January 29th, 26: Exodus 21-22, Psalm 12; Acts 4: Daily Bible in a Year

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast! On this January 29th episode, join Hunter as he guides us through day 29 of our year-long journey through the Bible. Together, we’ll explore the guidelines given in Exodus 23–24, reflect on the heartfelt cry of Psalm 14, and witness the early church's challenges and triumphs in Acts 5—including the powerful and sobering story of Ananias and Sapphira.

Throughout the episode, Hunter, your Bible reading coach, helps us see how these passages all point to the Living Word, Jesus—the One who offers us abundant life. We'll be reminded how easily the simple message of Christ can be missed or manipulated, and invited once again to say yes to the true message: life in Him.

We finish with meaningful prayers and practical encouragement for our spiritual journey, all wrapped in a spirit of gratitude and community. Thank you for joining us as we walk this pilgrim road together—let’s dive into today’s reading and let the Word do its work in our hearts.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

The message is so simple. And yet, as we read today, Ananias and Sapphira got that message so very wrong. The High Council and the religious leaders, too, missed the central truth. And that's pretty much true to form for most religion—the simple message of God can often be missed, misused, or manipulated.

Ananias and Sapphira thought this message was about getting—position, influence, prominence. They wanted to manipulate, to use the message for gain, not for giving. The heart of what God offers was missed in their striving, their attempt to appear generous when it was really driven by self-interest. Then we see the religious leaders; they saw the message as a threat to their control and their standing. They tried to stop it, seeing it not as good news of life but as something that threatened their systems.

And isn't this true for us as well? Inside and outside the church we often take the message of life and shape it into something else—a tool for manipulation, or a means to gain acceptance or justify ourselves, or a way to maintain power or status. But the message is so simple, and we see it again today, spoken with clarity by the angel to Peter and John: “Go to the temple and give the people this message of… life.”

That's it. Life. You've been included into the very life of God. Let go of all the false messages, let go of the need to control, to pretend, to justify. Just say yes to this simple truth, and experience life—here and now.

Jesus himself tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). In him was life, and that life was the light of all people (John 4). It's not about power, or prestige, or gaining influence. It's about participating in the abundant, eternal life that God gives freely.

Among all the twisted manipulations of the human heart comes God's invitation: Step into life. Don't miss it; receive it, enter and awaken to the life offered to you. Walk with him. Participate with him. You can start right now, simply by turning your heart toward God in gratitude—“Thank you for life, Lord Jesus. I walk with you today.”

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