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Audible TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 45–46; Luke 1 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...
Key Takeaways
- In Ezekiel 45 and 46, we see God's detailed vision of restoration, emphasizing justice, honest measurements, and provisions for worship among His people.
- The transition to Luke 1 introduces the dawn of a new era with the angelic announcements of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.
- Both Zechariah and Mary respond to God's miraculous work with profound songs of praise, celebrating His tender mercy and remembrance of the lowly.
- The songs of Zechariah and Mary highlight how God's morning light breaks through the darkness and guides believers onto the path of peace.
- Even when sitting in darkness or feeling unseen, believers are invited to join in the song of faith because God is faithful and His mercy is new every morning.
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- TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 45–46; Luke 1
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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:
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 18th, and our readings are Ezekiel 45–46 and Luke 1.
In Ezekiel, we continue through the prophet’s vision of restoration. Land is divided, honest measurements are commanded, offerings are described, and provision is made for worship among God’s people. Running through these detailed instructions is a concern for justice, faithfulness, and a people being restored.
Then we turn the page to Luke, and suddenly we find ourselves standing at the dawn of something new.
An angel appears to Zechariah with news that Elizabeth will have a son. His name will be John, and he will prepare the way for the Lord.
Then Gabriel visits a young woman named Mary with an even more astonishing announcement. She will bear a son named Jesus, and his kingdom will never end.
Both Zechariah and Mary eventually find themselves singing.
Mary sings of the God who notices the lowly, fills the hungry, and remembers his mercy.
Zechariah sings of the tender mercy of God, through which the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.
That is our invitation today.
Whatever darkness we may find ourselves sitting in, the morning light is coming.
God has not forgotten us.
His mercy is new.
His light is breaking through.
And we are invited to join the song.
TODAY'S DEVOTION:
God’s New Morning Light
Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.
I love that image.
Every morning, the light breaks through the darkness of night.
And maybe every new morning is a kind of rehearsal.
A reminder of that great morning when the light of God's Son breaks fully upon us.
Zechariah sings:
“Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.”
And what will this light do?
It will give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
And it will guide us to the path of peace.
Zechariah has a song.
And it is a song worth singing.
But Mary has a song too.
She says, “How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl.”
God took notice of her.
This young woman.
This lowly servant girl.
Someone the powerful people of the world might easily overlook.
But God sees her.
God's light shines upon the lowly.
His light breaks upon the humble.
It shines upon those willing to let God be God in them.
Those willing to believe that what God says he will do, he will do.
And something happens when our humble faith meets God's merciful morning light.
A song begins to rise.
That's what happened to Zechariah.
That's what happened to Mary.
And I think it can happen to us too.
Maybe you're feeling lowly today.
Maybe you're hungry.
Maybe you're carrying shame.
Maybe you're sitting in a darkness that seems reluctant to give way.
Maybe you feel unseen.
But the morning light from heaven is breaking upon us.
God sees you.
God has not forgotten you.
And when we begin to encounter this God of love, this God who sees us and meets us in our lowliness, a song can begin to rise within us.
Not because everything has suddenly become easy.
Not because all our questions have been answered.
But because the light has come.
Because God is with us.
Because his mercy is tender.
Because darkness does not get the final word.
So join Zechariah.
Join Mary.
Join all those who have dared to believe that God is good enough to take notice of the lowly and big enough to do what he has promised.
Let faith rise.
Let the morning light break through.
And let your song rise with it.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's 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 Bible passages are covered in the Songs of Zechariah and Mary episode?
This episode covers the daily Bible readings from Ezekiel 45 through 46 and Luke 1, focusing on restoration and the announcements of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.
What is the significance of the Songs of Zechariah and Mary?
Their songs celebrate the fulfillment of God's promises, highlighting His tender mercy, His attention to the lowly, and the arrival of the morning light from heaven through Jesus Christ.
How does the podcast connect the Old Testament reading in Ezekiel to the New Testament reading in Luke?
The podcast connects Ezekiel's vision of restoration and worship with the arrival of Jesus in Luke 1, showing how God continually rescues His people and brings light into their darkness.
What is the main devotional theme of Songs of Zechariah and Mary?
The main theme focuses on God's new morning light breaking through personal darkness and lowliness, inviting believers to let their faith and songs rise in response to His tender mercy.
