Encounter Christ in Scripture. Every Day.
Encounter Christ in Scripture. Every Day.
Journey through the Bible in one year with Hunter and Heather Barnes. About 20 minutes of Scripture, Christ-centered reflection, and prayer each day.

September 8th, 26: Jeremiah 42–44; Psalm 48; Revelation 13: God Is with You | Daily Bible in a Year

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 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...

Key Takeaways

  • In Jeremiah 42-44, the people ask God for direction but ultimately reject His word because fear persuades them to secure their own future in Egypt.
  • Revelation 13 warns against the danger of magnifying and worshiping human power, control, and the unholy imitation represented by the number 666.
  • Psalm 48 offers a secure vision of God as our fortress and citadel, reminding believers that He is not separate from us.
  • Throughout history, the serpent's strategy has been to plant seeds of doubt that God is not present, for, or with His people.
  • Believers are called to renounce the lie of separation and instead worship Emmanuel, trusting in the God who is always with us.

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 8th, and our journey through the Scriptures takes us into Jeremiah 42–44, Psalm 48, and Revelation 13.

In Jeremiah, the people ask the prophet to seek God’s direction for them. They promise to obey whatever God says, whether they like the answer or not. Yet when Jeremiah tells them not to flee to Egypt, they reject the word they had asked to receive. Fear persuades them that they must secure their own future, even if doing so means abandoning the way God has placed before them.

In Revelation 13, John describes beasts, deception, coercive power, and the mysterious number 666. These images warn us about what happens when human power is magnified, worshiped, and treated as ultimate.

Psalm 48 gives us a different vision. God is our fortress and our security. We are invited to meditate on his unfailing love and to remember that God has not abandoned or separated himself from us.

Today’s readings confront the ancient lie that we are alone and must save ourselves. They invite us to trust Emmanuel, the God who is with us, and to align our hearts with his kingdom of love rather than the fearful kingdoms we create for ourselves.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

God Is with You

We are told that 666 is the number of a man.

A great deal has been written about this mysterious number. Three sixes. A trinity of numbers, but an unholy trinity. It is humanity magnified, exalted, and worshiped. It is a beastly imitation standing in stark contrast to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We are told that wisdom is required to understand its meaning, and I do not pretend to possess that kind of wisdom.

But it seems to me that whether we are looking at the queen of heaven confronted by Jeremiah or the many-headed beast described by John, the result is much the same.

When humanity believes the serpent’s lie of separation, destruction follows.

The people in Jeremiah’s day refused to trust that God was with them. They would not believe that he would protect them, rescue them, and give them life. Believing themselves to be alone, they separated themselves from God’s will and fled to Egypt, another land of exile.

The same pattern begins in the garden.

Adam and Eve believe the suggestion that God is withholding himself from them. They imagine that he is not truly with them or for them. They hide from the God who has never stopped seeking them, and they experience exile in the very garden where God desires to dwell with them.

This tragic pattern repeats itself through history.

In our blindness, we fail to recognize the presence of the Triune God of life. We believe ourselves to be alone, so we rely on the gods of our own making. We worship human strength, political power, control, violence, wealth, or whatever else promises to secure us.

And the result is always the same.

The serpent’s strategy has not really changed. Seeds of doubt are planted:

God is not present.
God is not with you.
God is not for you.

Believing that we are alone and that God is indifferent, we attempt to construct a life apart from him, apart from the Triune life of love and flourishing that has always been offered to us.

But the psalmist tells us another story:

“O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.”

Our God is like a fortified wall, a citadel, and a beacon. This is the story we will continue to tell to future generations.

God is not separate from you.

God is with you.

That is the truth.

So align your heart with his will, his purposes, and his kingdom rather than your own. Renounce the lie of separation embodied in the number 666, and worship Emmanuel, the God who is with us, the God who is love.

That is the prayer I have for my own soul. That is the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.

And that is 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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Frequently Asked Questions

What scriptures are covered in the September 8th episode of Daily Radio Bible?

This episode covers readings from Jeremiah 42 through 44, Psalm 48, and Revelation 13.

What is the main message of the devotion titled 'God Is with You'?

The devotion addresses how fear and the serpent's lie of separation lead us to rely on human strength, reminding listeners that God is truly present and with them.

What does the number 666 represent according to the episode?

The number 666 represents humanity magnified, exalted, and worshiped as an unholy imitation standing in contrast to the Holy Trinity.

How does Psalm 48 contrast with the human fear seen in Jeremiah?

While Jeremiah's audience fled in fear to Egypt believing they were alone, Psalm 48 portrays God as a fortified wall and citadel, inviting believers to meditate on His unfailing love.

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