November 3rd, 25: Suffering, Betrayal, and Hope: Journeying Through Job 25 and Mark 13-14

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we journey together through the scriptures and let God's Word point us to the Living Word—Jesus, who alone has the words of life. On this November 3rd, Hunter, your host and Bible Reading Coach, invites you to join listeners from around the world as we read and reflect on passages from Job 25 and Mark 13-14.

Today’s episode takes us from the somber wisdom of Job to the heartbreak and hope found in Christ’s final days—beginning with betrayal, denial, and suffering, and culminating in Jesus’ unflinching love and promise of renewal. As Hunter guides us, we’re reminded of our own weaknesses and deafness to God’s voice, and yet also of Christ’s faithfulness to heal, restore, and make us new.

Stay with us for a time of scripture, prayer, and encouragement that together we may listen, receive, and walk in God’s enduring love.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

The sufferings of Christ have started. They begin with a promise, a kiss, a sword, and a severed ear. We're all deaf, so it seems, to God's Word. We've all denied and betrayed the living Word. We're all suffering, as it were, with severed ears and lips that betray. We use our lips to declare our allegiance and our affection. And in the end, we deny and we run away and we betray three times. Loyal Peter uses his mouth to deny that he even knows Jesus. And the most disloyal Judas uses his mouth to betray Jesus with a kiss. Loyal and disloyal alike can't get their mouths to be true. Everyone lies, everyone denies. Their mouths don't work, in part because their ears don't work.

Jesus has been telling them that he is the one who will fulfill all Scripture. He is the suffering servant Isaiah spoke about; he would win their victory by his suffering and death. Time and time again, he tried to tell them, but they can't hear it. Like the temple guard, their ears have been severed, unable to hear. It appears we've all been rendered deaf to the word of God.

But Jesus is unflinching in the face of our lying lips and deaf ears. Jesus will continue to fulfill all scripture. He will continue on his journey to the cross and he will heal our ears along the way. He will reattach ears that have been severed, unable to hear, causing them to hear again the life-giving words of the Gospel. And when he is done, he will create something even more amazing. He will create new hearts, making us completely new from the inside out. New mouths, new ears, new hearts, new women, new men from every tribe and nation, language and tongue, all will be made new. That's what Jesus has done.

Sometimes my mouth and ears and heart, they don't work. But Jesus is unflinching. Even now he is completing the job he set out to do. And faithful is the one who began his good work in you. He will be faithful to complete it. Hallelujah.

My prayer is that we would live in the Spirit. Then our mouths and ears and hearts will work and we will be awakened to the miracle of the resurrection to life and hope through Christ.

That's the prayer that I have for my soul, friends. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so.