There are three verses from the book of Numbers that have been sticking with me for several months now. They have been presented to me in various forms, from various sources, many times over, every time I am in crisis mode. And every time they appear again it takes my breath away because this is how God speaks to us! When these things happen it makes me know He sees me, He knows me, and knows when I need a nudge and a wink.
We struggle with believing we matter enough for Him to really respond.
Then we struggle to be quiet enough to hear Him when He does. We expect pastors and priests and other “special” folk to have a live connection to God, but not us, right? After all, who are we? By “us” I mean the latecomers to the faith. The not so knowledgeable, messy people that feel like we don’t fit when we walk through the doors of a church.
Today, on December 31st, I heard these verses on my favorite app for listening to the Bible, the Daily Audio Bible, http://www.dailyaudiobible.com Brian Hardin, founder of the D.A.B. and narrator extraordinaire, closed the year with these words, and again, they took my breath away.
Brian adds, “May the strength of God go with you. May the wisdom of God instruct you. May the hand of God protect you. May the Word of God direct you. And may you be sealed in Christ this day and forever more. Amen.”
Today’s readings were the final books of the Old and New Testaments, and verses from the books of Psalms and Proverbs, just like every day of the year. He has now, in 2021, completed sixteen years of reading the Bible to his listeners at this point in time. He has a such gift and uses it so well.
If you have twenty minutes a day to listen to a podcast, you can have the Bible read to you by a narrator who knows how to make it come to life!
There are gazillions of apps and plans out there to get you through the Bible in a year, but none like the Daily Audio Bible.
That excuse you’ve always used, about not being able to understand it…forget that now.
Brian explains it all in a way we can grasp. He is an ordained minister and an accomplished scholar that will help you relate to the stories and people in the Bible like you never thought you could. Even the most boring parts of the Old Testament!!
There. I said it. Yes. Some parts are really boring. But they lay down the foundation. They tell about history and lineage. Knowing what it means today involves knowing what it all meant in ancient times. Knowing the context, the cultural norms, the way it affected the people of the ancient Middle East. You will have these, “AHA!” moments and want to know more. Most importantly, he talks about how to apply what you’re learning to your own life. Today. Here and now. I challenge you to spend those twenty minutes listening every day.
Oh. The other thing…another huge blessing…
There is a community of people who pray for one another at the end of the readings and Brian’s commentary. People call in to ask for prayer or to pray for and encourage others who have asked for prayer. I did not listen to that part for the first six months or so because it takes another ten minutes or so. Once I started listening to it I was hooked, because it is a real community. Such a blessing to so many! Many of the same people are there, weekly, to listen and pray for you. And, of course, there’s a Facebook community.
I have learned so much in this past nine months of listening to Brian. I will certainly continue, for the rest of my life now, because the Bible is alive and ever-changing. It is God’s Word and so dynamic. One has to experience it. Here’s a great quote I just read, from Blackaby Ministries International:
“…as in all of your Christian life, the key is not to understand the Bible based on your experience, but to understand your experience in light of the Bible.”
Sorry…One more thing…
Another mind-blowing media source out there where you can get to know Jesus from the perspective of His very first followers is THE CHOSEN television series. You can watch FOR FREE! Find it where you get your apps for your mobile device, cast it to your smart tv, and watch for free. You will be encouraged to ‘pay it forward’ so others can watch for free, but you don’t have to pay a dime. Here’s a link: https://thechosen.link/1Y1R7
***EDIT: As of June 2022, you can see THE CHOSEN on Roku and FireStick and Pureflix, too! I’m sure they will add more and more access points as time goes on. Know that this show is historic. It is the highest crowd-funded media project of all time!! God’s hand is in this, without a doubt.
In this upcoming year why not make a resolution that is really effortless?
Spend twenty minutes a day listening to God’s story, and binge the first seasons of THE CHOSEN! Whether you believe in God or not, you can still know the story. What have you got to lose? You will not be disappointed.
God bless you and keep you…
Peace in Christ
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/NUM.6.24-26NIV
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