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Key Takeaways
- God is with us in the suffering, entering directly into our pain rather than standing at a safe, distant place.
- The story of Job confronts deep questions about loss, grief, and the reality of human suffering without offering cheap explanations.
- Stephen's martyrdom in Acts 7 demonstrates extraordinary forgiveness and reveals Jesus standing at the right hand of God in the midst of trial.
- The deepest answer to human suffering is not a philosophical explanation, but the personal presence of Jesus Christ.
- Believers are never truly alone in the ashes of their pain, held securely by the self-giving love of a Savior who has overcome death.
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- TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Job 1–2; Acts 6–7
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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
Today, October 17th, our journey through Scripture takes us into Job 1–2 and Acts 6–7. These passages bring us face to face with suffering, injustice, loss, and the enduring faithfulness of God.
Job's life is turned upside down. He loses his possessions, his children, and eventually his health. His story raises some of life's most difficult questions about suffering and the presence of God. In Acts, we meet Stephen, a man full of grace and the Holy Spirit, whose courageous witness to Jesus leads to his death. Yet even as violence surrounds him, Stephen sees Jesus and responds with extraordinary forgiveness.
Together, these stories invite us to look beyond easy answers and discover something far more important: the God revealed in Jesus Christ is not distant from human suffering. He is the God who enters into it, who bears it with us, and whose love remains even when our world seems to be falling apart.
TODAY'S DEVOTION
The God Who Suffers With Us
There's something deeply unsettling about the beginning of Job's story. In a matter of moments, everything that has given shape to his life is taken away. His children, his livelihood, his security, even his health. And Job is left sitting in the ashes, trying to make sense of a world that no longer makes sense.
I think most of us know something about those ashes. Maybe not in the way Job experienced them, but we know what it is to lose something precious. We know grief. We know disappointment. We know those moments when the life we imagined gives way to a life we never would have chosen.
And when those moments come, we often find ourselves looking for explanations. Why did this happen? What did I do wrong? Where is God in all of this?
But here's what I want us to see today. The deepest answer to our suffering isn't an explanation. It's a person. It's Jesus.
When we turn to Acts 7, we find Stephen surrounded by people who are determined to kill him. Yet in the middle of that terrible moment, Stephen looks toward heaven and sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And then, astonishingly, Stephen prays for those who are taking his life.
He's reflecting the very heart of Jesus, the one who, while hanging on the cross, prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him.
That's the heart of our God. He's not standing at a safe distance, observing our suffering. In Jesus, he has entered into it. He knows betrayal. He knows rejection. He knows pain, grief, and death. And he has overcome them, not through greater violence, but through the power of self-giving love.
Friends, I don't know what you may be carrying today. I don't know what losses you are grieving or what questions remain unanswered. But I want to remind you of something. You are not alone in the ashes. You are not forgotten in your pain. The risen Jesus is with you, and his love is holding you even now.
We may not always understand the story we're living, but we can come to know the One who is with us in it. And that makes all the difference.
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 and my daughters. And that's the prayer that I have for you.
May you come to see that the God revealed in Jesus is not the author of your destruction but the One who meets you in the midst of it, who carries you through it, and who will never let you go.
And remember, friends, you are loved.
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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Frequently Asked Questions
What Bible passages are covered in the October 17th, 2026 episode of Daily Radio Bible?
This episode covers the Scripture readings from Job 1–2 and Acts 6–7, focusing heavily on themes of suffering, loss, and faithfulness.
How does God respond to human suffering according to this episode?
God does not remain distant from our pain; through Jesus Christ, He enters directly into human suffering, bearing it with us and offering His enduring love.
What can we learn from Stephen's experience in Acts 7?
Stephen's courageous witness and his ability to forgive his killers even while facing death mirrors the heart of Jesus and shows the power of the Holy Spirit in suffering.
What is the primary focus keyphrase for this podcast episode?
The primary focus keyphrase for this episode is 'God is with us in the suffering'.
