1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello. Thank you for listening to your daily 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: Bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day 3 00:00:17,300 --> 00:00:19,910 Speaker 1: to learn more about God and His will for us. 4 00:00:20,750 --> 00:00:23,310 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jennifer Sodry, and after this short word 5 00:00:23,350 --> 00:00:27,070 Speaker 1: from our sponsors, we'll dive into today's Bible verse. Judges 6 00:00:27,070 --> 00:00:43,820 Speaker 1: 18.5 Today's Bible verse is Judges 18.5. Then they said 7 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,620 Speaker 1: to him, Please inquire of God to learn whether our 8 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,220 Speaker 1: journey will be successful. I might have shared this before, 9 00:00:51,580 --> 00:00:55,550 Speaker 1: but watching a loved one repeatedly get sucked into cults 10 00:00:55,910 --> 00:01:00,410 Speaker 1: left me feeling apprehensive. Initially, I struggled to understand what 11 00:01:00,450 --> 00:01:04,690 Speaker 1: made this person so vulnerable to charismatic personalities and wonky 12 00:01:04,750 --> 00:01:08,580 Speaker 1: views of scripture. For a time, my confusion led me 13 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,179 Speaker 1: to approach the Bible and conversations with the Lord with 14 00:01:12,220 --> 00:01:17,050 Speaker 1: a guardedness rooted in anxiety and fear. I knew God 15 00:01:17,150 --> 00:01:19,770 Speaker 1: was the source of all truth. I believed in the 16 00:01:19,830 --> 00:01:23,450 Speaker 1: authority of his word, the Bible. I just wasn't sure 17 00:01:23,550 --> 00:01:26,890 Speaker 1: I had the discernment to remain on the firm path 18 00:01:27,030 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: he'd established for me. As you might expect, this greatly 19 00:01:31,340 --> 00:01:34,340 Speaker 1: hindered my relationship with him. It's hard to connect with someone, 20 00:01:34,380 --> 00:01:38,460 Speaker 1: the Lord included, when your brain is constantly scanning for danger. 21 00:01:39,090 --> 00:01:41,530 Speaker 1: As I prayed through this, however, the Lord reminded me 22 00:01:41,610 --> 00:01:45,150 Speaker 1: of powerful weapons he'd provided to protect my soul, like 23 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:49,550 Speaker 1: the Bible, our steady, divinely inspired source of truth. I 24 00:01:49,590 --> 00:01:52,290 Speaker 1: wonder if the Danites, the group of men who spoke 25 00:01:52,330 --> 00:01:56,390 Speaker 1: today's verse, had access to scripture. We know it existed somewhere, 26 00:01:56,580 --> 00:02:00,380 Speaker 1: otherwise we wouldn't possess the Old Testament today. Yet, we 27 00:02:00,460 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: also know from accounts recorded in other passages that God's 28 00:02:04,260 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: word got lost for a time. If that was the 29 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,489 Speaker 1: situation during the period documented in Judges 18, then it 30 00:02:11,570 --> 00:02:15,250 Speaker 1: would have made it incredibly difficult for people to separate 31 00:02:15,710 --> 00:02:19,110 Speaker 1: true and holy worship of the Almighty and the convoluted 32 00:02:19,150 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: religious system false priests created. Here's the background. Although Joshua, 33 00:02:24,340 --> 00:02:26,700 Speaker 1: the warrior who led God's people into the Promised Land, 34 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: had given the tribe of Dan a fair allotment, The 35 00:02:30,130 --> 00:02:32,810 Speaker 1: men refused to do their part to take possession of it. 36 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,700 Speaker 1: This resulted in other people groups like the Philistines encroaching 37 00:02:36,780 --> 00:02:39,660 Speaker 1: on their land and apparently making it crowded. And so 38 00:02:40,139 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: they sent scouts to find someplace they could easily snatch. 39 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,020 Speaker 1: En route, they encountered a man named Micah, who in 40 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,279 Speaker 1: the previous chapter formed an ephod and some idols from 41 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,290 Speaker 1: his mother's gold. He also hired his own priest. And 42 00:02:55,330 --> 00:02:58,989 Speaker 1: while this might seem like a good idea on the surface... 43 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: His actions veered from the Lord's clear instructions. God alone 44 00:03:04,460 --> 00:03:08,260 Speaker 1: had the authority to establish the priesthood, location of worship, 45 00:03:08,580 --> 00:03:11,700 Speaker 1: and guidelines for how his people were to interact with him. 46 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,490 Speaker 1: In this, the Lord was establishing his holiness and making 47 00:03:16,650 --> 00:03:21,570 Speaker 1: clear distinctions between ancient Israel's relationship with him and false 48 00:03:21,790 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: religions practiced by their neighbors. Scholars have varying thoughts regarding 49 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,490 Speaker 1: Micah's intent, whether he meant to distort the ways of 50 00:03:29,530 --> 00:03:34,290 Speaker 1: God or was simply acting from ignorance. Commentators also suggest, 51 00:03:34,350 --> 00:03:39,210 Speaker 1: based on today's verse, that the Danites truly wanted to 52 00:03:39,270 --> 00:03:44,850 Speaker 1: honor God. But intent proves irrelevant when you find yourself 53 00:03:44,950 --> 00:03:48,290 Speaker 1: stuck on a long, winding road heading toward a cliff. 54 00:03:49,060 --> 00:03:52,910 Speaker 1: Believing you're heading to Disneyland won't get you there. if 55 00:03:53,070 --> 00:03:57,250 Speaker 1: you're following the wrong map. As Micah and the Danites were, 56 00:03:57,270 --> 00:04:00,650 Speaker 1: David Guzik from The Enduring Word phrases it this way, 57 00:04:01,290 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: these Danites on a sinful mission met with a sinful 58 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: Levi and wanted to know from a righteous God if 59 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,340 Speaker 1: their mission would be successful. Then the sinful Levi sent 60 00:04:11,380 --> 00:04:16,210 Speaker 1: the sinning men on their way with God's blessing. How 61 00:04:16,270 --> 00:04:18,650 Speaker 1: often do we do the same? I can only speak 62 00:04:18,710 --> 00:04:21,570 Speaker 1: for myself, but the older I get and the longer 63 00:04:21,589 --> 00:04:24,690 Speaker 1: I walk with Jesus, the more alert I am to 64 00:04:24,730 --> 00:04:29,380 Speaker 1: my propensity for self-deception. When my heart longs for something 65 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,060 Speaker 1: I perceive as good, it's far too easy to convince 66 00:04:34,180 --> 00:04:37,660 Speaker 1: myself that advice from a friend, a line in a book, 67 00:04:38,140 --> 00:04:42,730 Speaker 1: or slogan on a bumper sticker came from God. Thankfully, 68 00:04:42,910 --> 00:04:45,620 Speaker 1: the Lord provided guardrails in scripture to keep me from 69 00:04:45,710 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: following after what 2 Timothy 3 refers to as evildoers 70 00:04:50,339 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: and imposters who peddle deception as truth. Pause to consider 71 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: the immense love and grace this reveals regarding God's heart 72 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,909 Speaker 1: toward us, his beloved. For generations, beginning with Moses, the 73 00:05:03,970 --> 00:05:07,529 Speaker 1: leader revealed in Exodus, he preserved these accounts to reveal 74 00:05:07,589 --> 00:05:11,270 Speaker 1: himself and his ways and strengthen and protect our souls 75 00:05:11,410 --> 00:05:15,349 Speaker 1: from anything that would pull us from the beautiful, life-giving 76 00:05:15,450 --> 00:05:19,710 Speaker 1: plans he has for us. That said, armor only holds 77 00:05:19,770 --> 00:05:23,330 Speaker 1: value for those who put it on. Similarly, the truth 78 00:05:23,370 --> 00:05:25,810 Speaker 1: of scripture won't do much for our fickle souls when 79 00:05:25,870 --> 00:05:28,929 Speaker 1: our Bibles act as dust collectors on our coffee tables. 80 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,940 Speaker 1: We must open and receive these precious nuggets to stand 81 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,820 Speaker 1: firm in our faith. And the good news is we 82 00:05:36,860 --> 00:05:40,890 Speaker 1: can start today knowing that every word we take in 83 00:05:41,510 --> 00:05:47,290 Speaker 1: is strengthening our souls. Before we pray, fun news. Christmas 84 00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:50,740 Speaker 1: is coming and I'm celebrating with a huge giveaway featuring 85 00:05:50,740 --> 00:05:55,380 Speaker 1: 20 wonderful Christian authors. Today I'm highlighting six generous contributors. 86 00:05:55,810 --> 00:05:59,190 Speaker 1: Heidi Mayne is donating The Mistletoe Baby, a heartwarming Christmas 87 00:05:59,250 --> 00:06:02,670 Speaker 1: romance about a former bull rider, a pregnant socialite, and 88 00:06:02,690 --> 00:06:06,180 Speaker 1: an unexpected chance at love. Mary Alford is giving away 89 00:06:06,260 --> 00:06:10,060 Speaker 1: Shattered Amish Identity, a suspenseful story about an Amish school 90 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:13,820 Speaker 1: teacher who discovers she may actually be a CIA agent. 91 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,660 Speaker 1: Megan Carver is contributing Amish Country Witness, featuring a woman 92 00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: in witness protection and Julie Arnold is donating Montana Ranch Hideout, 93 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: a romantic suspense set on a Montana ranch. K.M. Waldron 94 00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:29,210 Speaker 1: is giving away an Amish Haven by the Sea, a 95 00:06:29,250 --> 00:06:32,790 Speaker 1: touching story of unexpected love and second chances. And Terry 96 00:06:32,850 --> 00:06:37,540 Speaker 1: Reed is donating Montana Christmas Target. And... a Christmas ornament. 97 00:06:37,779 --> 00:06:40,510 Speaker 1: All these gifts, along with many more, will go to 98 00:06:40,810 --> 00:06:44,730 Speaker 1: one lucky winner. To enter, subscribe to my newsletter using 99 00:06:44,770 --> 00:06:48,130 Speaker 1: the link in the show notes. Current subscribers, you're automatically 100 00:06:48,250 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: entered into the drawing. The giveaway runs through December 1st 101 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,619 Speaker 1: and is open to residents of the continental United States. 102 00:06:55,760 --> 00:07:00,460 Speaker 1: Visit my website to see all of the other prizes. 103 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:06,630 Speaker 1: Good luck and Merry Christmas. And now, let's pray. Holy Father, 104 00:07:06,790 --> 00:07:09,310 Speaker 1: we just thank you for your mercy, for your love, 105 00:07:09,370 --> 00:07:12,010 Speaker 1: for your grace, for all of the ways you watch 106 00:07:12,290 --> 00:07:15,230 Speaker 1: over us, all of the ways you lead us towards truth, 107 00:07:15,330 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: towards thriving life. We pray that you would protect us 108 00:07:19,340 --> 00:07:22,820 Speaker 1: from deception, that you would increase our love for scripture, 109 00:07:22,860 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: increase our love for you, close our ears to every falsehood, 110 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,330 Speaker 1: begin to remove All of the lies that have taken 111 00:07:30,370 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: root in our souls, remove any confusion. Bring us clarity 112 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,980 Speaker 1: regarding who you are and what you desire from us. 113 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,140 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for sending Jesus Christ, your Son, 114 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: our Savior, to die in our place so that we 115 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: can have a close, intimate relationship with you. And it's 116 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: in his name that we pray. Amen.