1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:12,660 Speaker 1: Life Audio Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: a calming, Scripture-centered devotional podcast designed to help you end 3 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: each day with God's Word in your mind and on 4 00:00:21,410 --> 00:00:26,630 Speaker 1: your heart. Right after this short word from our sponsors, 5 00:00:27,430 --> 00:00:33,060 Speaker 1: we will reflect on tonight's Scripture and Galatians chapter 6. 6 00:00:40,890 --> 00:00:44,870 Speaker 1: Our evening reflection is written by Alicia Hedley and read 7 00:00:45,190 --> 00:00:52,419 Speaker 1: by Kyle Norman. Galatians chapter 6. Dear brothers and sisters, 8 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:57,340 Speaker 1: if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who 9 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,100 Speaker 1: are godly should gently and humbly Help that person back 10 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: onto the right path. And be careful not to fall 11 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,020 Speaker 1: into the same temptation yourself. Share each other's burdens, and 12 00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: in this way, obey the law of Christ. If you 13 00:01:13,770 --> 00:01:16,890 Speaker 1: think you are too important to help someone, you are 14 00:01:17,030 --> 00:01:22,809 Speaker 1: only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Pay careful 15 00:01:22,870 --> 00:01:25,730 Speaker 1: attention to your own work, for then you will get 16 00:01:25,770 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: the satisfaction of a job well done. and you won't 17 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,660 Speaker 1: need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are 18 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,639 Speaker 1: each responsible for our own conduct. Those who are taught 19 00:01:37,740 --> 00:01:41,610 Speaker 1: the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing 20 00:01:41,770 --> 00:01:47,510 Speaker 1: all good things with them. Don't be misled. You cannot 21 00:01:47,590 --> 00:01:51,350 Speaker 1: mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what 22 00:01:51,370 --> 00:01:54,990 Speaker 1: you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own 23 00:01:55,070 --> 00:02:00,140 Speaker 1: sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. 24 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest 25 00:02:04,540 --> 00:02:09,389 Speaker 1: everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired 26 00:02:09,470 --> 00:02:13,010 Speaker 1: of doing what is good. At just the right time, 27 00:02:13,570 --> 00:02:16,709 Speaker 1: we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't 28 00:02:16,790 --> 00:02:22,389 Speaker 1: give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should 29 00:02:22,430 --> 00:02:26,010 Speaker 1: do good to everyone especially to those in the family 30 00:02:26,060 --> 00:02:30,540 Speaker 1: of faith. Notice what large letters I used as I 31 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: write these closing words in my own handwriting. Those who 32 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,490 Speaker 1: are trying to force you to be circumcised want to 33 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,109 Speaker 1: look good to others. They don't want to be persecuted 34 00:02:42,190 --> 00:02:45,270 Speaker 1: for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 35 00:02:46,790 --> 00:02:50,630 Speaker 1: And even if these who advocate circumcision don't keep the 36 00:02:50,669 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised 37 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,410 Speaker 1: so they can boast about it and claim you as 38 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:03,550 Speaker 1: their disciples. But as for me, may I never boast 39 00:03:03,630 --> 00:03:06,869 Speaker 1: about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 40 00:03:07,990 --> 00:03:10,790 Speaker 1: Because of that cross, my interest in this world has 41 00:03:10,810 --> 00:03:14,870 Speaker 1: been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. 42 00:03:15,990 --> 00:03:19,050 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. 43 00:03:19,630 --> 00:03:22,900 Speaker 1: What counts is whether we have been transformed into into 44 00:03:22,940 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon 45 00:03:28,220 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: all who live by this principle. They are the new 46 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:37,150 Speaker 1: people of God. From now on, don't let anyone trouble 47 00:03:37,170 --> 00:03:40,190 Speaker 1: me with these things for I bear on my body 48 00:03:40,210 --> 00:03:45,370 Speaker 1: the scars that show I belong to Jesus. Dear brothers 49 00:03:45,430 --> 00:03:48,350 Speaker 1: and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 50 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:57,270 Speaker 1: be with your spirit. Amen. There have been many seasons 51 00:03:57,310 --> 00:04:02,390 Speaker 1: in my life when staying faithful felt exhausting. I was 52 00:04:02,450 --> 00:04:06,330 Speaker 1: praying the same prayers, trying to trust God, taking the 53 00:04:06,370 --> 00:04:09,570 Speaker 1: next step and doing everything I knew to do, but 54 00:04:09,630 --> 00:04:13,090 Speaker 1: nothing seemed to be changing. And when you've been faithful 55 00:04:13,130 --> 00:04:16,630 Speaker 1: for a long time without seeing results, it's easy to 56 00:04:16,690 --> 00:04:22,659 Speaker 1: wonder if you can continue for much longer. Throughout Galatians 6, 57 00:04:22,660 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: Paul reminds us to carry one another's burdens, Examine our 58 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: own actions, continue doing what is good, and pay attention 59 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,230 Speaker 1: to what we are sowing. There is an important theme 60 00:04:35,310 --> 00:04:37,870 Speaker 1: running through all of it. The way that we live 61 00:04:37,930 --> 00:04:44,090 Speaker 1: today matters, even when we cannot immediately see fruit. I 62 00:04:44,150 --> 00:04:47,830 Speaker 1: love that Scripture doesn't pretend that we won't get tired. 63 00:04:48,870 --> 00:04:52,950 Speaker 1: God knows faithfulness can become exhausting when we can't see 64 00:04:52,990 --> 00:04:56,700 Speaker 1: where it's headed. He knows that it costs to pray 65 00:04:56,779 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: again after disappointment, to choose obedience when it would be 66 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:06,410 Speaker 1: easier to quit, and to continue believing when circumstances seem unchanged. 67 00:05:08,170 --> 00:05:11,350 Speaker 1: For years, I prayed to be able to bear my 68 00:05:11,390 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: own children. There were times when I wondered whether anything 69 00:05:14,830 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: was happening at all. Sometimes the waiting made me question 70 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:23,980 Speaker 1: whether all those prayers were encompassing anything. But looking back, 71 00:05:24,779 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: I can see that God was working in places I 72 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: couldn't see yet. He was strengthening my faith, teaching me surrender, 73 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,940 Speaker 1: and showing me that faithfulness isn't only about receiving the 74 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,349 Speaker 1: outcome I'm hoping for. That season taught me something I 75 00:05:40,430 --> 00:05:47,690 Speaker 1: still remind myself of. Unseen progress is still progress. Galatians 76 00:05:47,690 --> 00:05:51,430 Speaker 1: 6 uses the imagery of planting and harvesting, and planting 77 00:05:51,490 --> 00:05:55,310 Speaker 1: requires faith. When you first put a seed into the ground, 78 00:05:55,870 --> 00:06:00,630 Speaker 1: nothing visible happens. For a while, the ground looks exactly 79 00:06:00,690 --> 00:06:05,789 Speaker 1: the same. But beneath the surface, something may already be happening. 80 00:06:08,610 --> 00:06:12,510 Speaker 1: Maybe something in your life feels like that tonight. Maybe 81 00:06:12,570 --> 00:06:15,909 Speaker 1: you've been showing up faithfully in a season where nobody 82 00:06:15,950 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: seems to notice. Maybe you've been choosing obedience again and again. 83 00:06:20,790 --> 00:06:23,910 Speaker 1: while wondering when you'll finally see something come from it. 84 00:06:25,310 --> 00:06:29,250 Speaker 1: Don't let the absence of visible results convince you that 85 00:06:29,290 --> 00:06:34,610 Speaker 1: your faithfulness is wasted. Galatians 6 reminds us that we 86 00:06:34,710 --> 00:06:39,529 Speaker 1: aren't responsible for forcing the harvest. We are responsible for 87 00:06:39,630 --> 00:06:44,029 Speaker 1: faithfully sowing what God has placed in our hands. And 88 00:06:44,070 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: notice Paul's words at just the right time. There is 89 00:06:48,779 --> 00:06:52,500 Speaker 1: a timing to the harvest that belongs to God. This 90 00:06:52,540 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: can be difficult. We want reassurance that if we keep 91 00:06:56,260 --> 00:07:00,049 Speaker 1: doing the right thing, the results we want will eventually appear. 92 00:07:01,250 --> 00:07:05,170 Speaker 1: But faith asks us to trust God not only with 93 00:07:05,190 --> 00:07:08,850 Speaker 1: the seed, but also with the timing and the outcome. 94 00:07:10,630 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: You don't need evidence tonight that something is growing in 95 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,170 Speaker 1: order to keep believing that God is at work. Keep 96 00:07:18,210 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: planting what is good. Keep trusting God with what you 97 00:07:21,620 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: can't see. And remember, just because nothing has broken through 98 00:07:26,140 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: the soil yet, doesn't mean nothing is happening underneath it. Father, 99 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:38,460 Speaker 1: thank you for seeing every seed I have planted in faith, 100 00:07:39,370 --> 00:07:42,750 Speaker 1: including the ones that haven't produced anything I can see yet. 101 00:07:44,150 --> 00:07:47,130 Speaker 1: You know where I am tired of waiting, and where 102 00:07:47,170 --> 00:07:51,650 Speaker 1: disappointment has made me wonder whether continuing to hope is 103 00:07:51,710 --> 00:07:56,850 Speaker 1: worth it. Forgive me, Lord, for at times wanting to 104 00:07:56,890 --> 00:07:59,890 Speaker 1: give up. Help me not to grow weary in doing 105 00:07:59,930 --> 00:08:03,700 Speaker 1: what is good. When I cannot see progress, remind me 106 00:08:03,780 --> 00:08:07,860 Speaker 1: that you are still working. Strengthen me in places where 107 00:08:07,900 --> 00:08:12,300 Speaker 1: I feel tired, discouraged, or tempted to give up. Lord, 108 00:08:12,380 --> 00:08:15,060 Speaker 1: show me what you're asking me to faithfully sow in 109 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:20,490 Speaker 1: this season. And when I become impatient, remind me that 110 00:08:20,570 --> 00:08:25,590 Speaker 1: you see what I cannot. Tonight, I release my need 111 00:08:25,650 --> 00:08:30,300 Speaker 1: to control the outcome. Give my weary heart rest tonight 112 00:08:30,830 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: and fresh faith to keep going tomorrow. In Jesus' name, Amen. 113 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,020 Speaker 1: How did tonight's scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts 114 00:08:41,140 --> 00:08:52,850 Speaker 1: in the Your Nightly Scripture Forum Discussions. Thank you for 115 00:08:52,910 --> 00:08:57,660 Speaker 1: listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture was read from 116 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:05,100 Speaker 1: the New International Version by Biblica. All rights reserved. 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