Daily Bible with Hunter and Heather

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 47–48; Luke 2
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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 19th, and our readings are Ezekiel 47–48 and Luke 2.
Ezekiel gives us a beautiful vision of a river flowing from the temple. Everywhere the river goes, life appears. Trees grow along its banks, fruit comes month after month, and even the waters of the Dead Sea become fresh. It is a picture of the life of God flowing outward, bringing healing and restoration wherever it goes.
Then Luke brings us to Bethlehem.
Jesus is born. Angels announce good news of great joy. Shepherds hurry to see the child and then tell everyone what they have seen and heard.
And amid all this activity, Luke tells us something quietly beautiful about Mary.
She treasured these things and pondered them in her heart.
Mary doesn't understand everything that is happening to her. She cannot possibly know where this story will lead. Yet she makes room within herself for mystery.
She stores these things in her heart.
Today we are invited to do the same.
There are things in our lives we cannot yet understand. There are hopes still unfulfilled, questions still unanswered, wounds still healing, and stories whose endings we cannot yet see.
We don't have to solve them all today.
We can hold them before God.
We can treasure what we have been given.
And we can trust that the God who sees us, knows us, and loves us is still at work in our story.
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
She Stored These Things in Her Heart
She stored it in her heart.
That's what Luke tells us Mary did in the midst of miracle, mystery, and uncertainty.
There was the promise.
There was the fear.
There was the joy.
And there were things that simply didn't make sense.
Mary didn't explain them away.
She didn't deny them.
She didn't pretend to understand what she couldn't understand.
She held them.
She treasured them.
She stored them in her heart.
And I think there is something here for us.
God doesn't always give us explanations.
There are things in life that simply don't make sense.
Things that cause us to wonder.
Things that cause us to worry.
Things that hurt.
There are prayers that seem unanswered.
Dreams that haven't come to pass.
Losses we don't understand.
Relationships that haven't turned out the way we hoped.
Questions about our future.
Questions about ourselves.
Questions about God.
And maybe faith isn't always about finding an explanation.
Maybe sometimes faith looks like Mary.
We simply hold these things before God.
We store them in our hearts.
Mary did that when shepherds showed up with stories about angels declaring that her child was the Messiah.
She stored it away.
She did it again when Simeon spoke over Jesus in the temple and then told Mary that a sword would pierce her own soul.
She held that too.
And years later, when twelve-year-old Jesus remained behind in his Father's house, Luke tells us that Mary didn't understand what Jesus meant.
But again, she stored these things in her heart.
There was a willingness in Mary to let the story unfold.
She didn't have to know everything.
She didn't have to control everything.
She didn't have to understand everything.
She trusted that God was present.
She trusted that she was seen.
She trusted that she was known.
She trusted that she was loved.
And she trusted that somehow God's purpose was still unfolding.
Maybe that's where you are today.
What are you storing in your heart?
An unfulfilled hope?
A disappointment?
A loss?
A question?
Something beautiful that you don't yet understand?
Something painful that you wish you could understand?
You don't have to solve it today.
You can hold it.
You can bring it before God.
You can allow your heart to become a vessel for mystery, hope, pain, memory, promise, and faith.
And you can remember this:
You are seen.
You are known.
You are loved.
Paul says that we are God's workmanship. The Greek word is poiēma. We are God's workmanship, God's handiwork, God's poem.
Your story isn't finished.
God is still at work.
So perhaps today we can learn something from Mary.
Be willing.
Be available.
Hold the mystery.
Store these things in your heart.
And trust that the One who loves you is still writing the story.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we, like Mary, store these things in our hearts, trusting that in God's time and through God's love, the story will be revealed.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 45–46; Luke 1
Click HERE to give!
One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 18th, and our readings are Ezekiel 45–46 and Luke 1.
In Ezekiel, we continue through the prophet's vision of restoration. Land is divided, honest measurements are commanded, offerings are described, and provision is made for worship among God's people. Running through these detailed instructions is a concern for justice, faithfulness, and a people being restored.
Then we turn the page to Luke, and suddenly we find ourselves standing at the dawn of something new.
An angel appears to Zechariah with news that Elizabeth will have a son. His name will be John, and he will prepare the way for the Lord.
Then Gabriel visits a young woman named Mary with an even more astonishing announcement. She will bear a son named Jesus, and his kingdom will never end.
Both Zechariah and Mary eventually find themselves singing.
Mary sings of the God who notices the lowly, fills the hungry, and remembers his mercy.
Zechariah sings of the tender mercy of God, through which the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.
That is our invitation today.
Whatever darkness we may find ourselves sitting in, the morning light is coming.
God has not forgotten us.
His mercy is new.
His light is breaking through.
And we are invited to join the song.
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
God's New Morning Light
Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.
I love that image.
Every morning, the light breaks through the darkness of night.
And maybe every new morning is a kind of rehearsal.
A reminder of that great morning when the light of God's Son breaks fully upon us.
Zechariah sings:
"Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us."
And what will this light do?
It will give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
And it will guide us to the path of peace.
Zechariah has a song.
And it is a song worth singing.
But Mary has a song too.
She says, "How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl."
God took notice of her.
This young woman.
This lowly servant girl.
Someone the powerful people of the world might easily overlook.
But God sees her.
God's light shines upon the lowly.
His light breaks upon the humble.
It shines upon those willing to let God be God in them.
Those willing to believe that what God says he will do, he will do.
And something happens when our humble faith meets God's merciful morning light.
A song begins to rise.
That's what happened to Zechariah.
That's what happened to Mary.
And I think it can happen to us too.
Maybe you're feeling lowly today.
Maybe you're hungry.
Maybe you're carrying shame.
Maybe you're sitting in a darkness that seems reluctant to give way.
Maybe you feel unseen.
But the morning light from heaven is breaking upon us.
God sees you.
God has not forgotten you.
And when we begin to encounter this God of love, this God who sees us and meets us in our lowliness, a song can begin to rise within us.
Not because everything has suddenly become easy.
Not because all our questions have been answered.
But because the light has come.
Because God is with us.
Because his mercy is tender.
Because darkness does not get the final word.
So join Zechariah.
Join Mary.
Join all those who have dared to believe that God is good enough to take notice of the lowly and big enough to do what he has promised.
Let faith rise.
Let the morning light break through.
And let your song rise with it.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 42–44; Revelation 22
Click HERE to give!
One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 17th, and our readings are Ezekiel 42–44 and Revelation 22.
Today we come to the final chapter of Revelation and one of the most beautiful images in all of Scripture.
Ezekiel continues his vision of the restored temple. He sees the glory of God returning, filling the temple with God's presence. The prophet falls facedown before the glory of the Lord.
Then Revelation 22 carries us beyond the temple into John's final vision of the new creation.
John sees a river.
It is the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life grows beside it, bearing fruit, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
The curse is gone.
Night is gone.
And then comes perhaps the most astonishing promise of all:
"They will see his face."
The story that began in Genesis with humanity hiding from the face of God ends with humanity looking upon God's face without fear.
Today's devotion invites us to begin living into that reality now. As we look toward Jesus, the veils that distort our understanding of God and ourselves begin to fall away.
We see God more clearly.
And in seeing him, we begin to discover who we truly are.
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
With Unveiled Face
John sees a river called life.
It is crystal clear, radiant and transparent, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
And I love this image.
Because there is nothing murky here.
Nothing obscured.
Nothing hidden.
John invites us to look into those crystal waters and see something marvelous.
The glory of God.
And perhaps, reflected there, we begin to see something else too.
Ourselves.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that as we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are being transformed into his image, from glory to glory.
I think that's part of what John is showing us here.
For so much of our lives, there are veils.
Things that obscure our vision of God.
Fear can be a veil.
Shame can be a veil.
Religion can become a veil.
Our wounds can become a veil.
Even distorted ideas about God can become veils that keep us from seeing clearly.
And when our vision of God becomes distorted, our vision of ourselves becomes distorted too.
We imagine God as distant, angry, disappointed, or reluctant to receive us.
And then we begin to imagine ourselves as unwanted, unacceptable, or unworthy of love.
But John says a day is coming when all the veils are gone.
"They will see his face."
Think about that.
The Bible begins with humanity hiding from the face of God.
And it ends with humanity looking into the face of God.
No hiding.
No shame.
No fear.
Just communion.
And when we finally see him clearly, I think we will discover something we have spent our whole lives learning to believe.
We belong.
We bear the family resemblance.
We are his.
But this isn't only a promise for some distant future.
Even now, the veil can begin to lift.
Every time we look toward Jesus, we see the Father more clearly.
Every time we sit with the Scriptures and allow Christ to open them to us, the water becomes a little clearer.
Every time we receive his love instead of hiding in our shame, we begin to see ourselves differently.
And slowly, sometimes almost imperceptibly, we are changed.
From glory to glory.
That's the beautiful mystery of transformation.
We don't become like Jesus primarily by staring harder at ourselves and trying to repair everything we think is wrong.
We become like him by beholding him.
By seeing the face of Jesus.
By discovering again and again that the face looking back at us is the face of love.
So come to the river.
Look into those crystal waters.
Let the veils fall.
See him.
And as you see him, may you also begin to see yourself as you truly are.
Loved.
Cherished.
A child of God.
Bearing the family resemblance.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
May I see with unveiled face.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we come to the river and see, and know, and reflect the glory of the Lord.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible

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OTHER PODCASTS:
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DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS
DAILY PSALMS
DAILY PROVERBS
DAILY LECTIONARY
DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 40–41; Psalm 128; Revelation 21
Click HERE to give!
One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 16th, and our readings are Ezekiel 40–41, Psalm 128, and Revelation 21.
In Ezekiel, we are given a detailed vision of a restored temple. The prophet is led through gates, courtyards, rooms, walls, and sacred spaces. Everything is measured with care.
This temple represented the place where heaven and earth met, where God dwelt among his people, and where humanity approached the presence of God through sacrifice.
Psalm 128 offers a picture of blessing, flourishing, family, and peace.
Then Revelation 21 carries us into an entirely new vision.
John sees a new heaven and a new earth. The holy city descends from God, and a voice announces that God's home is now among his people.
There will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
And remarkably, John sees no temple in the city.
There is no longer a separate sacred building because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. There is no need for sun or moon because the glory of God illuminates everything, and the Lamb is its light.
The sacred space toward which the temple always pointed has opened wide.
God is making his home with humanity.
Today's readings invite us to trust God through seasons of change. Buildings change. Institutions change. Familiar patterns pass away. But the presence and faithfulness of God remain.
The Lamb is our temple.
The Lamb is our light.
And the One seated upon the throne declares, "Look, I am making everything new."
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
The Lamb Is Our Temple
The story of sacrifice is finished.
That is what stands out to me in today's readings.
In Ezekiel, we are given a painstaking description of a temple.
There are gates, rooms, walls, courtyards, and exact measurements.
This is sacred space.
This is the place where heaven and earth meet.
This is where the presence of God dwells among the people and where broken humanity approaches God through sacrifice.
Every room matters.
Every measurement matters.
Every altar and sacred space belongs to a much larger story.
But it is a story that is always pointing beyond itself.
It is pointing toward Jesus.
Then John sees something entirely new.
A new heaven.
A new earth.
A new Jerusalem.
And he says, "I saw no temple in the city."
No temple.
No altar.
No sacred building separating the holy from the ordinary.
Why?
Because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Everything the old temple represented has been fulfilled in Christ.
The place where heaven and earth meet is Jesus.
The sacrifice is Jesus.
The presence of God among humanity is Jesus.
The light of the city is Jesus.
Even the sun and moon are no longer needed because the glory of God fills everything, and the Lamb is its light.
The old structures have served their purpose.
The signs have given way to the reality.
The symbols have given way to the One they were always pointing toward.
And this can be hard for us because we often become attached to the structures.
We become attached to the familiar.
We find comfort in the way things have always been.
But life changes.
Seasons change.
Our families change.
Our bodies change.
Churches and institutions change.
Sometimes the things that once gave us stability disappear.
But the faithfulness of God does not disappear with them.
God is not contained within the old structures.
God is making all things new.
And we are being invited to live in that newness.
Our life is not secured by holding tightly to everything that once was.
Our life is found in Christ.
The Lamb is our temple.
The Lamb is our light.
The Lamb is our life.
And your life has been woven into his.
Your story has been gathered into his story.
Your name is written in the life of the Lamb.
So when seasons change and familiar things pass away, we do not have to be afraid.
The One who held us in the last season will hold us in the next.
The One who was faithful yesterday will be faithful tomorrow.
The Lamb remains.
And he is making all things new.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible

Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured
OTHER PODCASTS:
Listen with Apple Podcast
DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS
DAILY PSALMS
DAILY PROVERBS
DAILY LECTIONARY
DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 38–39; Psalm 145; Revelation 20
Click HERE to give!
One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 15th, and our readings are Ezekiel 38–39, Psalm 145, and Revelation 20.
Today we encounter some of the Bible's most mysterious and dramatic imagery.
Ezekiel tells of Gog and Magog, armies gathering for battle, and the defeat of forces that threaten God's people. Revelation 20 returns to Gog and Magog and gives us visions of the great serpent, final judgment, and the lake of fire.
These passages have generated centuries of interpretation, speculation, and debate. It can be tempting to approach them as puzzles to solve or timelines to master.
But Revelation tells us from the beginning that it is an unveiling of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the heart of the story.
So rather than allowing fear, vengeance, or fascination with hidden details to dominate our reading, we are invited to look for the One who reveals the true nature of God.
Psalm 145 helps bring us back to that center. The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and filled with unfailing love. He is close to all who call upon him, and his kingdom is everlasting.
Today we approach these mysterious passages with humility. We do not come pretending to understand everything. We come as listeners, seeking the voice of Jesus and trusting that all Scripture ultimately finds its meaning and fulfillment in him.
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
Finding the Heart of the Story
Let's get the story straight.
Today we have read some mysterious passages.
Gog and Magog.
Armies and battles.
The great serpent.
Judgment.
The lake of fire.
These images are thick with mystery, symbolism, and sometimes confusion.
And it can be easy to lose sight of what the real story is.
When we read language about wrath and judgment, we can begin to focus on retribution. We see injustice and suffering in the world, and understandably, we want wrongs to be made right.
We want evil to end.
But if we are not careful, we can allow our own desire for vengeance to shape the way we imagine God.
We can take mysterious passages and load them with our anger, our fear, and our need to see someone punished.
And before long, we have made God in our own image.
But that is not the real plot.
John tells us that Revelation is an apocalypse, an unveiling of Jesus Christ.
The story is about him.
Jesus is the living Word.
He is the One who has the words of life.
He is the clearest and fullest revelation of who God is.
So even when Scripture feels mysterious or cryptic, we keep looking toward Jesus.
He is the key.
He is the center.
He is the heart of the story.
That means we approach passages like these with humility.
We do not come as people who have mastered every symbol or solved every riddle.
Even the early church treated Revelation with caution. They recognized that its imagery was mysterious and warned against using uncertain interpretations to construct rigid doctrines.
We come instead with open hands.
We listen.
We ask the Spirit to help us hear the voice of Jesus.
Paul described himself as a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God.
Not a master of the mysteries.
A steward.
And perhaps that is our invitation too.
We are not trying to win an argument or solve a mathematical code.
We are seeking a living Savior.
We are walking with our Rabbi.
We are listening for the One who set the hearts of the disciples on fire as he opened the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus.
Jesus is the unveiling of God.
He is the heart and hope of the story.
When we hold fast to him as the center, both the clear passages and the confusing passages begin to take on a different light.
We begin to see that the final word is not fear.
It is not violence.
It is not death.
The final word is Jesus.
The One who conquers through self-giving love.
The One who defeats death by entering into it.
The One who makes all things new.
That is the story I want to hold on to.
That is the voice I want to hear.
That is the Rabbi I want to follow.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
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