Shows
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 5:10Psalm 5:10
Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish no them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
So far in the psalm we've seen prayers of lament, request
and worship. All things that are probably quite common in our prayer life, too. But what on earth is this verse? David is praying for the judgement and banishment of his enemies - we probably don't even know what to call that! (I had to look it up. The technical term is 'imprecation' - calling down a curse/judgement o...2024-02-2402 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 5:9Psalm 5:9
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.
Here David's attention returns to his enemies, who are clearly
both wicked and dangerous. But what I find surprising is the weapons they are armed with. We might expect that enemies of a king would be notable for their violence and their weapons. And perhaps these men are the 'bloodthirsty' of verse 6, keen to attack him physically. But it seems that what David is most
concerned about...2024-02-2302 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 5:5-6Psalm 5:5-6
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The no bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest.
Yesterday, we read that 'evil people' are not welcome in
God's presence. But who does David mean? Did you assume that he was talking about you? Or were you pretty confident that he meant someone else? Our world assumes that most people are basically good. There might be a few 'evil people' but they're the extreme cases and it's always someone else, never me.
...2024-02-2002 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 5:4Psalm 5:4
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome.
Very often, we turn to the Psalms when we want comfort,
reassurance and encouragement. We might, perhaps, come to think of the Psalms as the Bible equivalent of a fluffy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate - warm, soothing and restoring. Thank God that his word IS comforting and encouraging when we are in distress.
But that's not all it is. The whole Bible - Psalms included
- speaks to us in many...2024-02-1901 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 5:3Psalm 5:3
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
How do you start your day? Perhaps you're woken by the
urgent demands of a small child, and your first conscious thought comes much later on! But some of us wake up to the sound of our own thoughts, and have control over what happens next. What can't you start the day without? A shower? Coffee?
The news? Checking your messages?
For David, his mornings aren't complete without speaking to
God. He...2024-02-1702 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 5:1-2Psalm 5:1-2
Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. Hear my cry
for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
What's your prayer life like? What sort of prayers do you
tend to pray? Psalm 5, which we're starting today, gives us a window into David's prayer life. We will see at least 5 'types' of prayer. They're not exhaustive - David prays other things,
in other ways, in other Psalms. But hopefully what we read here will prompt us to think about how we pray, and to broaden our prayer life if...2024-02-1602 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:14Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord .
How good are you at waiting? We've certainly had lots of
practice lately. Waiting for lockdown to be over. Waiting in queues. Perhaps you're waiting for bad news ... illness of a loved one, loss of a job. Or maybe you get most frustrated by the shorter, everyday waits .... waiting for a child to go to sleep, waiting for the wi-fi to reconnect. Most of all, as Christians,
we are waiting for the day when Jesus will come back and take...2024-02-1502 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:13Psalm 27:13
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Throughout this Psalm we have seen David's confidence in
God. Remember, he is in the midst of a 'day of trouble', facing hostile armies (v4) and enemies who seek to destroy him with false accusations (v12). Yet he knows he doesn't have to be afraid because God is his stronghold. He is sure that God is good, and so he is confident that he will continue to see evidence
of that goodness in his life...2024-02-1401 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:12Psalm 27:12
Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
Do you know what it feels like to be the victim of malicious
accusations? To be falsely accused of wrongdoing by someone else? Some of us may have had that experience. Many of us have probably done it to ourselves! "I'm so stupid. I always mess it up. I'm a terrible wife, a hopeless mother, a rubbish friend, an awful employee"
I don't mean the honest, accurate acknowledgement of our
sin...2024-02-1302 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:11Psalm 27:11
Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
In verse 10 we saw David's confidence that God will ALWAYS
receive him with open arms. Our world loves that kind of unconditional acceptance, doesn't it? Yet, the world assumes that unconditional welcome also means unconditional approval of whatever we want to and wherever we want go. The world's version of v.11 would say something like "Thank you that you
will look after me as I enjoy my freedom to do whatever I want" but that's not how David's mind...2024-02-1201 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:10Psalm 27:10
Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
In verse 9, David makes it clear that the worst thing that
could ever happen in his life would be to lose his personal relationship with God. We rejoice in the fact that this can never happen to us, because of the death of Jesus, which makes us God's children.
Here in v. 10 we see that David has that same confidence even if his closest human relationship fails. Even if he loses his parents, he knows that his God will still b...2024-02-1002 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:9Psalm 27:9
Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour.
What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you in
life?
David’s first priority is seeing God's face; that is,
knowing him and being in close relationship with him. So it makes sense that the worst thing David could experience would be God turning his face away, and rejecting him.
At the cross, Jesus experienced something we as...2024-02-0901 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:8Psalm 27:8
My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.
'Seek'. It's not a word we use much in everyday language, unless
we have children young enough to play 'Hide & Seek', or we’re reading a Harry Potter book! Harry plays 'seeker' in the Quidditch team. Don't worry if you haven't got a clue what that means! Basically, the Seeker's job is to chase after, and catch, a small, flying golden ball, to secure victory for his team. In one particular game, Harry struggles through a storm to get hold of the...2024-02-0802 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:7Psalm 27:7
Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
Earlier in this Psalm we thought about how extraordinary it
is that a sinful human could ask to come into God's presence and to see his face. In this verse we have an equally bold request: "God, listen to me, and answer me." Prayer is - or should be - an everyday experience for us. But when you think about it, it’s remarkable. A very small, very short-lived creature can address the sovereign creator of the universe and ask hi...2024-02-0701 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:6Psalm 27:6
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
As David reflects on what it means for God to keep him safe,
notice how his perspective changes. Even when he is in God's presence, he is still surrounded by enemies, but now he seems
lifted up above them. None of his problems have gone away, but he can see them from a different angle. He is not disgraced or defeated by h...2024-02-0602 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:5Psalm 27:5
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
If you've been pondering yesterday's verse, you might still
be wondering 'Really, David, how would being in God's house help, when you're supposed to be fighting your enemies?' Is it perhaps that the temple is a good, strong building to hide in during an invasion? Well, this verse tells us that's
not the case. The 'house of God' David is talking...2024-02-0501 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:4Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
What one thing do you most want from God today? Everyone in
your house to be cheerful? An uninterrupted night’s sleep? A calm mind that isn't whirling with anxiety?
In this verse we see the 'one thing' that David wants from
God: to be where God is (dwell in...2024-02-0302 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:3Psalm 27:3
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
What an incredible thing to be able to say! And this isn't
just extravagant language from David ... I doubt that any of us will ever face an army whose sole purpose is to destroy is. None of us will ever be the cause of an all-out war. But David is the King of Israel. The prospect of war or a military coup to overthrow him and put someone else on the throne...2024-02-0202 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:2Psalm 27:2
When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
Do you ever look around at the world and wonder why, so
often, the bad guys win? Evil triumphs. The rich exploit the poor and no-one stops them. Christians die at the hands of their persecutors and there is no justice. We know it shouldn't be like that. The wicked should suffer. The oppressor should lose their power.
David is confident that this WILL happen - his enemies will
be defeated...2024-02-0101 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 27:1Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
Who are you afraid of? Who has the power to take away what
you love, or withhold what you want? In this psalm, David is facing personal enemies who want to destroy him. Not many of us will have experienced that kind of targeted personal attack. (Although, sadly, some do face violence and hostility even within their own homes. In that situation it would be right to
seek prac...2024-01-3101 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:11Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16 ends with a focus on the life that awaits us with
God in heaven. Whilst there is joy in knowing God now, David's attention here is on our future joy, when we are eternally in his presence. As we saw yesterday, this Psalm is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who will sit at his father's right hand ruling forever in glory. But because we are united with him in...2024-01-3001 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:9-10Psalm 16:9-10
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
How glad are you feeling right now? Is 'rejoicing' on your
tongue? Or is your song today one of lament rather than praise? For some of us, lament is the right response to our current situation - grief, or significant suffering, or relentless exhaustion should prompt us to cry out to God and share our sorrows with...2024-01-2901 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:7-8Psalm 16:7-8
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him
at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
'Listen to your heart' - that's the message we absorb from
the world around us. Whether or not you're old enough to remember the 1980s classic Roxette song of that name, you’ll recognise the idea.
It's surprising to find David saying the same thing … 'even
when I lie awake at night, I'm listening to what my heart...2024-01-2702 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:5-6Psalm 16:5-6
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
These two verses are a picture of contentment. Was David
just having an especially good day when he wrote these words? After all, we know from some of the other psalms we've looked at together that his circumstances were not always 'secure' or 'pleasant'. He was often in danger, under attack from God's enemies. Yet, when he looks at the big picture of h...2024-01-2601 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:4Psalm 16:4
Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.
This Psalm is asking us some hard questions, isn't it?!
Where is my refuge? How much do I delight in God and his people? And today's verse is similarly uncomfortable. 'I will not make offerings to other Gods' says David. I'm sure we'd all say the same. No worship of Allah, or Buddha, or Shiva here!
But what about the 'small g...2024-01-2501 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:3Psalm 16:3
I say of the holy people who are in the land, ‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’
Who are the people you really admire? The ones you love to
spend time with? The ones you listen to? The ones whose lives you'd like your life to be a bit more like?
David's answer to that question is here in v.3: 'the holy
people'. That is, God's people. His fellow-citizens in God's kingdom. His brothers and sisters in God's family.
They are the people he thinks are...2024-01-2401 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:2Psalm 16:2
I say to the Lord,
‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’
What are you thankful for today? What good thing, or things,
are you enjoying right now?
At the moment, we may be especially aware of all the things
in our lives that are not good, all the things we want but can't have, all the ways life could be easier. Some of us may be facing really significant hardships. Thankfulness never cancels out the suffering in life. Problems don't go away just because we 'count our...2024-01-2301 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 16:1Psalm 16:1
Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
What do you take refuge in?
If you’ve already read or heard the reflection on Psalm 62, earlier
in this series, the idea of refuge will be familiar. But we need to keep coming back to it because - this side of heaven - we will always be weak, needy, suffering people, in need of safety, shelter and protection. Where will we find the refuge that we need?
If we're honest with ourselves, God isn't necessarily the first place we...2024-01-2201 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:20-22Psalm 103:20-22
Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.
This Psalm ends as it began ... with encouragement to praise
God. Only now it is not just an individual ('my soul') but the whole company of heaven and all God's creatures on earth ('his works') that are to praise him. We probably don't think much about the 'h...2024-01-1901 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:19Psalm 103:19
The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
It is always encouraging to be reminded that God reigns over
everything, even coronavirus. And that might be what you need to focus on and be thankful for today.
But for me personally, the challenge of this verse is not
remembering that God rules over what's going on 'out there'. Rather, I need to be reminded that he also rules over me. At the moment I'm finding the desire to run MY Kingdom, MY way is really strong...2024-01-1801 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:18Psalm 103:18
with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his
precepts.
In verse 17 we saw how God’s love is everlasting towards those who fear him. Here, those same people are described as those who keep his covenant and obey him. That can’t mean that God’s love is conditional on our obedience, getting switched off
every time we sin. That kind of love could never be described as ‘everlasting’ – for most of us, it would only last about 5 minutes! God’s love is dependent on his unchanging character, so we can be confident th...2024-01-1701 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:17Psalm 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children
Is your sense of time being challenged by the current
situation? I find myself having to think quite hard about what day of the week it is sometimes!
In yesterday's verse we thought about our weakness, but
those verses also speak about how fleeting our lives are. Here today and gone tomorrow. Yet it doesn't feel that. We talk about something lasting for 'a lifetime' as though that was a si...2024-01-1601 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:13-16Psalm 103:13-16
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
How are you feeling today? Many of us will be feeling weaker
than we're used to. We are aware of our physical frailty in the face of coronavirus but also aware o...2024-01-1501 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:11-12Psalm 103:11-12
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
The furthest galaxy in the universe is thought to be something like 30 billion light years away from earth. A light year is about 9.5 trillion kilometres. Numbers like that feel impossible to get to grips with. When David wrote this psalm, before the days of astrophysicists with sophisticated telescopes, he had a more poetic way of...2024-01-1301 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:9-10Psalm 103:9-10
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
"It's not fair!" Have you heard those words recently in your household? They come out of children's mouths fairly easily.
We may be more restrained about actually saying it out loud, but don’t our hearts feel the same way? What seems unfair to you right now? Seeing other people whose circumstances are so much easier than yours? We instinctively want justice when we fee...2024-01-1201 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:7-8Psalm 103:7-8
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
How would you describe God's character in one sentence?
There are many things we could say. But here’s one really good answer: ‘the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love’! In fact, it's the way God describes himself to Moses in Exodus 34. Knowing that God is compassionate, gracious and loving is always wonderful. But it's especially
amazing when we remember what the people...2024-01-1102 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:5-6Psalm 103:5-6
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Have you noticed how, even in a global crisis, some things
carry on just as before? Oppression and injustice, for example. The news always seems to contain some story of an oppressive regime somewhere in the world mistreating its weakest citizens. Closer to home we hear about companies putting their profits ahead of the well-being of their workers. Of course, there are
also stories of volunteers who...2024-01-1001 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:3-4Psalm 103:3-4
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who
redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion
Yesterday we praised God for his 'holy name' (who he is in
himself). In today's verses David focuses on his 'benefits' (the particular good things God had done for him). At first glance, this verse is confusing. We know that Christians aren’t always healed from disease. The Bible is quite clear that God is always able to heal physically, but– in this world - he only sometimes does so...2024-01-0902 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 103:1-2Psalm 103:1-2
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits
How often do you praise God for who he is? Perhaps it's just
me, but I'm much more likely to thank God for things he does or the gifts he gives than to praise him for who he is. I don’t often stop to simply ponder God’s character, and tell him how wonderful he is. So, we’re going to spend the next few days dwelling on this ps...2024-01-0801 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 1:6Psalm 1:6
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but
the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
As we considered yesterday, whether we are treated as ‘righteous’ or ‘wicked’ depends not on our own record, but on the righteousness of Jesus. All those who are united to him by faith are counted as ‘righteous’ because he is ‘righteous’. So we enjoy the privileges of the righteous. Not just the ability to stand before God on Judgement Day and enter into heaven, but also – as we see here – a whole new way of life now.
Noti...2024-01-0601 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 1:5Psalm 1:5
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle of a group of people, convinced you don’t belong there? In some settings it’s called ‘Imposter Syndrome’. I definitely had that in my first year at University, as one of only a handful of women studying Engineering alongside more than 300 men! Not helped by the fact that people would tell me that I was probably only there because there was a quota of women that had to be met...2024-01-0502 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 1:4Psalm 1:4
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
This verse stands in stark contrast to verse 3. The different between a great tree, rooted and flourishing, and the flimsy chaff that is discarded as the grain is harvested couldn’t be greater. Life as one of God’s people isn’t just a minor upgrade on the usual human experience – it’s a completely different kind of life. The
unbeliever is not simply a slightly less sturdy tree, a bit smaller, a bit less fruitful, but more or less the same. They a...2024-01-0401 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 1:3Psalm 1:3
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which
yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.
Here we see the result of being a person who delights in,
and meditates on, God’s word. I think there’s at least 2 surprises in this verse …
Firstly, I love this picture of the tree – stable, rooted, well-fed, well-watered, and fruitful. It’s beautiful, and attractive. Who
wouldn’t want to be that kind of person? But it’s also really ‘earthy’ and solid. The absolute opposite...2024-01-0302 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 1:2Psalm 1:2
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
We saw yesterday that the blessed person is the one who
belongs to God. So it makes sense that they will want to listen more to God’s voice than the world’s voice. In fact, they don’t just listen to God’s word. They delight in it. Th...2024-01-0202 min
Daily Bible EncouragementPsalm 1:1Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
Until a few years ago, ‘Blessed’ wasn’t a word you came across
much outside the Bible. But the invention of the hashtag has changed all that!
In the world of social media, being #Blessed often seems to involve being impossible stylish (for women) or having a flash new car (for men). Prosperity gospel preachers would agree with
the world’s view that blessing from God...2024-01-0101 min
Daily Bible EncouragementSeries 1 - Psalms - IntroductionIntroduction
Welcome to Daily Bible Encouragement!
This podcast will provide a daily bible reading of one or two verses from the psalms, followed by a brief personal
reflection and a suggestion for prayer. Each episode will be less than 3 minutes long.
These reflections were originally written for a small group
of women from Dundonald Church in London, during the Covid-19 lockdown. I’m moving them online to make them easily accessible for anyone who missed out on them first time round!
I hope that t...2024-01-0100 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:20Micah 7:2020 You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham,as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.When we started this book, you might remember that I said that Micah’s name means ‘Who is like the Lord?’ and that this question is one of the main themes of the whole book. It is only explicitly asked once, in chapter 7 verse 18, which we looked at a few days ago. But it has been there all along, as we have circled through the themes of...2023-11-3002 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:19Micah 7:1919 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.Back in verses 16 and 17 we saw what the end of the story looks like for those who will not willingly trust and worship the Lord. Today we see the opposite ending, for those who cling to the Lord as their saviour and willingly identify as his people. It’s a total contrast. Those of us who are trusting in Jesus receive compassion. We are released from t...2023-11-2902 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:18Micah 7:1818 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?You do not stay angry for ever but delight to show mercy.As we saw yesterday, the end of the story is pretty bleak for those who refuse to be reconciled to God and have to stand alone, unprotected on the day of final judgment. And that ending is the one that we all deserve, for we - like the nations of Micah’s day - have treated our crea...2023-11-2802 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:16-17Micah 7:16-1716 Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power.They will put their hands over their mouths and their ears will become deaf.17 They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground.They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.Throughout this book we’ve seen the nations of the world described in different ways. Sometimes, the focus is on their reb...2023-11-2702 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:14-15Micah 7:14-1514 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance,which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasture-lands.Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.15 ‘As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders.’In this final chapter, we find ourselves returning to themes that we’ve heard before throughout this book. Yesterday, it was the nations being drawn to worship God. Today, it’s the picture of Israel as she...2023-11-2501 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:11-13Micah 7:11-1311 The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries.12 In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds.Over the past couple of days we’ve heard Micah talking about his enemy - he’s not talking about someone with a grievance aga...2023-11-2402 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:10Micah 7:1010 Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame,she who said to me, ‘Where is the Lord your God?’My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets.“Where is the Lord your God?” It’s a common question. Even when it isn’t asked in quite those words, it lies behind many of the things people say to us. “How can there be a God when?” or “I could never believe in a God who ….” In other words, th...2023-11-2302 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:8-9Micah 7:8-98 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise.Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.9 Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath,until he pleads my case and upholds my cause.He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.I’m not a massive TV watcher but I do love a good legal drama! I’m not sure how realistic they are. But in...2023-11-2202 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:7Micah 7:77 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.In yesterday’s verses we saw how human help is no help at all when it comes to being rescued from God’s righteous judgment. In today’s verse, we see where Micah has put his confidence: ‘But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord’.‘But’ is a really powerful word throughout the Bible. In the story of Noah, back in Genesis, we read that ‘The waters flooded t...2023-11-2102 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:4b-6Micah 7:4b-6The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion.5 Do not trust a neighbour; put no confidence in a friend.Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips.6 For a son dishonours his father, a daughter rises up against her mother,a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.Yesterday, we thought about the way in which evil seems t...2023-11-2001 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:2b-4aMicah 7:2b-4aEveryone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets.3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts,the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire – they all conspire together.4 The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.Today’s verses continue the theme of yesterday’s. Micah looks around him at the state of the nation and sees only evil and violence. It’s a depressing pictu...2023-11-1802 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 7:1-2aMicah 7:1-2a1 What misery is mine!I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard;there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.2 The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.Although we’re reading a book called Micah, there’s very little of Micah in it. Because he is a prophet, the spotlight is not on himself, it’s on his Lord. Most of the book is rightly t...2023-11-1702 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 6:16Micah 6:1616 You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their traditions.Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations.’Yesterday we saw one set of consequences of the people’s rejection of God - they will experience frustration and futility, as they lose the blessings God had intended them to enjoy in the Promised Land. Here we see another consequence of their rebellion; they will be publicly disgraced. Aga...2023-11-1602 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 6:13-15Micah 6:13-1513 Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins.14 You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty.You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword.15 You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.Yesterday, we pictured a court scene where the evidence clearly pointed to the people’s guilt. Tod...2023-11-1502 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 6:9-12Micah 6:9-129 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city – and to fear your name is wisdom – ‘Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, and the short ephah, which is accursed?11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights?12 Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.Yesterday we heard what the Lord requires of his people: they are to act justly, lov...2023-11-1402 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 6:6-8Micah 6:6-86 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and...2023-11-1302 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 6:3-5Micah 6:3-53 ‘My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered.Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.’As we saw yesterday, the people are in the dock a...2023-11-1102 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 6:1-2Micah 6:1-2Listen to what the Lord says: ‘Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say.2 ‘Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.For most of chapter 5 Micah has been speaking of a future time, when a promised shepherd-ruler would rescue and purify a remnant of God’s people, so that they could be restored to...2023-11-1002 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 5:10-15Micah 5:10-1510 ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord,‘I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots.11 I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.12 I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.13 I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you;you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities.1...2023-11-0903 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 5:7-9Micah 5:7-97 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peopleslike dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass,which do not wait for anyone or depend on man.8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples,like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep,which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.9 Your hand will be lifted up in triumph o...2023-11-0803 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 5:5-6Micah 5:5-65 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses.We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,6 who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders.I said yesterday that the promise of a shepherd-king must have been a great encouragement for the people of Micah’s day. Today’s verses...2023-11-0703 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 5:3-4Micah 5:3-43 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son,and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.As I’ve said before, I don’t know t...2023-11-0602 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 5:1-2Micah 5:1-21 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us.They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.2 ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’Even if you’ve never read the rest of Micah, you might recognise Micah 5:2, since it is quoted in Matthew chapter...2023-11-0402 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:11-13Micah 4:11-1311 But now many nations are gathered against you.They say, ‘Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!’12 But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord;they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing-floor.13 ‘Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron;I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.’You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, th...2023-11-0302 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:9-10Micah 4:9-109 Why do you now cry aloud – have you no king?Has your ruler perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labour?10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labour,for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field.You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued.There the Lord will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.In verses 1-8 of this chapter we saw the wonderful...2023-11-0202 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:6-8Micah 4:6-86 ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord,‘I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.7 I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation.The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and for ever.8 As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion,the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.’I wonder what you think your...2023-11-0102 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:5Micah 4:55 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods,but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.I find today’s verse intriguing! What does it mean to walk ‘in the name of ‘ something or someone? Most of the time, when this phrase crops up in the Old Testament it seems to be to do with speaking. People bless or prophesy ‘in the name of the Lord’ - in other words, they speak with his authority, and say things consistent with what God himse...2023-10-3102 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:3-4Micah 4:3-43 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig-tree,and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.As I write this, the news is full of death and destruction...2023-10-3002 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:2Micah 4:22 Many nations will come and say,‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.We’ve seen already in Micah just what a mess the people have got themselves into, when they’ve misunderstood what it means to be ‘God’s people’. Instead of recognising it as the gracious bles...2023-10-2802 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 4:1Micah 4:1In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.Here at the start of chapter 4 we get another of the abrupt changes in focus that we saw at the end of chapter 2. One minute everything is darkness and judgement, and the next minute there’s a startlingly unexpected injection of hope. At least, that’s how it seems when we read it. But in practice, there’s going to be quite a...2023-10-2702 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 3:11b-12Micah 3:11b-12Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.’ 12 Therefore because of you, Zion will be ploughed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.If you think back to yesterday’s verses, what we’ve just read is completely shocking! Verses 9-11 told us that the leaders of Israel were unjust, wicked and covetous. Yet they still remain convinced that the judgement that Micah...2023-10-2603 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 3:9-11aMicah 3:9-11aHear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; 10 who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. 11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money.Just in case we’d missed it, these verses reinforce for us the great contrast between the leaders of Micah’s day, and the perfect prophet, priest and ruler, Jesus. The leaders of Jacob hated justice, but when God’s prophet cam...2023-10-2502 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 3:8Micah 3:8But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.The first 7 verses of chapter 3 have all been pretty bad news. The leaders and prophets have abused their position, misleading and destroying the people, and so they will be silenced. We’re left thinking, “What now? How can these people possibly return to God if they have no way to hear him speak?” But all is not lost. In verse 8 we discover that...2023-10-2401 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 3:5-7Micah 3:5-7This is what the Lord says:‘As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim “peace” if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them. 6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. 7 The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.’We...2023-10-2302 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 3:4Micah 3:4Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.Do you remember the graphic picture we had in chapter 1, of crumbling mountains and destroyed cities? If we found ourselves in the middle of a scene like that, the noise would be deafening. Here in chapter 3, by contrast, there is a moment of silence. It might not seem so scary, but I wonder if this silence is actually more terrifying than th...2023-10-2102 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 3:1-3Micah 3:1-3Then I said,‘Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice, 2 you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; 3 who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot.’In chapters 1 and 2 we have seen the sin of God’s people, which is widespread in both the Northern...2023-10-2002 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 2:12-13Micah 2:12-13‘I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a sheepfold, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. 13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.’As I write this, we’re having an unseasonably hot week for October. Just when I’d expect to...2023-10-1903 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 2:10-11Micah 2:10-11Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy. 11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, “I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,” that would be just the prophet for this people! What does ‘rest’ mean to you? The feeling of sinking into your bed at the end of a long day? 10 minutes on the sofa with a cup of tea? We all want rest, but it can be hard to find. Some of u...2023-10-1802 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 2:8-9Micah 2:8-9Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle. 9 You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children for ever.Here’s another one of the shocking statements that we’re coming to expect in this book. God describes his people as ‘like an enemy’. And so he is going to treat them like enemies, driving them from their homes and...2023-10-1702 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 2:6-7Micah 2:6-7‘Do not prophesy,’ their prophets say. ‘Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us.’ 7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said, ‘Does the Lord become impatient? Does he do such things?’‘Do not my words do good to the one whose ways are upright?’I imagine I'm not the only who finds these chapters in Micah hard to listen to. I don't really want to have to think about sin and judgement. I'd much rather talk about God's love, faithfulness and generosity. I'd rather read and...2023-10-1602 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 2:3-5Micah 2:3-5Therefore, the Lord says:‘I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. 4 In that day people will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: “We are utterly ruined; my people’s possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.”’5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord to divide the land by lot.Ye...2023-10-1403 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 2:1-2Micah 2:1-2Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. 2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.In chapter 1 we saw how God’s people were facing his judgement because they had failed to worship him as they were called to, and had instead become worshippers...2023-10-1303 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 1:13-16Micah 1:13-1613 You who live in Lachish, harness fast horses to the chariot. You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. 14 Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Akzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel. 15 I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobles of Israel will flee to Adullam. 16 Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vul...2023-10-1203 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 1:10-12Micah 1:10-1210 Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust. 11 Pass by naked and in shame, you who live in Shaphir. Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; it no longer protects you. 12 Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the Lord, even to the gate of Jerusalem.So far in Micah, we’ve had some big surprises: God speaks to ordinary people, his comi...2023-10-1103 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 1:8-9Micah 1:8-98 Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. 9 For Samaria’s plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.As we saw yesterday, Samaria – in the North – had a long history of idolatory. But we see from verse 9 that this isn’t just a private matter. Idolatory, like all sin, spreads like a plague. We can imagine a map of Is...2023-10-1002 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 1:5-7Micah 1:5-75 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem?6 ‘Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. 7 All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since...2023-10-0903 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 1:3-4Micah 1:3-43 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling-place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth. 4 The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.Yesterday, we thought about the extraordinary privilege that is it to have the Almighty God speak to us. Today we see something even more extraordinary. The God who created and sustains all things doesn’t just speak to us from a distance – he actually comes down to e...2023-10-0703 minDaily Bible EncouragementIntroduction to MicahIntroduction to MicahThe next series of Daily Bible Encouragement will be working through the Old Testament book of Micah. Micah was a prophet who spoke God’s word to God’s people sometime between 748 and 687 BC. The nation of Israel had been living in Canaan, the land God had promised them, for many generations but they had not consistently lived as his people. Micah is one of a number of prophets sent by God to warn them of the consequences of rejecting him, and to call them back to their true identity as his peop...2023-10-0601 minDaily Bible EncouragementMicah 1:1-2Micah 1:1-21 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah – the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.2 Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it, that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.“Micah? Really? Why?!” Perhaps that’s what you thought when you saw the title of this new series. Micah’s never been a book of the Bible that I regularly t...2023-10-0603 min
The Intentional AdvantageYour Thoughts are the Real Fake News with Cathy HellerYour thoughts have the ability to influence your reality. So often we forget or we don’t notice our own thoughts, but the truth is: scientists have discovered that about 85% of your thoughts are negative and 70% of those thoughts repeat constantly.. Our brain is primed to help us survive and belong--even if survival means not living your best life. In today’s episode, Cathy Heller and I discuss what it would look like to embrace rejection, why we don’t want everyone to like us and how we can choose our thoughts, which helps us choose our future. 2021-12-2139 min
Abundant Ever After with Cathy HellerTanya Dalton on How to Be Productive & Give Yourself Permission to Dream AgainHow can you stop waiting for permission and walk towards your ideal future? Tanya Dalton, founder and CEO of inkWELL Press Productivity Co, best-selling author, speaker, business coach, and productivity expert grew her company to 7 figures in just 18 months, and knew she could help other women build a fulfilling, successful life without burning themselves out. She shares how to reduce the overwhelm, get clarity on what to prioritize, give yourself freedom to dream, choose joy without shame, and step with confidence into what you are designed to do.
- Join Cathy's Happiness Habit Workshop today, Nov. 4th @ 10 am PT / 1 pm...2021-11-0458 min
Abundant Ever After with Cathy HellerTanya Dalton on How to Be Productive & Give Yourself Permission to Dream AgainHow can you stop waiting for permission and walk towards your ideal future? Tanya Dalton, founder and CEO of inkWELL Press Productivity Co, best-selling author, speaker, business coach, podcaster, and productivity expert grew her company to 7 figures in just 18 months, and knew she could help other women build a fulfilling, successful life without burning themselves out. She shares how to reduce the overwhelm, get clarity on what to prioritize, give yourself freedom to dream, choose joy without shame, and step with confidence into what you are designed to do.
- Join Cathy's Happiness Habit Workshop today, Nov. 4th @ 10 am PT / 1...2021-11-0458 min
Business InnovationBusiness Eye with Cathy Burke, Gary Purcell & Rían LaniganTune in to Business Eye every Friday - 1pm with Joe Dalton and Simon HaighCathy Burke, Director at Travel Counsellors and General Manager at Travel Counsellors Ireland.Gary Purcel, Director at Gary PurcellRían Lanigan Co -Founder Don't Paint SeagullsSponsored by Local Enterprise Office Dun Laoghaire-RathdownFind out more about your hosts of the show.https://www.simonhaigh.com/https://joedalton.ie/Community radio with a globe audience Hosted on Acast. See a...2020-02-1443 min
I'll Drink to That! Wine TalkCathy CorisonCathy Corison is the winemaker and owner of the Corison winery in Napa Valley, California.Also in this episode, Erin Scala discusses the important issue of climate change.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2015-04-071h 04