1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:13,050 Speaker 1: Life Audio Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, 2 00:00:13,730 --> 00:00:18,850 Speaker 1: a calming, scripture-centered devotional podcast designed to help you end 3 00:00:19,030 --> 00:00:22,340 Speaker 1: each day with God's Word in your mind and on 4 00:00:22,380 --> 00:00:26,779 Speaker 1: your heart. Right after this short word from our sponsors, 5 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:42,620 Speaker 1: we'll reflect on tonight's scripture, Psalm 149. Tonight's scripture reflection 6 00:00:43,190 --> 00:00:46,630 Speaker 1: is written by Amanda Eidelman and read by Leah Gerard. 7 00:00:47,590 --> 00:00:54,889 Speaker 1: Psalm 149 Sing to the Lord a new song, His 8 00:00:55,010 --> 00:00:58,890 Speaker 1: praise and the assembly of His faithful people. Let Israel 9 00:00:58,950 --> 00:01:02,090 Speaker 1: rejoice in their Maker, let the people of Zion be 10 00:01:02,170 --> 00:01:06,330 Speaker 1: glad in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing, 11 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,860 Speaker 1: and make music to Him with timbrel and harp. For 12 00:01:09,890 --> 00:01:13,350 Speaker 1: the Lord takes delight in his people. He crowns the 13 00:01:13,390 --> 00:01:17,950 Speaker 1: humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this 14 00:01:18,010 --> 00:01:22,149 Speaker 1: honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the 15 00:01:22,209 --> 00:01:25,420 Speaker 1: praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged 16 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: sword in their hands to inflict vengeance on the nations 17 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,500 Speaker 1: and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, 18 00:01:32,580 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the 19 00:01:35,819 --> 00:01:39,490 Speaker 1: sentence written against them. This is the glory of all 20 00:01:39,550 --> 00:01:48,639 Speaker 1: his faithful people. Praise the Lord. When God finished making 21 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,260 Speaker 1: Adam and Eve, the first humans in Genesis 1, he 22 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,380 Speaker 1: ended his work by saying it was very good. From 23 00:01:56,420 --> 00:02:01,029 Speaker 1: the beginning, we were made for his delight. Before sin, 24 00:02:01,530 --> 00:02:05,430 Speaker 1: God walked with Adam through the garden, sharing this beautifully 25 00:02:05,510 --> 00:02:09,540 Speaker 1: created space with him and Eve. After Adam and Eve 26 00:02:09,700 --> 00:02:11,980 Speaker 1: ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 27 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,820 Speaker 1: God discovered something was amiss because he was strolling through 28 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: the garden looking for his friends. When he realized they 29 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,740 Speaker 1: were hidden due to shame, he immediately knew something had 30 00:02:23,780 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: gone wrong. Since the fall, God has been working to 31 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,540 Speaker 1: bring humanity back into perfect communion with himself. We are 32 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:37,210 Speaker 1: his beloved, and he delights in us. He sees beauty 33 00:02:37,260 --> 00:02:41,269 Speaker 1: in us, As creatures made in His image, we are 34 00:02:41,310 --> 00:02:46,850 Speaker 1: a reflection of His goodness. As a beloved creature, how 35 00:02:46,870 --> 00:02:50,419 Speaker 1: do you respond? Do you give thanks for the gift 36 00:02:50,460 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: of God's adoration in your life? Do you strive to 37 00:02:54,300 --> 00:02:59,300 Speaker 1: please your Maker? Or are you diminishing your value and purpose? 38 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,609 Speaker 1: You matter because God made you on purpose for a purpose. 39 00:03:06,550 --> 00:03:10,020 Speaker 1: When we deny our value, we deny the very word 40 00:03:10,060 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: of the Lord. Self-hatred is to say that God is 41 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: a liar, that his declaration of love and commitment to 42 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:22,850 Speaker 1: us was meaningless. We can have faith in ourselves, not 43 00:03:22,910 --> 00:03:25,730 Speaker 1: out of pride, but because we have faith in the 44 00:03:25,790 --> 00:03:31,370 Speaker 1: Lord and we believe what his word says about us. Rejoice! 45 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,350 Speaker 1: because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God loves you. 46 00:03:36,550 --> 00:03:39,990 Speaker 1: He delights in the work of your hands. He covets 47 00:03:40,030 --> 00:03:44,670 Speaker 1: your praises. He orchestrates the details of your life for 48 00:03:44,750 --> 00:03:55,460 Speaker 1: your good. He is a good Father whom you can trust. Father, 49 00:03:55,580 --> 00:03:59,220 Speaker 1: I rejoice that you delight in me. I'm valuable because 50 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,450 Speaker 1: I'm made by you. I thank you for the plan 51 00:04:03,490 --> 00:04:07,130 Speaker 1: and purpose you've given my life. I ask that you 52 00:04:07,170 --> 00:04:10,830 Speaker 1: would help me to remain confident, not because I'm filled 53 00:04:10,870 --> 00:04:15,650 Speaker 1: with pride, but because I'm filled with faith. I praise 54 00:04:15,690 --> 00:04:22,660 Speaker 1: you and thank you for your unfailing love. Amen. How 55 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: did tonight's scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts in 56 00:04:26,940 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: the Your Nightly Scripture Forum Discussions. 57 00:04:38,339 --> 00:04:42,900 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture 58 00:04:43,339 --> 00:04:48,170 Speaker 2: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All 59 00:04:48,230 --> 00:04:54,110 Speaker 2: rights reserved. Be sure to follow our sister show, Your 60 00:04:54,170 --> 00:04:59,430 Speaker 2: Daily Bible Verse, on Apple or Spotify. By following Your 61 00:04:59,529 --> 00:05:03,810 Speaker 2: Daily Bible Verse and Your Nightly Scripture, you can be 62 00:05:03,910 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: sure that your day begins and ends today. centered on 63 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 2: the Word of God.