1 00:00:10,230 --> 00:00:14,270 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, a Calming 2 00:00:14,350 --> 00:00:18,650 Speaker 1: Scripture Center devotional podcast designed to help you end each 3 00:00:18,710 --> 00:00:22,070 Speaker 1: day with God's Word in your mind and on your heart. 4 00:00:25,050 --> 00:00:27,950 Speaker 1: Right after this short word from our sponsors, we'll reflect 5 00:00:28,150 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: on tonight's scripture and Matthew chapter 16. Tonight's scripture reflection 6 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,620 Speaker 1: is written by Alicia Headley and read by Carrie Eichberger. 7 00:00:47,580 --> 00:00:55,810 Speaker 1: Matthew chapter 16. One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came 8 00:00:55,890 --> 00:00:56,910 Speaker 1: to test Jesus. 9 00:00:57,580 --> 00:00:59,510 Speaker 2: Demanding that he show them. 10 00:00:59,410 --> 00:01:04,130 Speaker 1: A miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. He replied, 11 00:01:04,930 --> 00:01:08,610 Speaker 1: You know the saying, Red sky at night means fair 12 00:01:08,650 --> 00:01:13,169 Speaker 1: weather tomorrow. Red sky in the morning means foul weather 13 00:01:13,330 --> 00:01:16,810 Speaker 1: all day. You know how to interpret the weather signs 14 00:01:16,850 --> 00:01:19,770 Speaker 1: in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret 15 00:01:19,810 --> 00:01:24,150 Speaker 1: the signs of the times. Only an evil adulterous generation 16 00:01:24,510 --> 00:01:28,260 Speaker 1: would demand a miraculous sign. But the only sign I 17 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,260 Speaker 1: will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 18 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: Then Jesus left them and went away. 19 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: Later, after they crossed the. 20 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,940 Speaker 1: Other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had 21 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,650 Speaker 1: forgotten to bring any bread. 22 00:01:43,510 --> 00:01:45,050 Speaker 2: Watch out, Jesus warned them. 23 00:01:45,870 --> 00:01:50,370 Speaker 1: Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. At this, 24 00:01:50,690 --> 00:01:53,750 Speaker 1: they began to argue with each other because they hadn't. 25 00:01:53,490 --> 00:01:54,310 Speaker 2: Brought any bread. 26 00:01:55,270 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: Jesus knew what they were saying. So he said, You 27 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,190 Speaker 1: have so little faith. Why are you arguing with each 28 00:02:02,270 --> 00:02:06,210 Speaker 1: other about having no bread? Don't you understand even then? 29 00:02:06,990 --> 00:02:09,470 Speaker 1: Don't you remember the five thousand I fed with the 30 00:02:09,510 --> 00:02:12,970 Speaker 1: five loaves and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 31 00:02:13,940 --> 00:02:15,500 Speaker 2: Or the four thousand I fed with. 32 00:02:15,419 --> 00:02:19,140 Speaker 1: Seven loaves and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 33 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 2: Why can't you. 34 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:25,210 Speaker 1: Understand that I'm not talking about bread? So again I say, 35 00:02:25,820 --> 00:02:30,239 Speaker 1: Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then 36 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,780 Speaker 1: at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about the 37 00:02:33,820 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: yeast in the bread, but about the deceptive teaching of 38 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,460 Speaker 1: the Pharisees and Sadducees. When Jesus came to the region 39 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:46,020 Speaker 1: of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people 40 00:02:46,180 --> 00:02:50,100 Speaker 1: say that the Son of Man is? Well, they replied, 41 00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:54,850 Speaker 1: Some say John the Baptist. Some say Elijah. and others 42 00:02:54,930 --> 00:02:58,549 Speaker 1: say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Then he 43 00:02:58,650 --> 00:03:02,310 Speaker 1: asked them, But who do you say I am? Simon 44 00:03:02,350 --> 00:03:05,730 Speaker 1: Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of. 45 00:03:05,710 --> 00:03:06,470 Speaker 2: The living God. 46 00:03:07,470 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: Jesus replied, You are blessed, Simon son of John, because 47 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: did not learn this from any human being. Now I 49 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,540 Speaker 1: say to you that you are Peter, which means rock, 50 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: and upon this rock I will build my church, and 51 00:03:25,700 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And 52 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,209 Speaker 1: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. 53 00:03:32,030 --> 00:03:34,890 Speaker 1: Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, 54 00:03:35,570 --> 00:03:37,130 Speaker 1: and whatever you permit on earth. 55 00:03:37,410 --> 00:03:38,550 Speaker 2: Will be permitted in heaven. 56 00:03:39,690 --> 00:03:43,060 Speaker 1: Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone 57 00:03:43,190 --> 00:03:44,380 Speaker 1: that he was the Messiah. 58 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:45,900 Speaker 2: From then on. 59 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,460 Speaker 1: Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was 60 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,810 Speaker 1: necessary for him to go to Jerusalem. and that he 61 00:03:52,850 --> 00:03:56,490 Speaker 1: would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, 62 00:03:56,910 --> 00:04:00,970 Speaker 1: the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He 63 00:04:01,010 --> 00:04:04,010 Speaker 1: would be killed, but on the third day he would 64 00:04:04,030 --> 00:04:07,290 Speaker 1: be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside 65 00:04:07,630 --> 00:04:12,210 Speaker 1: and began to reprimand him for saying such things. Heaven forbid, Lord, 66 00:04:12,670 --> 00:04:16,420 Speaker 1: he said, this will never happen to you. Jesus turned 67 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,820 Speaker 1: to Peter and said, Get away from me, Satan. You 68 00:04:19,860 --> 00:04:22,789 Speaker 1: are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things 69 00:04:22,910 --> 00:04:25,830 Speaker 1: merely from a human point of view, not from God's. 70 00:04:26,630 --> 00:04:30,070 Speaker 1: Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any of you. 71 00:04:29,990 --> 00:04:32,750 Speaker 2: Wants to be my follower, you must give up your 72 00:04:32,860 --> 00:04:34,740 Speaker 2: own way. Take up your. 73 00:04:34,660 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: Cross and follow me. If you try to hang on 74 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: to your life, you will lose it. But if you 75 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,110 Speaker 1: give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 76 00:04:45,110 --> 00:04:47,370 Speaker 1: And what do you benefit if you gain the. 77 00:04:47,330 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 2: Whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth 78 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:52,460 Speaker 2: more than your soul? 79 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: For the Son of Man will come with His angels 80 00:04:55,779 --> 00:04:58,660 Speaker 1: in the glory of His Father and will judge all 81 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,659 Speaker 1: people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, 82 00:05:03,370 --> 00:05:07,130 Speaker 1: some standing here right now will not die before they 83 00:05:07,170 --> 00:05:14,070 Speaker 1: see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. I 84 00:05:14,110 --> 00:05:17,510 Speaker 1: like to think I trust God with my life, but 85 00:05:17,550 --> 00:05:20,970 Speaker 1: if I'm honest, There have been plenty of times when 86 00:05:21,010 --> 00:05:24,710 Speaker 1: I've trusted Him with some parts while desperately trying to 87 00:05:24,770 --> 00:05:29,190 Speaker 1: control others. I'll pray the words of God, let your 88 00:05:29,230 --> 00:05:33,050 Speaker 1: will be done, while actually hoping His will looks exactly 89 00:05:33,110 --> 00:05:37,380 Speaker 1: like mine. I'll surrender something to Him, then pick it 90 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: right back up when fear creeps in. I've especially struggled 91 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: with this in seasons of waiting, when I desperately wanted 92 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:46,940 Speaker 1: God to answer a prayer. 93 00:05:47,650 --> 00:05:49,150 Speaker 2: I didn't just want an answer. 94 00:05:49,870 --> 00:05:52,710 Speaker 1: I wanted to tell him how and when it should happen. 95 00:05:53,350 --> 00:05:56,190 Speaker 1: And often, when it didn't happen the way I thought 96 00:05:56,270 --> 00:05:59,869 Speaker 1: it was supposed to happen, I would once again try 97 00:05:59,910 --> 00:06:03,049 Speaker 1: to control the situation the best way I knew how. 98 00:06:04,190 --> 00:06:08,370 Speaker 1: Maybe you've been there too. In Matthew 16, Peter declares, 99 00:06:08,410 --> 00:06:11,570 Speaker 1: Yet shortly afterward, when Jesus explains what is going to 100 00:06:11,589 --> 00:06:19,650 Speaker 1: happen to him, Peter struggles to accept it. 101 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 2: I can relate to that. 102 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: Sometimes we can believe completely in who Jesus is while 103 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:31,020 Speaker 1: also struggle to trust what Jesus is doing. Jesus later 104 00:06:31,060 --> 00:06:33,730 Speaker 1: tells his disciples, Following Jesus means more than asking him 105 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,409 Speaker 1: to bless the life we've already planned out for ourselves. 106 00:06:36,430 --> 00:06:53,490 Speaker 3: Sometimes, It means surrendering everything, our plans, our control, and. 107 00:06:53,490 --> 00:06:56,470 Speaker 1: Even the idea of how we think things should go. 108 00:06:57,390 --> 00:07:01,130 Speaker 1: It means truly releasing our thoughts around our plans and 109 00:07:01,170 --> 00:07:05,510 Speaker 1: letting God's plan be what leads us. I've learned that 110 00:07:05,570 --> 00:07:09,950 Speaker 1: surrender doesn't mean I stop wanting something or praying boldly 111 00:07:10,010 --> 00:07:14,940 Speaker 1: for it. Surrender simply means telling Jesus the desire of 112 00:07:14,980 --> 00:07:19,090 Speaker 1: your heart. He wants to know your desires. But then 113 00:07:19,150 --> 00:07:22,490 Speaker 1: you must say, God, I trust you more than my 114 00:07:22,550 --> 00:07:29,580 Speaker 1: own desire. Maybe there's something you're gripping tightly tonight. Your family, future, health, 115 00:07:30,100 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: a relationship, dream, or an unanswered prayer. You don't have 116 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:40,380 Speaker 1: to understand what Jesus is doing to trust who he is. Tonight, 117 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:49,260 Speaker 1: open your hands and give him that part too. Father, 118 00:07:49,340 --> 00:07:52,740 Speaker 1: you know the parts of my life I struggle to surrender. 119 00:07:53,540 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 2: You know my plans, fears, dreams, and deepest prayers. 120 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: Forgive me for the times I say I trust you 121 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: while still trying to. 122 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: Control the outcome. 123 00:08:05,340 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: Help me remember your faithfulness when your plan looks different 124 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: than mine. Tonight, I surrender what I've been gripping so tightly. 125 00:08:14,540 --> 00:08:17,350 Speaker 1: I come to you with open hands and an open 126 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: heart to hear and do your will. I can pray 127 00:08:21,380 --> 00:08:24,739 Speaker 1: boldly and still share with you the desires of my heart, 128 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,380 Speaker 1: but also still trust your will. That even if you 129 00:08:29,420 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: don't answer my prayers the way I think best, that's okay, 130 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,219 Speaker 1: because your will be done. I don't have to know 131 00:08:37,300 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: what comes next, because I know who holds my life. Jesus, 132 00:08:42,540 --> 00:08:46,069 Speaker 1: I trust you with every part, even this. 133 00:08:46,970 --> 00:08:52,110 Speaker 2: In Jesus' name, Amen. How did tonight's scripture speak to you? 134 00:08:52,730 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture Forum discussion. 135 00:09:04,580 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 4: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture 136 00:09:09,580 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 4: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All 137 00:09:14,460 --> 00:09:20,330 Speaker 4: rights reserved. Be sure to follow our sister show, Your 138 00:09:20,410 --> 00:09:25,670 Speaker 4: Daily Bible Verse, on Apple or Spotify. By following Your 139 00:09:25,750 --> 00:09:30,060 Speaker 4: Daily Bible Verse and Your Nightly Scripture, you can be 140 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,420 Speaker 4: sure that your day begins and ends centered on the 141 00:09:34,470 --> 00:09:35,089 Speaker 4: Word of God. 142 00:09:48,420 --> 00:09:49,750 Speaker 1: Thank you.