April 25th, 25:When Kingdoms Fall and Mercy Rises: Stories of David, Saul, and the Gospel

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today’s episode, host Hunter takes us on a meaningful journey through the scriptures as we read from 1 Samuel 30 and 31, 1 Chronicles 10, and Matthew 12. We witness David’s perseverance in the face of loss, the fall of King Saul, and powerful lessons from Jesus about mercy and the true purpose of the Sabbath. Hunter reflects on how Jesus invites us to look beyond religious and political kingdoms to embrace the justice, healing, and hope found in God's kingdom. As we spend this time together, we’re encouraged to open our hearts in prayer, be instruments of peace, and remember that no matter where we are in our journey, we are deeply loved. So settle in as we listen, pray, and draw closer to the heart of God.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Are you hungry? Do you need some heads of grain? Is your hand or your heart shriveled? Have you fallen into a well or a ditch and you need to be lifted out? Well, good news. God has you covered. He’s come for people just like that. Jesus quotes Isaiah and says, look at my servant whom I have chosen. He is my beloved who pleases me. I will put my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will cause justice to be victorious, and he will be called the hope of the world.

Religious and political kingdoms like to shout and raise their voice, and they often like to crush the weakest reed. To snuff out the weak by marginalizing or exploiting them. But not with this King, not with our Jesus. No. Our Jesus has come to bring true righteousness, real justice, and if we are willing to put aside our kingdoms, we just might catch a glimpse of what he’s doing. And in that glimpse, we might be changed.

It happened for the people of Nineveh. At the preaching of Jonah, they forsook their kingdom and clung to God’s kingdom and were forgiven. It happened to the queen of Sheba. She put aside her kingdom long enough to see the true wisdom of God. And now it can happen for us if we are willing to put aside our kingdom, to behold the one who is greater than Jonah and far wiser than Solomon, the beloved Son of God, then we will truly be satisfied, and we will hunger no more.

He heals hands, and he heals hearts. He pulls us out of the ditch, and he invites us to be his brother, sister and mother, and to do the will of his Father. So let’s look to him, the Chosen One, the one that truly pleases the Father, and let us with him become what we are, children of God, who offer the bread of life to all who are hungry and rescue those who have fallen and are dying to get up.

That’s the prayer that I have for my own soul, and that’s the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that’s the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.