April 30, 26: 2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 13, Psalm 68, Matthew 17; Daily Bible in a Year

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible for April 30th. In today’s episode, we mark the end of another month on our journey through the scriptures, reading from 2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 13, Psalm 68, and Matthew 17. Join Speaker A and Speaker B as we witness David’s celebration and challenges with the Ark of God, reflect on God’s power and provision in the Psalms, and ascend the mountain with Jesus in the story of the Transfiguration. Together, we’ll discover the hope, wisdom, and transformation found in God’s Word, spend time in prayer, and be reminded that, even on life’s difficult journey, God’s joy and love are our strength.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

The pathway to real transformation is seen here on this mountain. This story is about far more than Jesus' clothes being transformed, made dazzling white, whiter than snow. It's about you and me. It's about the world and all things being transformed.

In this story, we are offered both a vision and a voice. The first thing we see is that Jesus—he's the final word. He's the one we're told to listen to, over and above all else. Not Elijah, not Moses, not the writings, not the Torah, not Peter, not me, not you. Peter witnesses this amazing moment—there he is, suddenly, Elijah and Moses are speaking with Jesus on the mountain. And Peter, out of fear or pride, or probably both, shouts out, Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you wish, I'll make three tabernacles here. One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. Peter thinks somehow he's going to have some final say here. And so we hear him say those words: I will make a tabernacle. Other translations render it, let us build, but "let us build" is not the final word. No, those words are often born out of fear and pride, but they will never be the final word. Individuals and kingdoms and churches are always offering this as the final word. Let us build, but fear which makes us cower and pride which puffs us up will all be subsumed in the end by God's voice, by God himself, the living Word.

And we see that here—suddenly a cloud envelops them and a voice comes from the cloud. The voice they hear is the Father saying, this is my son that I love. Listen to him. At the sound of his voice, they’re terrified. They fall face down to the ground. It’s at this point that Jesus comes and touches them. Says, get up. Don’t be afraid. When they look up, nobody is there but Jesus—Moses, Elijah, gone. Only Jesus remains. No more voices, no more conversations. Only Jesus, the one who is the final word. He’s the one that remains.

And he, the living Word, will envelop all of our fearful pride. His voice will break through all things, and he will make all things new. So let's hear the Father's voice on this mountain today. He's pointing us to his son. And not just on this mountain, but on a different mountain. This whole episode is pointing us to Calvary's mountain. And not just Peter, James, and John are being drawn to Calvary’s mountain—no, he's drawing all of humanity there to himself.

When the Son of Man is lifted up, he will draw all humanity to himself, that he might transform all things, including you and me. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I'll hear the Father well, that I'll see what Peter, James, and John saw—that Jesus is the final word. He is the living Word, and through him, he's making all things new. That’s a prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that’s the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.