1 00:00:02,710 --> 00:00:13,330 Speaker 1: Life Audio Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, 2 00:00:13,990 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: a calming, Scripture-centered devotional podcast designed to help you end 3 00:00:19,579 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: each day with God's Word in your mind and on 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: your heart. Right after this short word from our sponsors, 5 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: we'll reflect on tonight's scripture, Hebrews chapter 12. Tonight's scripture 6 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:47,330 Speaker 1: reflection is written by Kyle Norman and read by Leah Gerard. 7 00:00:48,229 --> 00:00:56,210 Speaker 1: Hebrews chapter 12. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such 8 00:00:56,250 --> 00:01:01,610 Speaker 1: a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything 9 00:01:01,670 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and 10 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,060 Speaker 1: let us run with perseverance toward the race marked out 11 00:01:11,140 --> 00:01:16,100 Speaker 1: for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and 12 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:21,620 Speaker 1: perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he 13 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:26,340 Speaker 1: endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at 14 00:01:26,380 --> 00:01:31,190 Speaker 1: the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him 15 00:01:31,270 --> 00:01:35,190 Speaker 1: who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will 16 00:01:35,330 --> 00:01:40,650 Speaker 1: not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle, against sin, 17 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding 18 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of 19 00:01:49,540 --> 00:01:53,140 Speaker 1: encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? 20 00:01:54,060 --> 00:01:58,470 Speaker 1: It says, my son, do not make a light of 21 00:01:58,510 --> 00:02:01,930 Speaker 1: the Lord's discipline and do not lose heart when he 22 00:02:01,990 --> 00:02:05,710 Speaker 1: rebukes you because the Lord disciplines the one he loves. 23 00:02:06,890 --> 00:02:12,670 Speaker 1: and he chastens everyone he accepts as a son. Endure 24 00:02:12,710 --> 00:02:16,410 Speaker 1: hardship as discipline. God is treating you as his children. 25 00:02:17,169 --> 00:02:21,970 Speaker 1: For what children are not disciplined by their father? If 26 00:02:22,010 --> 00:02:27,510 Speaker 1: you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline, then you 27 00:02:27,550 --> 00:02:32,750 Speaker 1: are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, 28 00:02:33,380 --> 00:02:36,380 Speaker 1: we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and 29 00:02:36,810 --> 00:02:40,769 Speaker 1: We respected them for it. How much more should we 30 00:02:40,830 --> 00:02:46,570 Speaker 1: submit to the Father of Spirits and live? They disciplined 31 00:02:46,630 --> 00:02:50,410 Speaker 1: us for a little while as they thought best, but 32 00:02:50,550 --> 00:02:55,580 Speaker 1: God disciplines us for our good in order that we 33 00:02:55,620 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at 34 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:07,130 Speaker 1: the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a 35 00:03:07,230 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: harvest of righteousness and peace for those who've been trained 36 00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 37 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: Make level paths for your feet so that the lame 38 00:03:20,900 --> 00:03:25,300 Speaker 1: may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort 39 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: to live in peace with everyone and to be holy. 40 00:03:30,260 --> 00:03:35,220 Speaker 1: Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. See to 41 00:03:35,340 --> 00:03:38,210 Speaker 1: it that no one falls short of the grace of 42 00:03:38,250 --> 00:03:41,930 Speaker 1: God and that no bitter root grows up to cause 43 00:03:42,010 --> 00:03:47,170 Speaker 1: trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually 44 00:03:47,270 --> 00:03:51,270 Speaker 1: immoral or is godless like Esau, who for a single 45 00:03:51,350 --> 00:03:56,220 Speaker 1: meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, 46 00:03:56,260 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, 47 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,940 Speaker 1: he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, 48 00:04:05,940 --> 00:04:10,260 Speaker 1: He could not change what he had done. You have 49 00:04:10,300 --> 00:04:12,700 Speaker 1: not come to a mountain that can be touched and 50 00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: that's burning with fire, or to darkness, gloom, and storm, 51 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,110 Speaker 1: to a trumpet blaster, to such a voice speaking words 52 00:04:21,190 --> 00:04:24,570 Speaker 1: that those who heard it begged that no further word 53 00:04:24,610 --> 00:04:27,650 Speaker 1: be spoken to them because they could not bear what 54 00:04:27,690 --> 00:04:31,510 Speaker 1: was commanded. If even an animal touches the mountain, it 55 00:04:31,550 --> 00:04:35,980 Speaker 1: must be stoned to death. The sight was so terrifying 56 00:04:36,020 --> 00:04:41,339 Speaker 1: that Moses said, I am trembling with fear. But you 57 00:04:42,100 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the 58 00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:49,620 Speaker 1: living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands 59 00:04:49,730 --> 00:04:53,790 Speaker 1: upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church 60 00:04:53,830 --> 00:04:58,830 Speaker 1: of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You 61 00:04:58,850 --> 00:05:02,190 Speaker 1: have come to God, the judge of all, to the 62 00:05:02,270 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator 63 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that 64 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:14,860 Speaker 1: speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See 65 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,900 Speaker 1: to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. 66 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,020 Speaker 1: If they did not escape when they refused him who 67 00:05:22,060 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: warned them on earth, how much less will we if 68 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,339 Speaker 1: we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 69 00:05:29,820 --> 00:05:32,799 Speaker 1: At that time his voice shook the earth, but now 70 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,770 Speaker 1: he has promised. Once more, I will shake not only 71 00:05:36,830 --> 00:05:42,710 Speaker 1: the earth, but also the heavens. The words once more 72 00:05:42,810 --> 00:05:47,300 Speaker 1: indicate the removing of what can be shaken, that is, 73 00:05:47,980 --> 00:05:55,539 Speaker 1: created things, so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, 74 00:05:55,980 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, 75 00:06:00,180 --> 00:06:04,340 Speaker 1: let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably, with 76 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:10,250 Speaker 1: reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. 77 00:06:14,770 --> 00:06:17,909 Speaker 1: Where do we look when life gets hard? Where do 78 00:06:17,930 --> 00:06:22,810 Speaker 1: we place our focus? If you're like me, too often 79 00:06:22,850 --> 00:06:28,010 Speaker 1: we look to our own strengths. Actually, I focus on 80 00:06:28,130 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: what I can't do more than on what I can do. 81 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 1: I focus on my inabilities, my frailty, or my failing. 82 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: When life turns difficult and I need to persevere through 83 00:06:42,900 --> 00:06:46,130 Speaker 1: a time of trial or struggle, the things that keep 84 00:06:46,170 --> 00:06:51,210 Speaker 1: me stuck glare at me. I criticize and condemn myself 85 00:06:51,270 --> 00:06:54,620 Speaker 1: for all the ways I'm not as strong as I 86 00:06:54,650 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: think I should be, as smart as I pretend to be, 87 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,529 Speaker 1: or as put together as I seem to be. Hebrews 88 00:07:02,529 --> 00:07:07,950 Speaker 1: 12 reminds us that the life of faith can be difficult. 89 00:07:09,060 --> 00:07:12,180 Speaker 1: One of the most important elements that we see in 90 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,340 Speaker 1: Scripture is that it presents to us a realistic look 91 00:07:16,700 --> 00:07:20,340 Speaker 1: at the life of faith. Life can be hard. There's 92 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,220 Speaker 1: no sugarcoating this. We need not pretend that this isn't 93 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,260 Speaker 1: the case or that the perfectly faithful somehow rise to 94 00:07:28,300 --> 00:07:32,490 Speaker 1: a life devoid of hardship. No. No. Life can be 95 00:07:33,070 --> 00:07:37,570 Speaker 1: filled with struggles and trials where we feel stretched beyond 96 00:07:37,630 --> 00:07:42,780 Speaker 1: our capabilities. But while this is an important truth for us, 97 00:07:43,420 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: more important is this. We are not alone. We are 98 00:07:49,020 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one who walks 99 00:07:52,380 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: before us, guiding our way. Nothing in life can overtake 100 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,930 Speaker 1: his presence in our lives. and His power at work 101 00:08:02,990 --> 00:08:07,890 Speaker 1: in us. Instead of looking to all the ways, you 102 00:08:07,950 --> 00:08:13,050 Speaker 1: may feel out of your depth, turn your eyes to Jesus. 103 00:08:13,950 --> 00:08:19,700 Speaker 1: Fix your gaze on Him. Because as you follow His lead, 104 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: placing your footsteps in His, there is nothing you can't 105 00:08:26,020 --> 00:08:36,470 Speaker 1: walk through. There is nothing you can't overcome. Tonight's prayer 106 00:08:36,590 --> 00:08:39,829 Speaker 1: is taken from the lyrics of the hymn, Turn Your 107 00:08:39,970 --> 00:08:44,969 Speaker 1: Eyes Upon Jesus, written by Helen H. Lemel in 1922. 108 00:08:44,970 --> 00:08:53,060 Speaker 1: O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in 109 00:08:53,100 --> 00:08:57,420 Speaker 1: the darkness you see? There is light for a look 110 00:08:57,460 --> 00:09:02,630 Speaker 1: at the Savior, and life more abundant and free. Turn 111 00:09:02,670 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, 112 00:09:08,130 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in 113 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:20,660 Speaker 1: the light of His glory and grace. How did tonight's 114 00:09:20,740 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Your 115 00:09:25,220 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: Nightly Scripture Forum discussion. Thank you for listening to your 116 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:44,359 Speaker 1: nightly scripture. Tonight's scripture was read from the New International 117 00:09:44,420 --> 00:09:51,420 Speaker 1: Version by Biblica, all rights reserved. If tonight's episode blessed you, 118 00:09:52,390 --> 00:09:56,469 Speaker 1: be sure to follow the show on Apple Podcasts so 119 00:09:56,510 --> 00:09:50,470 Speaker 1: your next nightly scripture is ready when you... Thank you, 120 00:09:50,590 --> 00:10:19,929 Speaker 1: and we'll see you tomorrow night. Thank you.