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:16, “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.” This verse continues on the theme of interdependence between churches. We also discuss the sufficiency of Scripture even without the letter to the Laodiceans contained in it.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:15, “Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” Paul encourages the Colossians to warmly greet two nearby churches. Though we should have independent church identities, we should live with a spirit of humility and interdependence between churches.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:14, “Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.” May we love one another on to the finish line of faith like Luke, and may we watch one another so that we do not lose brothers and sisters along the way like Demas.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:13, “For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.” Paul praises Epaphras for the prayers and ministry he has done for the Colossians and others. May we not get caught up in the urgency of problems, but instead may we remember to lift up and celebrate faithful ministers of God’s word among us.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:12, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” This passage helps us understand group identity in healthy proportion, with servant hood to God as our primary identity. With this identity in place, we should eagerly desire in our prayers for all of our brothers and sisters to be brought to full maturity and assurance in God.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:11, “and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.” These Jewish believers comforted Paul in his great struggles among the Jews for evangelism (cf. Rom. 9:1–5). May we look for opportunities to by example be a comfort to others struggling in the faith.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:10, “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him).” Aristarchus suffers with Paul in prison, and even after past disagreement and desertion, Paul and Mark reconcile. May we follow their example.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:9, “and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.” May we slow down enough to be one with one another as family.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:8, “I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts.” We should desire to know how others are doing, and we should look for ways to encourage one another.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:7, “Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” May God unite us together in the body of Christ with this tight of a kinship, and may we desire to be updated on the activities of our family members.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” We want to speak the right word at the right time for maximum gospel impact. We need wisdom and help to do so.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” We want to take advantage of gospel opportunities, and we want to make those opportunities through our way of life. May God help us.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:4, “that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Sometimes the mystery of Christ is hard to understand and that makes it hard to speak clearly. May God grant us grace in both of these ways.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:3, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison.” We want opportunities, even costly ones, to proclaim the truth to others. May God bring those opportunities for us.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:2, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Paul calls us in prayer to overcome three challenges (Gerald Peterman, Moody Bible Commentary): 1) lack of dedication; 2) a sluggish approach to prayer; 3) prayers filled with requests but devoid of thanksgiving. May it be so in our prayer lives.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:31, “If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner.” We look forward to the day where this proverb will certainly come to fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth. As we await that day, we ask for God’s grace to enjoy life and do good as we trust in his sovereign plan.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” Jesus Christ, the righteous one, has purchased access for us to the tree of life by his blood. Now, we imitate him in our teaching and life, so that others who come to us may also find life as we capture their souls for Christ’s glory.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:29, “Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.” The foolish son ends up with nothing as an inheritance. But the grace of God is seen in how when the foolish son repents, he shows grace and restores him to a place of honor. May we imitate our Father when we encounter similar situations.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:28, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” We should trust in God and God alone. When we do, we will stand through all the storms of life.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:27, “Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” When we seek the good of others, we find favor from them and from God. May God give us eyes for that blessed hope.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:26, “The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.” We do not want to receive curses from others because we are stingy with our blessing. We also want to work hard to create opportunity for others to fairly purchase what they need, and we want to praise the people we know who take such action.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:25, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” When we saturate others with blessing, we will find ourselves under the hose of God’s blessings. May it be so.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:24, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” May God give us generous hearts, and when we act generously, may we find true riches.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:23, “The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath.” Righteous desires lead to the good of ourselves and others. Wicked hopes result in the fury of others and of God. May God cleanse our hearts so that we walk in holy desires.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:22, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.” Outward beauty becomes ugly if it does not match what is inside. May our inward selves be an accurate basis for our outward expressions, and may these both reflect the goodness of God.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:21, “Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.” God is just, and he will eventually judge wrongdoers. May we take joy in this truth, and may we hope for and work toward generations to come believing in this just, gracious God.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:20, “Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.” God delights when we walk in holiness, and we can only do so when our crooked hearts have been made new.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:19, “Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.” Righteousness must be our compass if we want to find life. This accentuates our need for Christ and his righteousness!
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:18, “The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.” This proverbs exhorts us to work with honesty. We should deserve the payment we receive, and we should not seek to receive a payment we do not deserve.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:17, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” We find our best in the loyal loving-kindness we show to others. May God teach us to want our best and to find it in glorifying him and loving others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:16, “A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches.” We should forsake violence and cruelty in order to embrace generosity and graciousness. This will lead to a longer-lasting, more valuable treasure than riches—namely, honor.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:15, “Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.” If we never co-sign the loan or work of others, we will rest secure. But when we do (and we should!), we should look for people we know to be trustworthy, people we can hold to some level of accountability, and people who have some personal risk in the game. May it be so.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” May God grant us the wisdom, humility, and discernment to seek advice on both macro- and micro-levels, and may we walk in success and prospering in light of that counsel.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:13, “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.” May we learn to avoid drama, attention-seeking, or self-benefit at the expense of others. May we hold confidential information in a vault unless it is something wicked that needs to be exposed.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:12, “Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.” We need to speak the right word at the right time in the right way to accomplish our desired ends. May we be people who realize truth is best delivered in the context of a healthy relationship.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:11, “By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.” The righteous will pray for the upbuilding of their city, whereas the wicked will contribute to the downfall of theirs. May we be in the first group.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:10, “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.” Do our cities do this? How can we best promote the well-being of the righteous, and how can we encourage others to rejoice at their well-being?
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:9, “With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.” We need to avoid the counsel of the godless and pursue the counsel of the ones who have the knowledge of God. This will lead to life and not corruption.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:8, “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.” We may feel crisis around us while the wicked go on prospering, but either here and now or for eternity these roles will be replaced.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:7, “When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.” When wicked people hope in their money, their hope perishes upon death. When others hope in the wicked person for security, their hope perishes upon the death of that person. May we hope in the only everlasting hope, God alone.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:6, “The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.” Evil desires stand at the root of evil actions, and those desires will enslave us should we give into them. May we be delivered by the grace of God.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:5, “The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.” Our lifestyle paths become self-perpetuating in either righteousness or wickedness. We ask God for grace for the former and freedom from the latter.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:4, “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” We can’t rely on anything but Christ and Christ alone. May it be so.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:3, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” Those who project a double-souled, double-life will end up with destruction. Those who walk in completeness will find life. May we be of those in the latter group.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” When we walk in pride, inevitably we will be exposed as broken and needy. When we acknowledge these truths about ourselves, we will by God’s grace walk in wisdom.
This episode looks at Proverbs 11:1, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.” God abhors dishonest economic practices. May we find delight in dealing honestly with others, even at great personal cost to ourselves.
This episode looks at Luke 1:80, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” John grows up with a single-minded focus: serving as the prophet of Yahweh. May we also, by the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit, pursue growth in the service of God.
This episode looks at Luke 1:79, “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” The rising of the sun is fulfilled in light being given to those in darkness so that their feet may walk in the path of peace. Jesus is that light. May he guide us in our ways, and may we be lights to others so that they might see him.
This episode looks at Luke 1:78, “because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high.” God visits his people with tender mercy with a light in dark places. May this be a comfort and joy to us.
This episode looks at Luke 1:77, “to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins.” John proclaimed the gospel as he called people to repentance and to faith in the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. May we imitate him in doing the same.
This episode looks at Luke 1:76, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” We praise God for John’s preparation for Christ, and we ask that God would do that work in our hearts and the hearts of those around us today.
This episode looks at Luke 1:75, “in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” We must walk in purity and holiness and imitate God by giving to others what is their due. May we have the wisdom of how to walk in holiness, righteousness, and grace for all of our days.
This episode looks at Luke 1:74, “that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear.” We find freedom when we are liberated from lesser authorities and enter into the service of the greatest and most benevolent authority—namely, God alone.
This episode looks at Luke 1:73, “the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us.” The holy covenant is the one he made with Abraham as he swore by himself. God is trustworthy and always keeps his promises because he cannot lie. This gives us great reason to hope even when our situations looks dire.
This episode looks at Luke 1:72, “to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant.” God raised up a horn of salvation to highlight his compassionate mercy. He is the loyal one who remembers his covenant and acts upon it despite our sinfulness. Praise God and may we trust him more and more in light of this truth.
This episode looks at Luke 1:71, “that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.” Zechariah expected political deliverance with religious implications. Jesus brings religious freedom with political implications. May we first and foremost praise Christ for his redemptive work on the cross.
This episode looks at Luke 1:70, “as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.” The story always unfolds as God says it does. We praise him for how this makes the rest of his promises reliable, and we also trust him in the midst of life’s uncertainties because we know he is working.
This episode looks at Luke 1:69, “and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” God raised up a powerful one to reign as King and deliver his people from slavery to sin. Praise God for Jesus’s work of salvation.
This episode looks at Luke 1:68, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.” Praise be to God for his redemption from our greatest captor—sin and the devil. Praise be to God that he still visits those in need and captivity today. May he do it again and again, for his glory we pray.
This episode looks at Luke 1:67, “And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,” The Spirit moves in us before we speak rightly or think rightly about God. May it be so in us.
This episode looks at Luke 1:66, “and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.” The people reflect on and anticipate great things in John. May we have eyes for God doing similarly great things in others around us.
This episode looks at Luke 1:65, “And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea.” When God moves, people fear. When people fear, they speak. May this be true more and more of us each day, and may it be true of others in our lives as well.
This episode looks at Luke 1:64, “And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.” We ask God to give us faith to believe his words, and also we ask that God would work miracles in and through us. In response to this, we ask God for hearts that will overflow in praise of his name.
This episode looks at Luke 1:63, “And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.” Zechariah does not override Elizabeth, and he instead confirms the name of their son. The people marvel at this instance of God working his will together. May we have fresh eyes of wonder from this passage, and may we also refuse bitterness when God works differently than we expect and instead humbly follow his will.
This episode looks at Luke 1:62, “And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.” The people are not open to new things, and they go to Zechariah to supersede the decision of Elizabeth. May we act contrary to the crowds in this verse by God’s grace.
This episode looks at Luke 1:61, “And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” Even against the will of the people, Elizabeth sticks to the name John. May we imitate her steadfastness.
This episode looks at Luke 1:60, “but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” Elizabeth stands for God’s will over against the will of the people. May we imitate this example.
This episode looks at Luke 1:59, “And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father.” We want to, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, obey God’s every precision specifically because of our faith in him.
This episode looks at Luke 1:58, “And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.” The neighbors rejoice because of God’s work in this miraculous way. This should remind us of how God works miracles through ordinary processes as well.
This episode looks at Luke 1:57, “Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.” Transition verses like this one can once again give us comfort and confidence as we consider the magnitude of this promise being kept. We can appreciate the growing case that God keeps every one of his promises. Praise God!
This episode looks at Luke 1:56, “And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.” Most of life is lived in passages like this one. Faithfulness is about the Magnificat moments, but it is also about the three months of unremarkable company and fellowship. May we be given grace to faithfully follow in the “normal” seasons of life.
This episode looks at Luke 1:55, “as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” God keeps his promises, and his promise includes not only Israel but rather all nations as well. Praise God!
This episode looks at Luke 1:54, “he has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.” Our merciful and gracious God sent Jesus as a help for his people. Those of us washed clean by Christ’s blood have been brought into that people, and so God’s mercy is shown to us in Christ and in myriad ways each and every day. We thank God for his mercy and we trust him for more yet to come.
This episode looks at Luke 1:53, “he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” God works good for those who need him, so if we are in a position of power or have riches, may we always come to him as needy people who are desperate for his grace.
This episode looks at Luke 1:52, “he has brought down the might from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.” Christ brings a massive reversal in the world, and both kings and peasants stand equally in need of his mercy. We also pray that Christ will remove the prideful from power and exalt humble leaders to rule in positions of authority.
This episode looks at Luke 1:51, “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.” God shows his strength in action by humbling the prideful. When we need it, would God do that to us. And when prideful people take positions of power, would God bring them down.
This episode looks at Luke 1:50, “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” God’s mercy is everlasting and overflowing to those in right relationship with him. This should evoke thanks and trust in our hearts, as well as a desire for all to be in right relationship with God.
This episode looks at Luke 1:49, “for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” God is holy—set apart, above all, worthy of praise—and he works great things in holy ways—incomprehensible to human reason. We ask for God to reveal his holiness more and more so that we can magnify him and rejoice in our inner being.
This episode looks at Luke 1:48, “for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;” This verse is about the great reversal of the lowest in society to the highest place of honor. We should imitate her in knowing who we are and knowing our need for God.
This episode looks at Luke 1:47, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” God is our Savior, and this fact fills Mary with joy. In both temporal, earthly salvations and in salvation from sin and death for eternity, may God fill us with joy in him.
This episode looks at Luke 1:46, “And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” The beginning of Mary’s Magnificat is a call to make much of God in her own soul. May we imitate Mary in this action.
This episode looks at Luke 1:45, “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Mary finds happiness and joy in trusting that God will do what he has said he will do. Even when our hearts do not believe something is possible for God, may we continue to trust him and find joy in the process.
This episode looks at Luke 1:44, “For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” Elizabeth knew whose presence she stood in, and this prompted her to rejoice in humility. May we imitate her commendable example!
This episode looks at Luke 1:43, “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth immediately recognizes Christ’s divinity, and she is shocked that the God-bearer would visit her. May we be amazed by God’s visitation of us.
This episode looks at Luke 1:42, “and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” May God help us to find joy in his work in and through others—ultimately in and through Christ.
This episode looks at Luke 1:41, “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.” May God help us to look for sightings of him in his word, work, and people. When we see him, May we praise him with joy by the Holy Spirit.
This episode looks at Luke 1:40, “and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” Mary has a single focus: seeing God’s work according to his word. May we have the same focus on Christ, his words, and his works.
This episode looks at Luke 1:39, “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah.” Mary does not waste any time to leave her home and to see Elizabeth. We desire the same eagerness to see God’s word proved true.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:11, “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” God is merciful and gracious, and he has created all things. He has the right to show mercy to whomever he desires, and so we should praise him when he does so. We should also desire to spread the news of who God is to all who need to hear it.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:10, “And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night.” We desire mercy, but too often we think it is deserved. May God (gently) remind us of our own sin, weakness, and inadequacy so that we turn to him for undeserved mercy.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:9, “But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” Jonah’s anger is actually justified: God is gracious and merciful, so when his mercy (the plant) is stripped away leaving only judgment (worm/wind/sun), Jonah had a reason for anger. The irony is that the Ninevites should feel the same if Jonah had his way.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:8, “When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah wants judgment without mercy all the way until he receives it himself. May we not have his heart, and instead may we rejoice at the sight of God’s mercy for sinners in Jesus.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:7, “But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.” When judgment comes, it makes the prior mercy only shine brighter. We should pray for an accurate view of the coming judgment so that we turn from sin and worship God for his patience and mercy.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:6, “Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort.” May our hearts rejoice with great joy at the sight of God’s mercy to us—and to others as well.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:5, “Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.” Jonah goes out and watches to see if God will act according to his own will. Instead, we should sit and wait for God to act according to God’s own will.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:4, “And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?” It is for our good that we feel how God feels. So, may it be so.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:3, “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah is the anti-Moses. Moses puts his life on the line begging God for mercy upon sinners. Jonah puts his life on the line begging God to destroy sinners. May we follow Moses in this case, thus imitating the disposition of our God.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:2, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” God reveals himself over and over again this way in the OT. We want to know this God.
This episode looks at Jonah 4:1, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.” Jonah is completely out of step with how God would have him feel regarding these things. We pray for hearts that feel as God feels and eyes that see as God sees.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:10, “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” God sees their change and relents from destroying them with the measure of destruction they have caused by their wickedness. We praise God for the joy of repentance, and we ask him to do that more and more in the lives of those around us.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:9, “Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” We have a better promise than the king of Nineveh. All those who have faith in Jesus WILL receive forgiveness for sins, for Jesus himself bore those sins on the cross. And at the same time, God remains just. Praise God!
This episode looks at Jonah 3:8, “but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.” Repentance should be in our head (“I was wrong”) and in our heart (“I feel sorrow for what I did”), but it must always culminate in action (“I will change”). May we be those who repent fully by the grace of God.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:7, “And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water.” When we repent, may it be with all we have and with our whole community. And when we see creation groaning over sin and for new creation, may we do so as well.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:6, “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.” The highest representative of earthly power is humbled before the God of the universe. May we have this same humility, in the same spot as everyone else under God, and may we also confidently proclaim the message to whoever, whenever, wherever because we know the God we serve.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:5, “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.” Just like Abraham, the people of Nineveh repent and trust in God. May we trust in God more and more each day, and may he give us a vision for an entire society-wide transformation of faith in him.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:4, “Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Jonah doesn’t canvas the whole city, and he only proclaims a message of judgment. May God give us grace to proclaim both judgment and hope, and may we do it to all people everywhere.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:3, “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.” We want eyes to see the size of wickedness before God. We also want to obey in calling out to these places according to the exact word God would have for us.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:2, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against [to; see NET Bible] it the message that I tell you.” Jonah is called to bring God’s message to the people of Nineveh. May we have the same heart to only proclaim what God would have us proclaim to the world.
This episode looks at Jonah 3:1, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying.” The book restarts here halfway through after Jonah rebelled and God saved him. We praise God for how he gave Jonah a second chance, Peter a second chance, and all of us second chances.
This episode looks at Colossians 4:1, “Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”
This episode looks at Colossians 3:25, “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” God does not show partiality based on status (master/slave), economy (rich/poor), or ethnicity (white/black/etc.). This should caution us against doing wrong, and it should comfort us that wrongdoers will receive due justice in time.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:24, “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” The grounds for our obedience and hard work is that we have a new identity (son/daughter of God). In this identity, we know we will receive a future inheritance. We don’t work to earn the inheritance, but instead we work with our eyes fixed on that inheritance.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Paul subverts the servant-master relationship by telling servants they first serve God alone. This is what makes them work hard, not their masters. May we do this in our own workplaces as well.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:22, “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” God did not design slavery from the beginning, but he did provide us regulations to avoid mistreatment of servants. Though this slavery was quite different in many ways from American slavery, we still mourn the misuse of texts like this one to abuse others. We also ask God to help us in our work relationships to honor authority and to work well because we have a right relationship with God first.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:21, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” Parents need to have their kids’ courage in mind as they parent. How does my abuse of authority or forsaking of authority cost my kids’ courage in the future? Right use of authority will help our kids face the world with courage.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Children under the authority of their parents must obey in all things (however difficult or seemingly unreasonable) insofar as that command does not go contrary to the will of God. Children should do this gladly because they know that God is pleased by their obedience.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:19, “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” Husbands have a high calling, to desire the eternal good of their wives in relation to God and to avoid harshness in the relationship. May God teach us to do these things.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:18, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” This command does not indicate any difference in value, importance, or purpose. It is not even a statement about competency to do certain things. Rather, it is a statement about “fittingness” according to God’s original design. May God help us to understand his design and faithfully live out our Christian faith according to his calling on us.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” We fix our eyes on this end, and the means of reaching it mentioned in vv. 12–16 suddenly fit rightly in the scheme. We have an end goal, and we have our means of getting there. May God give us the right order of these things. Amen.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” We let the gospel dwell richly in our community by teaching one another from the Scriptures and singing the truths of the gospel to one another. We do it all with thankfulness.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” We have peace with Christ individually. This peace overflows into corporate peace between believers. The heart posture of those who are at peace irregardless of circumstances is thanksgiving. May it be so in us.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:14, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Love is what holds all of the traits together within us. It also holds us all together as a body of believers. The love God puts in our hearts for him and for others makes the whole enterprise of the Christian faith work.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:13, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” When we put on all of the traits of 3:12, we will inevitably bear with one another and show forgiveness to one another. May God work this in us for the healing of relationships and for his glory. Amen.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:12, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” We have died with Christ and have been raised to new life. In light of this new identity, which God worked in us, we now live out these traits in life with others.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:11, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” This verse does not eliminate distinctions between us, but it does emphasize that for Christians, we have one unifying identity marker that comes first before all things: Christ. We are being renewed in the image of Christ, so we should fix our eyes on him first above all else.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:10, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” We want more knowledge so that we can more and more resemble and represent God on earth as we imitate Christ. Amen.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:9, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” The old self is dead, so why would we still walk in sin? We ask God to kill the lingering corruption in us.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:8, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” We have been made new, so we need to stop living out of our old selves. May God grant us the grace to do so.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:7, “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.” We used to live a certain way, but God has decisively changed our lives. We may still fall into sin, but our way of life has been radically transformed. Praise God, and may he complete what he started!
This episode looks at Colossians 3:6, “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” The evil in our hearts brings the wrath of God. Jesus paid for that wrath, but we ask for God to finish the job by purging the remaining evil desires from our hearts.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” In light of being raised with Christ and seeking the things where he is, we should put to death the earthly things in us. This starts at the heart level with our desires. May God give us grace to put wrongful desires to death.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:4, “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” We get tastes of the joy and glory of our new life in Christ through the sanctification process. However, we know that this new life is tucked away safely with Christ, and when he returns we will enjoy that life forevermore. May it come quickly, we pray.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:3, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Through our union with Christ, we are tucked away with him in heaven spiritually. The world cannot assail us and tear us from him. We rejoice at this truth, and we ask for grace to live in a fitting way, with our mind connected to the things where the head of our body is located.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” We want to be so heavenly minded that we are of a true, earthly good. May it be so.
This episode looks at Colossians 3:1, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” We have been raised with Christ (Colossians 2:12), so we should seek first his kingdom and turn our eyes away from both earthly problems and solutions.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:20, “Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah.” When we (or others) forget God and elevate ourselves into that position, we can actually pray that God would terrify us into remembering who we are and our need for him. May God use “rock bottom” as a means of turning us back to him whenever we turn away.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:19, “Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you!” We know that the wicked will fall, so we pray that God would come and do so.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:18, “For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.” The needy and poor most often see their desperate state before God, and thus they find wisdom and righteousness. For the righteous, there is an eternal hope of future resurrection and life with God. We long for that day, and we ask for God to continue showing us our deep need for him.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:17, “The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.” The wicked return to the dust without hope of resurrection. They have forgotten God, and he will forget them as well. We pray a prayer of thanksgiving that the wicked do not have the final word, and we also pray for those who have forgotten God to turn to him while there is still time.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:16, “The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah.” God makes himself known when the wicked receive justice. Thus, we pray a prayer of thanks for when God has executed justice, a prayer of trust when it looks like the righteous are receiving what the wicked are due, and a prayer of request for God to continue to bring justice to the world, either when sinners repent and their sins are paid for on the cross or through judgment upon the wicked even now and for eternity.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:15, “The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.” This prayer gives assurance to the request for God to show favor to the righteous. In the past (Psalm 7:15) we may have trusted that God would not let the wicked win, but we can look back at past moments where that came true and trust that God will continue to keep the wicked from winning. They will instead fall by their own devices.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:14, “that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.” We want God to show us grace and to deliver us from affliction first for his glory to be praised and second because it brings us joy. These are not at odds, so we pray for both of these things.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:13, “Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death.” God has been just, and he will establish his justice forever, so David can ask him to do so again right now. We mimic his prayer.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:12, “For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.” God so values the lives of his image bearers that he requires justice when his image bearers are oppressed or afflicted, and especially when they are killed. We pray that he will do so now either in the cross of Christ or in hell forevermore.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:11, “Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!” When we are captivated by God it makes us make music to God in our hearts (9:1–2) and pushes us into inviting us to join with us in doing so. May God grant us grace to be captivated by him and to draw others into praise with us.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:10, “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” The more we see God deliver, the more we trust him. We ask for God’s help to seek him and to know him and to have our confidence grow in him more and more.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:9, “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” God looks out for those who face injustice here on earth. Jesus came to earth, faced the ultimate injustice in order to forgive sinners, and now provides us refuge through the storms of life.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:8, “and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.” God executes judgment on the entire world with complete fairness. This should bring comfort to those found in the blood of Jesus and conviction to those who are not washed clean by that blood.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:7, “But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice.” The enemies have perished because our just God sits on the throne, and we can face injustice today with courage because we know that God still sits on the throne of heaven.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:6, “The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.” Like the flood, God obliterates wickedness. Therefore, we can have hope for him doing so in the future, and we can give thanks in the present for how he does it now in glimpses. We also know that any wickedness he allows to persist will only be for our good and his ultimate glory.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:5, “You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.” God is patient with the rebel, but ultimately his justice will be satisfied. We pray that both here on earth and for eternity the name of the wicked will rot and be blotted out. For us, we pray that our name would be attached to the name above all names—Jesus.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:4, “For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.” In this case, David was facing injustice, and God is on the side of those who face injustice. Either now, or for eternity, God will make all wrong things right. He does so from the throne of heaven.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:3, “When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence.” God alone brings the victory. He strengthens us, helps us, and upholds through trials and crises. This is what grounds our thanksgiving to him.
This episode looks at Psalm 9:2, “I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” The Christian life is a joy-filled life. May this be true of us!
This episode looks at Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Laments cry out to God in present difficulty. Thanksgivings cry out to God about past difficulty. We need God’s help to stop and praise him with thanksgiving when he shows kindness to us.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:9, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” We serve a majestic God who has elevated humanity for his name’s sake. We want to live out our calling well, by his grace, for his glory.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:8, “the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” All of our dominion over creation should help us to more and more fill the earth with God’s glory. Humans should work well and rule over creation as part of resembling and representing God on earth.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:7, “all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field.” We want to rule over creation well, thus imitating Christ as we do so. We want to neither abuse nor glorify creation, and we instead care for it conscientiously and enjoy it just as God does according to Psalm 104.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:6, “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” When Christ rose from the dead, he rose to the throne of God. He now rules over all things, including death, which he defeated. Though we don’t see this reality clearly now, we will when Christ returns. For now, we ask for wisdom to rule over creation for God’s glory and for our good as we await the second coming of Christ.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:5, “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” Christ became lower than the angels in death, but upon his resurrection he ascended to glory and honor. Mankind was created just a bit lower than the heavenly beings, but God crowned us with glory and honor as his image bearers. We resemble and reflect our great Lord Jesus.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:4, “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” The son of man refers to the coming of Jesus (cf. Dan 7:10–14; Heb 2:6–8). The Father cares for Jesus because he is the Son of God and lives according to God’s will. God cares for man because we are made to bear his image and be conformed to the image of the Son. Our value comes from that purpose and not from anything inherent in ourselves.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:3, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.” The heavens are massive, and yet God put them in place like an artist. We are shocked with wonder by God’s care for the heavens.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:2, “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” We need eyes to see Jesus and worship him like the children in Matthew 21. May God grant us those fresh eyes of wonder to worship our majestic Savior.
This episode looks at Psalm 8:1, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” May God fill us with eyes to see and hearts to worship him alone—the one who stands majestic over all things!
This episode looks at Luke 1:38, “And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. If we follow God, we should emulate Mary in desiring for his word to be carried out in our lives.
This episode looks at Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” This verse, drawn from the story of Abraham and Sarah having a baby after childbearing years, reminds us that God has done, and do, and will do impossible things for his glory and our good. We can face anything life has to throw at us when we believe this truth.
This episode looks at Luke 1:36, “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.” We can look at what God has done in the lives of those around us in order to draw hope for what God will do moving forward into the future. May God grant us grace to do this.
This episode looks at Luke 1:35, “And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, creates something out of nothing in Mary’s womb, and thus the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, is conceived in Mary’s womb as fully God and fully man. Praise God for his wisdom in giving us the perfect representative for man and the only acceptable sacrifice for sins before God.
This episode looks at Luke 1:34, “And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Mary doesn’t ask for proof like Zechariah in his doubt. Instead, Mary asks a process question: How is God going to work this out? When we face seemingly impossible situations, may we not doubt God’s ability to keep his promises, but instead may we disbelieve only out of lack of understanding. Disbelieve stands under God and asks him for help to understand; Doubt stands over God and tells him to prove himself.
This episode looks at Luke 1:33, “and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” King Jesus comes to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament looking forward to a Messiah King on the throne of David. Not only will he rule over Jacob, however, but his kingdom will have no end, and his people will reign with him. We yearn for this day. Come, King Jesus, come.
This episode looks at Luke 1:32, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.” This verse gives us three more reasons to stand humbled and amazed before our great God and King, Jesus (cf. Titus 2:13). Jesus is God, and Jesus is coming as King (and now reigns as King!). We praise God for our King.
This episode looks at Luke 1:31, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” We praise God for the fully human, fully divine conception of our Savior. We also praise God for Jesus, whose name means “salvation.”
This episode looks at Luke 1:30, “And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Mary’s humble response in verse 29 only serves to highlight the axiom that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. God has poured out his grace upon Mary, not because she has done great things to deserve it but instead because she knows how low she is compared to the most high God. May we have similar hearts that ask for humility so that we can stand in the pathway of grace.
This episode looks at Luke 1:29, “But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” Zechariah was also troubled by his meeting with an angel, but his trouble came from sight not substance. May God give us grace to wrestle not with our first impression of his word or of others, but instead to wrestle deeply with substance of his word and the word of others.
This episode looks at Luke 1:28, “And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” God poured out his grace upon Mary, and he exhibits his grace toward her in his presence with her. He pours out his grace toward us in his presence with us by the Holy Spirit.
This episode looks at Luke 1:27, “to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.” In this act of God we see his wisdom (knowing where to go to find a woman of extreme faith and the way to make her capable of divine things), power (giving a child to the womb of a virgin), goodness (elevating the lowliest of society), and freedom (ability to do what he pleases as God).
This episode looks at Luke 1:26, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.” We are reminded once again that God cares about the little guy. May we not think we have value in ourselves to merit God’s favor, and instead live in light of the truth that the all-valuable one gives us value.
This episode looks at Luke 1:25, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” God does not stand far off and look down on us lowly people. He draws near to us when we are in need, and he is always kindly working for our good.
This episode looks at Luke 1:24, “After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,” We have a God who keeps his promises despite our doubts. We also need help from God in how best to serve others like Elizabeth did in concealing her pregnancy, and we need eyes to rejoice not only in the big markers of God’s faithfulness but in his gradual goodness as well.
This episode looks at Luke 1:23, “And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.” Though he fell into doubts about God’s faithfulness, Zechariah continued serving God. We need help to persevere through doubt and to continue fellowshipping with other believers, reading Scripture, and praying. May God do this for us in our lives.
This episode looks at Luke 1:22, “And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.” Zechariah’s unbelief kept him from proclaiming the joyful prophecy God had given to him. That, in turn, kept others from rejoicing in hope. May our own doubts not hinder us from bringing joy to others.
This episode looks at Luke 1:21, “And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.” God gives the people incredible grace to have patience as they wait on Zechariah to come from the temple, and additionally to wait upon God in the midst of their oppression by Rome. May God give us the same patience in our trials, and also the same wonder when we see small signs of God potentially working.
This episode looks at Luke 1:20, “And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” Zechariah asked for a sign, and the sign was that he would not be able to speak until God had brought his promises to pass. Francois Lambert helpfully comments about the dangers of mixing a heart of doubt with God’s truth. In reality, that is mixing lies with truth. We need God’s help to not mix lies of doubt with his truth in Scripture.
This episode looks at Luke 1:19, “And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” We need help believing that our God can do all things. When he gives us a message in his word, or when we start seeing answers to our prayers, we should not doubt God’s ability to keep his promises or attribute his working to random happenstance. Instead, we ask for hearts to believe his message and to know the power of the message-giver.
This episode looks at Luke 1:18, “And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Zechariah responds to the angel answering his prayer with doubt and unbelief. With years of God’s faithfulness to look at (i.e. Abraham/Sarah, Hannah), Zechariah still doesn’t believe. May we dive deep into Scripture and Christian history as opportunities to strengthen our own faith in the face of present suffering or trials.
This episode looks at Luke 1:17, “and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” John went before God to prepare people for his coming in Christ. We now carry this message of hope and repentance to others before Christ’s second coming. May God prepare our hearts to be that kind of people.
This episode looks at Luke 1:16, “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” John the Baptist acted as a prophet/priest, calling people to repentance and representing them before God. We now, by faith in our ultimate high Priest, Jesus, serve as part of a kingdom of priests calling others away from sin and to Christ. May God grant us grace to do so.
This episode looks at John 1:15, “for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” We praise God for how John is not commended for “success” but rather faithfulness to God’s call. We praise God for how John is set apart from any control by a substance and is controlled by the Spirit alone. We praise God for his work by the Spirit in John even before birth and what that means for infants now. We have so much to rejoice in from this verse!
This episode looks at Luke 1:14, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” The people rejoice in God’s kindness to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and this rejoicing should culminate in the one whom John prepares the way for—Jesus. May our rejoicing in the kindness of God to others who are struggling help us lift our eyes to Jesus, the ultimate substance of lasting joy.
This episode looks at Luke 1:13, “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” God meets Zechariah and Elizabeth’s need personally even as he is working together a worldwide story of his glory. Praise God for his wisdom!
This episode looks at Luke 1:12, “And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.” We need the right kind of fear—the kind of fear that sees God as fear-worthy yet runs to him and not from him. May God help us to fear rightly and believe his word to us.
This episode looks at Luke 1:11, “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Into silence, God sent his messenger. Into our silence today, we need God’s grace to listen to his message to us contained in the Scriptures.
This episode looks at Luke 1:10, “And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.” Several pieces jump out from this text: 1) We don’t need to pray according to the temple cult because Jesus has given us direct access to God. 2) We want to pray not only out of ritual but with complete hope. 3) We should pray with others as a we encourage one another through prayer.
This episode looks at Luke 1:9, “according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.” When crisis comes, we want to continue faithfully serving God, and we want to bring our requests to him in prayer. May God give us grace to go against our natural inclinations of running away and hiding so that we will turn to him in times of need.
This episode looks at Luke 1:8, “Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty.” We have seen how Zechariah and Elizabeth were walking in righteousness and still did not have a child. Now we transition in the story by seeing Zechariah go back to serving the Lord. May God give us grace to persevere in the midst of trials as we wait upon the Lord. May he help us to trust that he is out for our good even if the best for us is something we never could have envisioned.
This episode looks at Luke 1:7, “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” The spiritual barrenness of the community had manifested in physical barrenness for Elizabeth, they themselves were righteous before God. We pray from this verse that like he did for Elizabeth God would bring life out of death in our lives today, both physically here and now on earth but ultimately into eternity with him forever.
This episode looks at Luke 1:6, “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” Zechariah and Elizabeth had a true righteousness in the sight of God. We want the same thing, and we can’t have it apart from faith. So we ask God to give us grace to not make obedience to his commands an idol, and for us to instead have a secure faith in Christ which overflows in obedience to God’s commands.
This episode looks at Luke 1:5, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” We can thank God for using two seemingly average people compared to a “king” in order to carry out his plan. We thank God for initiating a second Exodus, not from earthly slavery but from slavery to sin.
This episode looks at Luke 1:4, “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” Luke gives us the facts not so that we would only know the accurate story of Jesus, but also so that we would be certain in our hearts that Jesus is Lord. May it be so in our lives.
This episode looks at Luke 1:3, “it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.” Luke has an intended message to convey through his story. May God give us grace to see the message of the Bible as we read it.
This episode looks at Luke 1:2, “just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us.” We thank God for Luke putting in the work to bring us this reliable work. We ask God for the grace to trust his word, because his word is truth even if we were not there to see the events with our own eyes.
This episode looks at Luke 1:1, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us.” Luke acknowledges that others have written about God’s work in history, and he situates his work in conjunction with theirs. We take great comfort in God’s actions in space-time history. We don’t serve a passive bystander of a God; no, instead we serve the God who acts on our behalf in history for the joy of all peoples.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:10, “And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” God commands all things with just his voice. He doesn’t need to offer the fish a treat for it to obey him; no, on the contrary, he speaks, and creation listens. We praise our powerful God, and we also look forward to the day when our bodies will be brought forth from out of the ground and made new in Christ.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:9, “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” Salvation belongs to God, but have we recognized our need for it? Jonah didn’t, so he could say true statements without actually coming to the place of repenting of his sins. We ask for grace to not walk in the same folly.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:8, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Idols are empty, whereas God is the substance of true worship. We confess our idolatry to other things and ask God to help us fix our eyes on him and him alone.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:7, “When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.” Jonah’s prayer was heard by God, but it was not Jonah remembering God, it was God remembering Jonah. We need to face trials and suffering not being impressed by our own faith in God but instead by his mercy and grace to us throughout the whole ordeal.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:6, “at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.” When we are at the end of our rope we look to God. God, and God alone, can save us from our suffering and ultimately from the Pit of Hell.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:5, “The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head.” We don’t need to deny the realities of life. We need help to look beyond them and to look to Christ.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:4, “Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple!’” When we face suffering, we should resolve to persist in prayer. If we are suffering due to sin, we repent and turn to God. If our suffering is not due to sin, we ask God for grace and help while the suffering lasts and for him to use the suffering for our ultimate good.
His episode looks at Jonah 2:3, “For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.” Yes, even suffering comes from God. He is the one who cast Jonah into the sea. He is the one who made the man in John 9 born blind. He does this for his glory and ultimately for our good. So, we look to him and trust him through hard situations.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:2, “saying, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.” God is a God who hears his people. When we call to him, he listens. This provides a reason to run to him and a reason to praise him.
This episode looks at Jonah 2:1, “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish.” Even though he is still in the fish, Jonah can pray to God about his deliverance. We need to follow that posture and ask God for help to turn to him even when we are in the midst of trials and suffering.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:23, “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” Indeed, man-made religion appears good at times—like fools’ gold. Instead of settling for the stuff that can’t actually transform us, we ask for grace to push onward to the substance of faith: Christ alone and supreme over all things.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:22, “(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?” We cannot make lesser things the main thing! And we need God’s grace to do this well. That is what we pray for from this passage.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:21, “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” This verse, similar to 2:16 reflects the ideas of a man-made philosophy that cannot save us but instead leads to death. We ask for discernment to understand the Scriptures and to know what is from God and what is not from God.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:20, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—” We can’t live like we haven’t died to both sin and the philosophies and spirits of the world. We need God’s help to move out of those old ways and habits and into newness of life.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:19, “and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” The church, unlike chickens, cannot run without our head. We need Christ for life, unity, and growth. We look to him and ask for grace to hold fast to him.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:18, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind.” We do not need to subtract from (“don’t enjoy God’s gifts”) or add to (“worship angels”) God’s word to us. We must fix our eyes on Christ alone.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:17, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” We don’t need to add things to what the Bible says about relationship with God. We must keep Christ at the root and our works as the fruit of this relationship.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:16, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” We need to know our foundation (Christ) so well that we can push back when others say we must do something or cannot do something in order to follow Christ. We also need to know the foundation well so that we can help others line their life up with what we believe.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:15, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” When Christ forgives us of our sins while also satisfying God’s justice, the devil is stripped of his power to accuse us before God. We can live confidently in the knowledge of our forgiveness, and in Christ we also conquer over the devil. Good news, indeed!
This episode looks at Colossians 2:14, “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Our sins have been forgiven because justice has been satisfied and the legal demands of our sin have been paid for on the cross of Christ. May we live in this freedom and look to no one else but Christ for our comfort and security.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:13, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” We were DEAD! Yet, God made us alive together with Christ, thus forgiving us of our sins through faith in Jesus. We praise God for doing the work of granting us new life, thanking him and then living in a holy manner from the overflow of our new life.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:12, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” As recipients of heart circumcision, when we respond in baptism we see a clear picture of our dead hearts being raised to new life in Christ. We should praise the one who alone can bring the dead to life, thus refusing to look to any man-made philosophies or lesser spirits.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:11, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.” Old Testament circumcision pointed forward to New Testament heart circumcision. We look to Christ and not to man because in him alone do we receive transformation for our hearts.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:10, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” The one who rules all things offers us all things in relationship with him. We praise God for that reality and ask him to fill us more and more with his fullness.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:9, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” We shouldn’t be taken captive by man-made philosophies or lesser spirits because we want God and God alone! We can find him in Christ, so we shouldn’t seek anywhere else.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” We need help to not fall under the influence of systems of thought that seek to add to or subtract from our Christian faith. We ask for this help to think clearly and for teachers and peers to come alongside of us in this pursuit.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:7, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” This verse fleshes out what it means to walk in Christ. We walk in Christ by relying upon him as our life-giving source, by building our lives on him as the foundation, and by confirming in our lives all the things we have been taught. We also must overflow with gratitude at all times for his work in us.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:6, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” Our actions must line up with our beliefs! We need God’s help to live according to what we know to be true. We want to practice what we preach.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:17, “I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.” We give thanks to our righteous God because we know he will do what is right. We praise our God because he is above all and most worthy. Our thanks and praise actually help us enjoy good things and endure hard things.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:16, “His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.” Patterns of trouble will eventually come back and destroy us, both here on earth, but especially into eternity barring repentance.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:15, “He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.” Those who unrepentantly commit evil will have that evil returned upon them, either in this life or in eternal judgment. This cautions us to repent and not willingly continue in sin. It also calls us to turn the other cheek and defer to God’s judgment as we call others to repentance.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:14, “Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.” Wickedness doesn’t just happen. It is something that we carry inside of us and give life to over time. We need eyes to identify the wickedness in our own hearts and to turn from that evil.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:13, “he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.” Again, we call on the Lord to fill us with his desire to patiently seek after the repentance of all people. At the same time, we also confidently look forward to the day when all wrongs will be made right.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:12, “If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;” We know God is patient with sinners like us, but we also praise him for bringing justice in time. While that patience persists, we ask that God would use us to reach others with the good news of forgiveness and salvation.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:11, “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” The heart behind this verse is that God alone judges the righteous and that he will not let the wicked go unpunished. From this, we pray for God to make all things right even now on earth but especially in the age to come. We also confess our own sins and need for God’s continuing transformation along with asking God to save our lost friends and neighbors.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:10, “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.” The posture of our hearts should help us move from crisis to trust as we acknowledge God as our shield from trials, hardships, and suffering. We continue to confess our sins as well, knowing that God saves the upright in heart.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:9, “Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who get the minds and hearts, O righteous God!” We all have a universal longing for righteousness to be established and wickedness ended. We pray that God will do that, beginning with our own hearts and minds.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:8, “The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness.” There will be a judgment, and it will be based on God’s righteous standards. We need the righteousness of Christ to see us through that day. For those who believe in Christ, judgment day can be a source of hope and a motivator to proclaim the good news to others.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:7, “Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high.” We can pray for justice in our individual lives. We can pray for justice in interpersonal situations. We can also pray for justice to be enacted on a global scale. We ask for God to reign actively over all nations. Amen.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:6, “Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.” We know that God doesn’t sleep or slumber (Psalm 121:3–4), but sometimes it seems like that. When it does, we call on the justice of God for him to act and make wrong things right! We also ask for trust that we would know he knows best in waiting for justice.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:5, “let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.” We should pray for God’s justice to be done here on earth, including in our own lives. What that means is that we want all sin to be atoned for, either on the cross of Christ through faith or in the punishment of sinners.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:4, “if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause.” Again, when we face unjust suffering, we can call on the God of justice to make things right. In particular, we should avoid the heinous evils of betraying the trust of friends or plundering enemies unjustly ourselves.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:3, “O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,” We can acknowledge a distinction between being righteous and being right in a particular instance. When we are in the right and have been wronged we can and should pray to God for deliverance.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:2, “lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.” The devil, like Saul in this Psalm, prowls around trying to devour us. We pray for our Good Shepherd to deliver us from his attempts to destroy and to bring us into the abundant life he offers.
This episode looks at Psalm 7:1 “A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.” We call on God to deliver us from the trials, temptations, and tortures of the evil one because we have taken refuge in God.
This episode looks at Luke 2:20, “In the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Our hearts’ desire is to join with the shepherds in making much of God. We do that by praising him for who he is and what he has done.
This episode looks at Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” We can follow the example of Mary’s faith and holiness by treasuring up the truths we see in Scripture and the experiences God brings us through. We can then, by God’s grace, ponder these things deeply and savor them joyfully.
This episode looks at Luke 2:18, “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” We want to, like the people the shepherds told the good news to, be blown away by the beauty of Christmas. We need God to grant us that sense of wonder.
This episode looks at Luke 2:17, “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.” The shepherds hear the good news, see it with their own eyes, and then tell it to all who will hear. We want to live with that same earnest desire to share the good news with others!
This episode looks at Luke 2:16, “And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” The shepherds immediately obey God’s word, and they find the situation exactly how he said it would be at the manger. We again encounter the humility of the Son of God in the manger as well. May we have the same obedience as the shepherds when we encounter God’s word, and may we also experience the same joy when we see God deliver on his promises.
This episode looks at Luke 2:15, “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” The shepherds recognized that the angel had brought the word of the Lord to them. Then they dropped everything to go see the Christ child. We want to have the same attitude as the shepherds when God’s word is made known to us.
This episode looks at Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” All glory belongs to God for his wonderful work in the world! Also, we can have peace with him and one another because of his work in sending Jesus to make peace with sinners. The Father is pleased with the Son (Luke 3:22), and so he is also pleased with those of us who are in the Son.
This episode looks at Luke 2:13, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,” The angels primarily do two things in the Scriptures: Praise God and minister to humans on behalf of God. Both of these tasks come together in Luke 2. We thank God for their ministry to us, and we also ask God for help to join in with the angels in praising God.
This episode looks at Luke 2:12, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” The sign did not match the message according to human wisdom. However, according to God’s wisdom, this humble and gracious sign highlights God’s love and kindness.
This episode looks at Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This verse sums up the good news of the gospel. A fully God, fully man Savior has been born for sinners. Praise God for good news!
This episode looks at Luke 2:10, “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Jesus’s coming means that great fear can be alleviated by great joy. We have a great joy because Jesus came to seek and save lost people. We also can have great joy at the sight of others coming to know Jesus. May God fill our hearts with great joy, and may that great joy spark us to tell others the good news of Jesus.
This episode looks at Luke 2:9, “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.” When the holiness of God shines forth, sinners should be terrified. But when God alleviates that fear, we should desire to behold his holiness, be transformed into that holiness, and live for God’s glory in holiness. May it be so.
This episode looks at Luke 2:8, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” We thank God for coming to the lowly and outcast of society. We thank God for coming to seek and save lost sheep like us. Finally, we ask God for help to accomplish our callings in life with the same diligence as these shepherds.
This episode looks at Luke 2:7, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” We can rejoice again at the humility of the Son of God to condescend to human form for us. We can rejoice along with the animals in the stable at the strength, patience, and innocence this gift of gifts brings to us.
This episode looks at Luke 2:6, “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.” We should rejoice at the natural processes of Mary’s pregnancy. Jesus did not magically appear as a human. He did not take over a human already alive. No, Jesus is fully God and fully man, and that was from the very beginning of Mary’s pregnancy. Praise God for our fully human Savior.
This episode looks at Luke 2:5, “to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.” This verse again points to the sovereignty of God, and it also highlights the humility of Mary. This humility shown by the mother of God helps us see even clearer the humility of the Son of God in his coming to earth. Praise God for his kindness in condescending to us!
This episode looks at Luke 2:4, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David.” This verse points us to the faithfulness of God in keeping his promises. It also points us to the right relationship with and satisfaction in God we can find through the bread of life, Jesus, born in the house of bread, Bethlehem.
This episode looks at Luke 2:3, “And all went to be registered, each to his own town.” We can continue to marvel at how God orchestrates worldwide events to accomplish his purposes—namely, the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem. Praise God for how he keeps his promises (cf. Micah 5:2).
This episode looks at Luke 2:2, “This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Luke situates Jesus’s birth on the global stage so that we can see how Jesus’s birth has global impact. May God give us a vision for that global impact in order to drive us to praise and to mission.
This episode looks at Luke 2:1, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” God controls even the highest political power in the land for his own glory and for the joy of his people. Praise God!
This episode looks at Jonah 1:17, “And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah thought he was going to his death, but God had planned beforehand for these things to occur, and he was not done with Jonah yet. We praise God for his control of all things, and for how this story prepares the way for Jesus to come, die, and rise again.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:16, “Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.” By the end of Jonah 1, the Israelite prophet has been judged, and the pagan sailors are worshipping Yahweh. What a reversal! May God break us from only focusing on our own people and give us a grand vision for reaching all peoples with the good news—starting with our next door neighbors.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:15, “So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.” Jonah willingly goes to his death for his own sins, thus saving the sailors. Christ willingly goes to his death for not his own sins but for ours, thus saving all who have faith in him. Jesus, thank you for the cross!
This episode looks at Jonah 1:14, “Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” The men beg Yahweh not to punish them for taking Jonah’s life as they are about to throw him overboard into the sea. They acknowledge that God has done as it pleased him, and so in that they proclaim that God’s judgments are just. May we come to love the just judgments of God.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:13, “Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.” The pagan sailors shame Jonah because they want to do whatever they can to save his life. Ironically, he had done little to nothing for them and nothing for the Ninevites to save theirs. We have good news to remedy the bad news of sin and eternal judgment. May God give us enough love to urgently proclaim this news to a lost world!
This episode looks at Jonah 1:12, “He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, qfor I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Jonah knows that he deserves judgment for his rebellion. Christ came and died for us when we were the rebels and he was sinless. Praise Jesus!
This episode looks at Jonah 1:11, “Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.” God is in control of all things at all times in all places. And we can trust him even when the storms of life are raging.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:10, “Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.” The men on the ship seem to be growing in their knowledge of Yahweh, and perhaps even in faith. They express the same moral sentiment as God did in the garden (cf. Gen 3:13), and they know that Jonah has made a grievous mistake in fleeing from the LORD. May God grant us this same high view of who he is and of what he is like.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:9, “And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Finally, Jonah comes out and says who he is and who the God is that he serves. We can use this as a model for our own proclamation of who we serve. God’s identity as Creator is a huge piece of who he is and why we worship him.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:8, “Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” The mariners desperately want to know who the god is that is mad at them. Jonah, a prophet of the one true God, should have already told them these things, but instead they need to drag it out of him. May God give us grace to boldly share our identity and the good news of the gospel with others.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:7, “And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.” We should go directly to God in the name of Christ when we need wisdom or help. We also shouldn’t need pagans to show great faith and shame us for our own lack of faith. We need God’s help to live with this kind of faith.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:6, “So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” The captain of the ship gives Jonah the same command he received from God in the beginning, “Arise, call out!” This wakes Jonah up from his slumber. We need to be reminded to call out to God again when we are stuck in sin. Thankfully, we have the confidence that when we do, he will give thought to us, and we will not perish.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:5, “Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.” When we sin, many times God will discipline us like a loving Father to correct our path. We need help not to sleep through his correction and sleepwalk into more and more sin.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:4, “But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a might tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.” God called Jonah to the “great” city of Nineveh, but when Jonah fled, God reminded him that he alone is truly “great” and over all things, including the wind and sea. This is a great comfort when we love God, but it should be a mighty caution when we are running from him.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:3, “But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah rises up and then immediately does the opposite of what God commands. He tries to hide from God, but we know that God is the God of the whole earth. May we not run from God, but instead run to him.
This episode looks at Jonah 1:2, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” Our mission in this world is not only to tell people about God’s love. We also must talk about the bad news of sin and righteous judgment. Praise God that the bad news makes the good news even better!
This episode looks at Jonah 1:1, “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,”. We need humble hearts to receive God’s word, even when it hits us in unexpected ways like it did to Jonah.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:32, “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.” We want to be able to discern righteous versus unrighteous speech. Then we want our lips to only speak the righteous ones. We need God’s help to form our character and heart in such a way that we do this.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:31, “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.” What we plant in our heart will either bring forth the fruit of wisdom or a weed that needs to be removed. May God give us grace to plant truth in our hearts.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:30, “The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.” The righteous inherit God’s promises, but the wicked do not. May God give us the hearts to obey him by his grace so that we walk confidently as heirs to all of his promises.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:29, “The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.” The way of the LORD is like a castle. When we walk in obedience and integrity (by God’s grace), we experience the comfort and security of right relationship with him. If we forsake his way and choose wickedness, then when trials or final judgment comes we will only have terror, dread, and destruction.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:28, “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” More and more as life goes on, the righteous person will see God deliver on his promises and that will bring joy. The wicked, on the other hand, will more and more see the unrighteous desires of their heart bring deep and lasting disappointment.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:27, “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.” This proverb is true on two horizons. The wicked will more likely put themselves in compromised situations that could cause death here in this life, but also they will have few years here and now compared to eternal death forever. May God give us grace to fear him—honor, respect, and revere him—and to turn to him for forgiveness in Jesus.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:26, “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.” The one who sends a lazy person on a task will be bitterly disappointed. We want to work hard so that we don’t leave others with that feeling, and we ask for discernment to know how to help the lazy people under our influence.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:25, “When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.” Here in this life the wicked have a foundation on which to stand when trials and suffering comes. But most importantly, in the final judgment only those found in Christ will remain standing. May we build our lives on the rock of Christ for now and for eternity.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:24, “What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.” God uses our worst dread and our greatest desire to help us want him more. Our terror coming true causes us to run to him for refuge. Our righteous desires helps us to run to him—the greatest joy in the world. May God be kind to use these things to draw us to him.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:23, “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.” Sin is no laughing matter. But we can and should find joy and pleasure in the things of God. We need his help to do that.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow to it.” God alone brings the blessings, though we work hard as well. Also, for the righteous, there will be no final judgment or sorrow to repay us for wicked riches we have gained in this life. We have great comfort and we call for the repentance of others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:21, “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.” Wise words give life, while fools who lack a heart full of wisdom can only bring death. Our prayer is simple: God, make us the righteous speakers of life.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:20, “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.” Words or righteousness should be treasured. Words of wickedness should be thrown away. We need help to speak according to righteousness, and we need help to discern words that don’t have any value.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:19, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” The more we speak recklessly, the greater the chance for sin. Instead, we need to have the reigns over our tongues and speak the right words at the right times. Lord, help us.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:18, “The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.” We should speak truth in love instead of covering up hatred. We need wisdom to do this without sinning ourselves. We also need grace to speak slowly without slander of others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:17, “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.” We want to be people who find life by listening to the Scripture’s instructions and wise mentors’ instructions. We also want to avoid the pathway of wandering about and being led astray, so we should learn to love and appreciate reproof.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:16, “The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.” This verse almost exactly parallels Romans 6:23, and in it we see an important truth: in this life the righteous will have more life than the wicked, but the ultimate fulfillment of this Proverbs is that sin will lead to death, but faith in Christ’s righteousness will lead to eternal life forevermore. May God help us to trust in that truth more and more each day.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:15, “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.” Some moderate form of wealth brings us security in the face of life’s trials. May God give us grace to work hard for this wealth, the joy to praise God for it, and compassion on those working hard and not having it. Would we also not trust in those riches but instead trust in the one who gives them—namely, God.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:14, “The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.” The heart is a storehouse of knowledge from which wisdom overflows. Those who lack this firm foundation speech foolishly and bring ruin to themselves and others. We ask for God to give us dispositions valuing wisdom and thus speech which builds up and does not tear down.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:13, “On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.” Wisdom is found on the lips and stored in the heart. We ask for God to discipline us into a state of having a heart stored up with wisdom.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” Words of hate cause quarrels, but words of love can heal wounds in ourselves and others. May God give us grace to love and not hate, while all the while standing for truth.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:11, “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” We ask God to do a work in our hearts so that they overflow life-giving words and not words that lead to death. We also want to intake words that will help our hearts to overflow with well-timed words according to the need of the situation.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:10, “Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin.” Conscious deceit and ignorant speech both cause harm to others and to self. We pray for help to avoid these pitfalls and for discernment to see them in others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:9, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” We want to live in such a way that we have nothing to hide. What we say lines up with what we do. What we believe lines up with how we act. Those who twist their ways will have their acts made known under the light of judgment in God’s timing. May God give us grace to live with integrity.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:8, “The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.” May God give us grace to listen quickly with humility before his word and before good teachers. May he give us grace to do this before speaking on and on as fools.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.” The righteous life blesses those who remember it, and they will also in turn honor the life lived. The memory of wicked person smells worse and worse over time. May God give us grace to live a life worth blessing, and may we honor those who have lived well who have gone before us.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:6, “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” In a working world we would receive honor for righteous living. The wicked do not receive this honor because of their sly, crafty, deceptive speech that covers up their violence. May God cleanse our mouths of such speech and give us discernment and boldness to recognize and call out such speech in others.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:5, “He who gathers in the summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” Maturity is all about timing. We need to know how to make the right decisions at the right time. We need to know how to harvest well and how to avoid sleeping through the actions we should be taking. May God give us grace.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:4, “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Hard work leads to needs being met (cf. 10:3), whereas laziness leads to poverty. This does not always prove true in a cursed world, so we cry out for God to bring his kingdom to earth. This also should drive us to prayer asking for grace to work hard even when we don’t see the results of this proverb.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:3, “The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.” We can be forever satisfied in God regardless of our circumstances. The cravings of the wicked will always overpromise and under deliver. May God give us his righteousness to walk in his ways and be satisfied in him.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:2, “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.” Wicked treasures over-promise and under-deliver. They will prove empty on the day we need them. Righteousness, on the other hand, will deliver us from death. May God give us hearts to desire righteousness over wicked treasures.
This episode looks at Proverbs 10:1, “The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.” This episode looks at two important pieces to understanding Proverbs: 1) This is how a deed-consequence way of wisdom should work in a rightly ordered world. 2) Wisdom is fulfilled in Jesus. Then we ask the question, “Does my life bring joy to my parents?”
This episode looks at 2 John 1:13, “The children of your elect sister greet you.” We can warmly greet and lock arms with Christians from other churches. May God give us eyes for and an appreciation toward Christians from other all over the world and other churches in our neighborhood. May we resist the urge to say we are the only ones who have things right, but instead put aside minor differences for the sake of Christ’s name. We still care about truth, but we can still warmly have affection toward those with small differences.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:12, “Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” May God give us complete joy in our local fellowships as we speak about who Christ is and what he has done for us. May God give us complete joy as we live out the commandments of God in love toward one another.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:11, “for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” When we invite in, platform, show hospitality to, pray for, and financially support false teachers, we actually in a real way take part in the destruction their teaching brings. However, when we do these things for good teachers, we actually in a real way take part in the good fruit their teaching brings. May God give us discernment and courage to take part in the works of good teachers only.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:10, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.” We need wisdom to not invite false teaching into our churches as if it is truly part of the teaching of Christ. May God give us that wisdom.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:9, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” Would God give us grace to love the teaching by Christ about Christ revealed to us in the Scriptures. Would we not “go on ahead” for selfish gain or out of ignorance.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:8, “Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.” In a world full of deceivers, may God give us grace to watch ourselves and to love truth. We ask for God to unite us in truth and love with other believers so that we will not lose the ground we have worked hard to gain and so that we will inherit forever rewards in heaven.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:7, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” We pray for eyes to see where others around us, especially those who claim to be Christians, have twisted the truth. We pray for strength to contend for truth in the marketplace of ideas and where truth is tarnished and deceivers run rampant.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:6, “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” We are commanded to love one another. We love one another by obeying the commandments. May God give us grace to act out our love for one another in accordance with all of his counsel in the Scriptures about how we should live.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:5, “And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.” We need help from God to walk in the very same commandment Jesus gave in John 13–love one another. May we be a community marked by sacrificial love for the sake of our joy and for God’s glory. Sacrificial love is ultimately what is best for us! May we have eyes to want this and to act this out as believers together.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:4, “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.” May God give us hearts that rejoice at the good he is doing in the lives of others around us. May he also help us to walk the slow plod of life one foot in front of the other keeping in step with the truth.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:3, “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.” Lavish riches, respite from suffering and punishment, and completeness all flow from a right relationship with God. May God help us to walk in truth and love so that we experience these sweet blessings.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:2, “because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:”. We love because God, who is love, dwells in us by the Holy Spirit. We love those in the Church especially, and we invite others to join us in this body of believers as well.
This episode looks at 2 John 1:1, “The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth.” When we know the truth we love others. When we know the truth, we love others who know the truth—in this case, God’s people in his Church. May God give us grace to do this.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:10, “All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.” This verse warns the wicked that God is just and will reverse all suffering, trials, and sins of his people—but he will judge those who don’t know him. May we be a people who calls others to repentance and who faces sorrow and suffering with confidence because our God hears our cries.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:9, “The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.” We have a God who knows us and who hears us when we pray. Why wouldn’t we pray to him? Let’s thank God together for the blood of Christ, which purchases our bold entrance into the throne room of heaven.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:8, “Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.” When we call out to God, we know that we need to leave a life of sin behind. As we do this, we know that God hears the sound of our weeping. Oh, what sweet joy to have a Father who hears us.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:7, “My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.” There is a level of sorrow that causes our bodies to waste away. We need to admit our need for mercy—both from sin and from suffering. Thankfully, we have a God who loves to answer that prayer.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:6, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.” The depth of sorrow David feels toward his sin, suffering, and trials is enormous. May God give us grace to come to him with this level of emotion and to feel appropriately about these things in our lives.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:5, “For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?” David appeals to the glory of God as grounds for his salvation. God is worthy of glory and praise, so he should save David so that he can praise him. No one praises God in death. However, there is an idea that the righteous will be raised from Sheol to be with God forever.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:4, “Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.” The very return of God’s felt presence to a situation is the deliverance we seek in distress. So we pray for his presence to be known in times of trial. We also pray for salvation from distress not on account of our worthiness, but on account of God being a God who keeps his promises.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:3, “My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD— how long?” Again we see the close connection between our body and our soul. We also see David calling out to God based on their covenant relationship. We can pray to God asking “How long?” In our trials because we know him personally!
This episode looks at Psalm 6:2, “Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.” Our bodies and souls are closely intertwined together. When our soul faces distress—due to our own sin, a trial we face, or enemies pursuing us—our bodies are taxed. We ask God to heal our bodies and to get us through.
This episode looks at Psalm 6:1, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.” We don’t want God to stop disciplining us because that would mean he doesn’t not love us (Prov 3:11–12). Instead we cry out for mercy and correction out of his love since justice has been satisfied on the cross.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:12, “For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” God makes us righteous as we take refuge in him, and then he blesses us abundantly. May we rejoice at the great blessings God gives us both here and now and for eternity, even in the face of great suffering and wickedness.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:11, “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.” We call on God to protect us so that we can give him the honor, glory, and praise he deserves from hearts overflowing with joy.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:10, “Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.” It is not wrong to pray for God to judge evildoers. We can pray for their salvation without sacrificing justice when we see how God’s justice is perfectly poured out against sin in the cross of Christ for those who God gives the gift of faith.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:9, “For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.” We ask for God to remove these things from our lives, whether it be from the entertainment we take in, from the people we surround ourselves in, or we see it rising up in our own hearts.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:8, “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” We need God to lead us in his righteousness because we can’t do it on our own. We need him to remove evildoers from our lives when we are tempted to fall into sin, and we also need to be different from the sinners around us so that they will be called into a life of holiness. May God give us grace to do so.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:7, “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” God hears the righteous, but we only enter his presence because of his loyal, covenant love toward us. We thank him for that love, and we ask for hearts that worship him with the respect due to him.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:6, “You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” There’s no way around it: God hates sinners. Yes, he loves them in that he wants them to be saved, but he hates them unless they are washed clean by the blood of Christ. This should make our prayers for our unsaved friends earnest, and this should cause us to fall on our knees in repentance for sin every day.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:5, “The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.” We need to pray that God would help us to only boast in Christ, the cross, and in knowing him. We also pray for the eyes of God, who hates sinners because they are defined by their sin. We should love the sinner by hating them (at least what is defining them—the fact that they are not washed clean in the blood of Christ).
This episode looks at Psalm 5:4, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” We don’t pray to a God who is uninvested in the world. He is against evil! We pray confidently because of this truth. We also pray that he would not allow us to dwell with evil either.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:3, “O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” It’s not a law to pray in the morning, but it might be a good principle to follow. We can present our case to God, and then we wait expectantly with eyes to watch him working.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:2, “Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.” We pray to our King and God. He is not far off or distant, so we can pray in hope because we know who we pray to, and he knows us.
This episode looks at Psalm 5:1, “Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.” We ask God to listen to our words and to give heed to the prayers of our heart. We do this because we have been brought into the throne room of God by the blood of Jesus.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:5, “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” Paul, though he is not with them in person, can rejoice at the work God is doing to give them a firm foundation of order in their faith. They are not just grasping at the latest everything in life for a foundation, but rather they are standing on the truth. We pray for God to give us the same firm foundation to stand on and the same firmness in our faith.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:4, “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” We look to Christ alone for wisdom, so we need God’s help to avoid and resist the other seemingly plausible arguments in the world.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:3, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We look to Christ and Christ alone as wisdom. Where can we look to find wisdom? In him, and oh, what treasures we will find!
This episode looks at Colossians 2:2, “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ”. We boast in our care for those we minister to not out of pride, but in order to encourage their hearts. We want unity in our places of ministry, and we want a group of people together pursuing the knowledge of Christ more and more each day.
This episode looks at Colossians 2:1, “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face”. We need God’s help to have a deep affection for those in our charge. We pray for God to give us a place and people to serve, and that we would love them with as strong of a desire as Paul describes here.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:29, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” We work hard, but we do so out of the strength and power God works within us. Why is it like this? So that God gets all the glory!
This episode looks at Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” We need wisdom from God to proclaim Christ well as we warn against false beliefs and teach true beliefs. We do this with the hope of taking part in God bringing others into complete maturity in Christ.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:27, “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Christ dwells in us, which is our hope for future glory. Our hope is grounded in being made new according to the image of the Son and sharing in his god-ness, not becoming gods ourselves but sharing in the joy-filled attributes that make him God.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:26, “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.” Some mysteries lay hidden in the Old Testament but are now revealed in the New. One of these is the indwelling of Christ in us by his Spirit. We praise God for revealing mysteries to us and for dwelling in us!
This episode looks at Colossians 1:25, “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known.” We thank God for gifting us and bringing us to a specific body of people in order to take part in his global mission.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:24, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”. What could possibly be lacking in Christ’s afflictions? Nothing, in the sense that his afflictions accomplished redemption. However, they are lacking an in-person presentation to the nations, and so Paul rejoices to both preach this good news and to show it through his own suffering. May our suffering and preaching do the same for lost people in our lives.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:23, “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” By God’s grace alone we continue in the faith. This verse does not contradict the Perseverance of the Saints because as long as we remain in the faith we evidence God’s saving work in our lives. We pray for grace to remain in Christ and not turn to other false hopes.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:22, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”. In his earthly life and death on the cross, Christ brought alienated people back into right relationship with God. Now we have holiness, blamelessness, and irreproachability through our union with him.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:21, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,”. We once stood far off from God, and this was seen in our hostile thoughts toward him and our evil deeds against him. We can pray now that God would keep our minds from getting caught up in narratives of the world that are against him.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:20, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Praise God for the fullness of deity dwelling in the God-man, Jesus Christ, and for putting the chaos of a broken world into order on the cross.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:19, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”. The Son of God, in the fullness of time, took on human nature for us and for our salvation. Praise God!
This episode looks at Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” These are the last two truths of Colossians 1:15–18: Head over the church; firstborn from the dead. Jesus is the source of and authority over the church, and he was raised as the first fruits of the new creation. In him we shall also be raised to new life forevermore. All praise and glory and honor to him!
This episode looks at Colossians 1:17, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Though Jesus Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the divine Son of God has existed co-eternally with the Father. He became flesh and dwelt among us, but he was before everything. Since the beginning all things have held together in him.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” We exist by means of the Son of God, and we exist for the Son of God. That holds true for all of creation!
This Episode looks at Colossians 1:15, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Jesus fully and truly reveals God to us because the fullness of God dwells in him. He is also above all created things because the Son is the means by which they were created in the first place.
This episode takes a look at Colossians 1:14, “in whole we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.” We are united to Christ through faith, and so in him we die, rise again, ascend to heaven, and will return with him. In the words of my friend Nick Roen, “What’s mine is his, and what’s his is mine.” Praise God!
This episode looks at Colossians 1:13, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”. God has taken us out of bondage to our flesh and now has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, where we now live according to the Spirit. Praise God!
This episode looks at Colossians 1:12, “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” We can give thanks with joy to God for the inheritance that he has made us worthy to receive by adopting us into his family through Jesus’s blood. May God fix our eyes on this eternal inheritance so that we can face present trials with joy.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:11, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.” We need to stay connected to our power source in order to face trials! We need to fall on our news and ask God to keep us strengthened as we face the struggles in our lives.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:10, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” We need God’s help to live in a way that pleases him! Paul’s prayer gives us an idea of what that looks like.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:9, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,”. We need God’s help to know God’s will. Paul knows this and so he prays it for the Colossians. We can pray this same prayer for ourselves and for those we know.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:8, “and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.” We thank God for those people in our lives who we see abounding in the fruit of love. We also ask that the Spirit would continue to work more and more love into our lives.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:7, “just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf”. We thank God for the pipeline of teachers who can help explain the less-clear parts of teaching to us. We also pray that God would help us to have the humility to be taught and the confidence to teach others the truth of the gospel.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:6, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,”. The gospel has spread beyond the personal reach of Paul and is bearing fruit anywhere and everywhere it is believed. The gospel provides the hope that drives true love. We can pray for God to help us dive deeper and deeper into gospel realities for the sake of love.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:5, “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,”. Knowing the future changes how we live in the present. We can thank God for the living hope we look forward to forever enjoying that waits for us in heaven. We can also ask him to help our hope to fuel great acts of love.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:4, “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,”. We can thank God for how he has saved and works faith in others around us. We can also thank him for the acts of love we see him working in others around us.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:3, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,”. We should be a thankful people. Thankfulness drives away bitterness. We can always thank God first before we move into prayers for people to grow.
This episode looks at Colossians 1:2, “To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” We now see the recipient of Paul’s letter. In Christ we receive a new identity. We are holy ones set apart for God into a new family of brothers and sisters. We also thank God for his grace to us in these words.
This episode takes a look at Colossians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.” Don’t worry, we will come back to the Psalms at some point! But for now, we are transitioning to the book of Colossians. This intro sets us up for the message of the book, which is that the fullness of God dwells in Christ Jesus, who is our hope and glory.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” God gives us rest for our souls. We can go to bed in peace even in the midst of crisis because God alone makes us dwell in safety. We can also look death in the face confidently because God will carry us through that final sleep and into eternal life and joy with him.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:7, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” Why gain the whole world and lose our soul? We can have true and lasting joy only in right relationship with God. All other grain and wine and material abundance will be fleeting in comparison to eternal joy in God’s presence.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:6, “There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”” When doubt rises from other people, or even in our hearts, we can respond by calling ourselves to look to God for blessing and asking him to bless us.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:5, “Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.” David continues his call for the sons of men to repent by telling them to offer right sacrifices. For us in the Church age, these sacrifices look like praise to God and doing good to others. We also have a chance in this verse to renew our trust in Yahweh.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:4, “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah.” May God give us grace to tremble with fear at our own sin patterns and then turn from them to righteousness and holiness. May God give us grace to reflect honestly and confess our sin before him.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:3, “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.” God has set apart a people for himself, and those he has called he will also make holy. God hears us when we pray because he has saved us and made us new. We can pray to God in Jesus’s name because of faith in him, being washed in his blood and raised to new life and holiness in his resurrection.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 4:2, “O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah.” When we call on God to hear our distress, we also proclaim to the world who we trust in. We also call out those (including ourselves) who mock Christ’s sacrifice and his kingship by turning to empty, deceptive things over God. We pray that God would help us to love truth.
This episode looks at Psalm 4:1, “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!” We recognize that our very righteousness comes from God, and that on account of being found in his righteousness he hears us. We also look back at how he has grown us through past trials before we present our current trials before him.
This episode pauses to talk about the name LORD, and how it appears all over the Psalter. Yahweh means, “I am what I am,” or in other words, the self-existent one. No one causes God to exist, and instead he causes all things to come into being. We trust in that God!
This episode looks at Psalm 3:8, “Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people!” God does the work! We don’t save ourselves; he does the saving. We praise him, and we look forward in hope to him working blessing into our lives even in the midst of crisis. This is a verse worth memorizing!
This episode looks at Psalm 3:7, “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.” We call on God to fight for us in our battles, and we also take confident that he doesn’t need to remove us from circumstances to save us. He can just remove the power of those circumstances to destroy us.
This episode looks at Psalm 3:6, “I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” We wake up in the morning with confidence because God sustains us. We can pray a morning prayer denouncing the trials that we face, not because of our own faith or might, but because God sits on the throne.
This episode looks at Psalm 3:5, “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.” Even in overwhelming crisis, God gives his people sleep! We thank him for rest, and we acknowledge every morning that we are alive another day only because God kept us here and prepared this day for us.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 3:4, “I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah.” God hears our prayers from his throne! He controls all things at all times in all places, and he hears our prayers. Praise God!
This episode looks at Psalm 3:3, “But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” When we are in crisis we need to pour our hearts out before God and then transition to looking at God himself and the way he defends the defenseless, gives glory to the gloryless, and gives joy to the sorrowful.
The end of Psalm 3:2 hits us with a special word in the Psalms, “Selah.” This word, even if we can’t determine an exact corollary for translation, prompts us to pause and reflect. It prompts us to ask God to tune our hearts to the melody of the Psalm.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 3:2, “many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah.” David continues detailing the crisis he is walking through. He laments how others are cursing him, saying God doesn’t want to save him and that his trials are simply a result of his own evil (cf. 2 Sam 16:5–8). We can reflect on this situation by praying that in our own times of despair we would not allow the Devil to accuse us and say we are not save-able—that even if we repent God doesn’t want us because we are so evil. Christ disarmed the Devil of this weapon on the cross!
This episode takes a look at Psalm 3:1, “O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;” When David faces a crisis, when his enemies multiply and he feels abandoned, he runs to Yahweh in prayer. God invites us to do the same.
This episode looks at the superscription to Psalm 3, “A Psalm of David, When He Fled From Absalom His Son.” We can understand deeper the idea of lament by seeing the deeply personal circumstance from which this Psalm arose. David’s son rebels against him and he must flee his own palace (cf. 2 Sam 15–19). We also see how Jesus does the same things years later as he is betrayed by one of those closest to him.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:12, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” This verse has plenty of connections back to Psalm 1. We see that those who will not believe in the Son perish in the way of the wicked. The righteous find refuge in him as they meditate on God’s instruction, and thus they find happiness and joy as well.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:11, “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” What does it mean to fear God? And how can we also delight in him at the same time?
This episode looks at Psalm 2:10, “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.” In light of everything that has come before this, we should live in wisdom and heed God’s warning. He is King; we are not. Our plans for “freedom” will actually lead us into captivity to sin.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Jesus judges justly against sin and evil, but for those who are found in Christ through faith the rod becomes a comfort.
This episode looks at Psalm 2:8, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” We rejoice that Jesus is king over all, and we ask God to make earth now united across racial and ethnic lines just as things are in heaven/will be for eternity.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:7, “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” We rejoice at this thick gospel promise, cited in Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5, which promises us the glory of our fully God, fully man Messiah. God’s Anointed One stands as the perfect mediator between God and man, and we thank God for his grace in sending his Son to die for sinners.
This episode looks at Psalm 2:6, ““As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”” The nations are raging, but God laughs, looks at sinners with wrath, and says, “It doesn’t matter. Jesus is King, and that’s it.” We can praise God that no matter what, Jesus sits on the throne!
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:5, “Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,” God will judge sin. His wrath burns against those who rage against him. Though he is patient and desires all to come to repentance, he must punish evil. We respond with thankfulness for his patience with us as well as asking him to teach us to remember his power and hatred of sin.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:4, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.” Sinners make plans on earth, but the King of heaven and earth sits comfortably on his throne in the heavens. He mocks the foolishness of sinners who think they can find satisfaction under a different yoke than the “easy, light” yoke of Christ.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:3, ““Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”” We now see the content of the nations raging from 2:1–2. They despise the yoke of Christ upon them, and they want to throw it away from themselves. We should not presume that we can just cast God away and get away with it. We should instead ask for grace to love Christ’s easy yoke.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:2, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,” The New Testament preachers explicitly took this Psalm as a prophecy about Jesus, and so should we! How have we seen patterns of sin in our life rejecting the kingship of Christ and pursuing satisfaction elsewhere?
This episode takes a look at Psalm 2:1, “Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?” This Psalm as a whole looks at people raging against God, God laughing at their foolishness, the divine Messiah promised, and a call for the foolish nations to repent.
This episode pauses after the completion of Psalm 1 to look at the idea of meditation. What exactly is it, and how can we do it? I hope this podcast will lead us into more and more meditation on the truths of Scripture, deep thinking in order to understand, apply, and pray. Here is a link to the article referenced in the podcast: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/warm-yourself-at-the-fires-of-meditation.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 1:6, “for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” This verse summarizes the entire Psalm: the way of the righteous leads to life with God, but the way of the wicked leads to death.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 1:5, “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;” This verse picks up on the language from past verses in the Psalm to show how standing in the way of sinners leads to destruction. Those who choose to stand in the way of wickedness will not stand in the congregation of the righteous when final judgment comes.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 1:4, “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” The wicked do not find true life, lasting joy in the words of God. Instead, the winds of life (cultural movements, advice of wicked people, trials, temptations, etc.) drive them away.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 1:3, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” The Psalmist gives us a great illustration of a prospering tree standing by the nourishing streams of God’s instruction. This tree does not wither when suffering comes, but instead bears the right fruit in the right seasons.
This episode takes a look at Psalm 1:2, “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Following verse 1, the Psalmist still wants to look at the life of the blessed, or happy, man. In verse 1 we see what the happy person avoids, and in verse 2 we see what the happy person pursues. The happy person finds delight and joy as they meditate on God’s word!
This episode dives into Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” In this Psalm, the Psalmist invites us into a truly happy life. The first step in this life is to avoid the path of sinners, wicked ones, and scoffers.