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Speaker 1: Life Audio Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture,

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Speaker 1: a Calming Scripture Center devotional podcast designed to help you

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Speaker 1: end each day with God's Word in your mind and

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Speaker 1: on your heart. Right after this short word from our sponsors,

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Speaker 1: you'll reflect on tonight's scripture on Isaiah chapter 64. Tonight's

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Speaker 1: scripture reflection is written by Chelsea DeMattis and read by

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Speaker 1: Kiri Eichberger. Isaiah chapter 64. Oh, that you would rend

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Speaker 1: the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble

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Speaker 1: before you, As when fire sets twakes ablaze and causes

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Speaker 1: water to boil, come down to make your name known

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Speaker 1: to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you.

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Speaker 1: For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,

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Speaker 1: you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since

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Speaker 1: ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,

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Speaker 1: no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts

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Speaker 1: on behalf of those who wait for him. You come

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Speaker 1: to the help of those who gladly do right, who

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Speaker 1: remember your ways. But when we continue to stand against them,

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Speaker 1: you are angry. How then can we be saved? All

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Speaker 1: of us have become like one who is unclean, and

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Speaker 1: all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags. We

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Speaker 1: all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind

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Speaker 1: our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your

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Speaker 1: name or strives to lay hold of you, for you

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Speaker 1: have hidden your face from us and have given us

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Speaker 1: over to our sins. Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

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Speaker 1: We are the clay, you are the potter. We are

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Speaker 1: all the work of your hand. Do not be angry

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Speaker 1: beyond measure, Lord. Do not remember our sins forever. O

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Speaker 1: look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

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Speaker 1: Your sacred cities have become a wasteland. Even Zion is

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Speaker 1: a wasteland. Jerusalem, a desolation. Our holy and glorious temple,

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Speaker 1: where our ancestors praised you. has been burned with fire,

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Speaker 1: and all that we treasured lies in ruins. After all this, Lord,

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Speaker 1: will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and

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Speaker 1: punish us beyond measure? Some of the hardest-fought seasons of

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Speaker 1: our faith are marked by waiting. Waiting on God to

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Speaker 1: move often looks like us being still before Him. It

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Speaker 1: can feel like a time of stagnation, which if you're

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Speaker 1: like me, is entirely uncomfortable. When we're asked to wait,

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Speaker 1: it feels like a consequence. But when we unpack scripture,

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Speaker 1: we see that while waiting can happen for that reason,

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Speaker 1: many times it's to grow the faith and reverence of

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Speaker 1: those who are being asked to wait. In Isaiah 64,

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Speaker 1: we see a cry and a petition for the Lord

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Speaker 1: to come down and make things right. He literally begs

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Speaker 1: God for his aid. What began as complaining quickly turns

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Speaker 1: to petition. His heart posture shifts from one of utter

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Speaker 1: frustration to that of a reverent follower who wants what

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Speaker 1: God wants for his people. In verses 8-9, Isaiah pens, Behold,

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Speaker 1: please look, we are all your people. He writes here

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Speaker 1: that he fully understands we do not deserve the Lord's

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Speaker 1: grace and quick response, but we also serve a God

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Speaker 1: who will meet us as he sees fit. What is

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Speaker 1: it that you are waiting for? A fresh hope, complete joy, healing,

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Speaker 1: or redemption? Whatever it is, you are not alone. All

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Speaker 1: believers find themselves in this place on the journey with Jesus,

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Speaker 1: and I pray we all remember the Holy Spirit is

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Speaker 1: with us in the waiting. He is interceding for you

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Speaker 1: when you have no more words to say. He will

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Speaker 1: wash peace over you as you wait. Keep your eyes

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Speaker 1: and heart fixed on the Lord. Trust Him in the waiting,

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Speaker 1: knowing that He is with you. Lord, will you be

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Speaker 1: tangibly present as I wait? Some days it's hard to

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Speaker 1: hold fast to what I know is true when it

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Speaker 1: feels like you're silent. I pray for fresh hope, new joy,

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Speaker 1: and an assurance that the Holy Spirit is leading me.

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Speaker 1: In areas where I've become complacent on this journey, would

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Speaker 1: you shake me up? Remind me that your way is perfect.

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Speaker 1: You know the perfect timing, and your plan will always

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Speaker 1: be better than mine, even when it feels hard or painful.

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Speaker 1: Please draw my heart near and wash me with your peace.

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Speaker 1: In Jesus' name. Amen. How did tonight's scripture speak to you?

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Speaker 1: Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture Forum discussion.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture

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Speaker 2: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All

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Speaker 2: rights reserved. Be sure to follow our sister show, Your

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Speaker 2: sure that your day begins and ends centered on the

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Speaker 2: Word of God. Thank you.