Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / January 12 - Mercy at the Table

Transcript

January 12 - Mercy at the Table · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, January 12th.
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  Choose your heroes wisely. It's surprisingly easy to admire
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  the wrong people. Sometimes it's the loudest voice
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  in the room, the person who seems fearless or the one
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  getting all the attention. Other times it's influencers,
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  celebrities, or public figures who look powerful, confident,
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  and untouchable. From the outside.
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  It can feel like they're winning.
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  But God invites us to slow down and look deeper, not at
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  appearances, but at character. Proverbs chapter 3, verses 31 to
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  33 gives a clear warning. Do not envy a man of violence,
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  and do not choose any of his ways, For the devious person is
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  an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his
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  confidence. The Lord's curse is on the House
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  of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
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  That's strong language, and it reminds us that God doesn't
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  measure success the way the world does.
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  What looks impressive to others may actually be empty, unstable,
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  or headed toward destruction. God isn't impressed by force,
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  manipulation, or shortcuts. He's drawn to integrity,
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  humility, and righteousness. Then Matthew Chapter 9 shows us
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  a very different kind of heroism.
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  A group of friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus.
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  They aren't famous. They aren't powerful.
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  They don't make a speech or draw attention to themselves.
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  They simply believe that Jesus can help their friend, and they
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  act on that belief. And when Jesus sees their faith,
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  he does something unexpected. He says, take heart, my son,
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  your sins are forgiven. Before healing the man's body,
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  Jesus addresses his deepest need.
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  Quiet faith motivated by love, moves the heart of God.
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  That moment challenges us to rethink who we admire.
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  Real heroes aren't always the boldest or the flashiest.
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  Sometimes they're the ones who show up consistently, do what's
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  right when no one is watching, and trust God even when there's
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  no applause. The world may reward rebellion,
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  pride, and ruthless ambition, but God honors faith, obedience,
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  and compassion. Who you admire matters because
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  influence shapes direction. The people you look up to will
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  slowly shape what you value, how you respond, and the choices you
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  make. When you choose faith over fame
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  and righteousness over rebellion, you're choosing a
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  path that leads to God's blessing, peace, and confidence.
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  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help me see
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  people the way you do. Guard my heart from envying
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  those who appear successful but live outside your ways.
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  Teach me to admire faith, humility, and righteousness.
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  Give me the courage to follow You even when it's not popular.
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  And help me choose your blessing over the approval of the world
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  in Jesus name, Amen. What if the ache you feel for
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  more is actually God calling you deeper?
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  Thirst for God is a powerful Seven book prayer scripts series
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  inspired by Psalm 63, created for believers who refuse to live
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  on spiritual leftovers. This is a journey from longing
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  to encounter, from dryness to delight.
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  Seek teaches you how to pursue God with passion and
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  intentionality. Savor trains your heart to
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  recognize and enjoy His presence in every season.
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  See opens your spiritual eyes to God's power, glory and beauty at
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  work in your life. Satisfy leads your soul into
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  fullness, strength and deep contentment in Him alone.
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  Sing ignites joy, gratitude, and worship that rises naturally
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  from intimacy with God. Stay anchors your heart in
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  steadfast devotion when distractions try to pull you
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  away, and Stand equips you to remain firm in God's justice,
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  protection, and victory. With over 210 prophetic
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  Scripture anchored prayers, this series helps you cultivate daily
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  communion, personal revival, and a lifestyle of holy pursuit.
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  If you're spiritually hungry, weary, or simply longing for
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  more of God, this is your invitation to drink deeply.
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  Order Thirst for God on Amazon today or visit prayerscripts.org
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  and begin your journey into deeper intimacy with the God who
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  satisfies. Now I invite you to spend time
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  with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan.
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  Proverbs Chapter 3, verses 31 to 33 World English Bible Don't
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  envy the man of violence, Choose none of his ways, for the
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  perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is
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  with the upright. Yahweh's curse is in the House
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  of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
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  Matthew Chapter 9 World English Bible He entered into a boat and
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  crossed over and came into his own city.
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  Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed lying on a
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  bed. Jesus seeing their faith said to
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  the paralytic, Son, cheer up, your sins are forgiven you.
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  Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man
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  blasphemes Jesus, knowing their thoughts said, why do you think
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  evil in your hearts? For which is easier to say your
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  sins are forgiven, or to say, get up and walk, but that you
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  may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive
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  sins. Then he said to the paralytic,
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  Get up and take up your mat and go to your house.
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  He arose and departed to his house.
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  But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled and glorified
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  God, who had given such authority to men.
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  As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew
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  sitting at the tax collection office.
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  He said to him, Follow me. He got up and followed him as he
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  sat in the house. Behold, many tax collectors and
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  sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
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  When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why does
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  your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
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  When Jesus heard it, he said to them, Those who are healthy have
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  no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
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  But you go and learn what this means.
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  I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I came not to
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  call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
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  Then John's disciples came to him, saying, Why do we and the
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  Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?
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  Jesus said to them, Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn
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  as long as the bridegroom is with them?
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  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away
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  from them, and then they will fast.
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  No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the
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  patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is
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  made. Neither do people put new wine
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  into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst and the wine
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  be spilled and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh
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  wine skins, and both are preserved.
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  While he told these things to them, behold, A ruler came and
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  worshipped him, saying, My daughter has just died, but come
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  and lay your hand on her and she will live.
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  Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples.
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  Behold, a woman who had a discharge of blood for 12 years
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  came behind him and touched the fringe of his garment.
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  For she said within herself, if I just touch his garment, I will
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  be made well. But Jesus turning around and
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  seeing her said, daughter, cheer up, your faith has made you
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  well. And the woman was made well from
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  that hour when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the
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  flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, He said to them,
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  Make room because the girl isn't dead, but sleeping.
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  They were ridiculing him. But when the crowd was sent out,
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  he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
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  The report of this went out into all that land.
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  As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him,
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  calling out and saying, Have mercy on us, son of David.
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  When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him.
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  Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do
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  this? They told him, Yes, Lord.
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  Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith,
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  be it done to you. Then their eyes were opened.
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  Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, See that no one knows
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  about this. But they went out and spread
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  abroad his fame in all that land.
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  As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was
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  brought to him. When the demon was cast out, the
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  mute man spoke. The multitudes marvelled, saying
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  nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.
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  But the Pharisees said by the Prince of the demons, he casts
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  out demons. Jesus went about all the cities
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  and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching
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  the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every
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  sickness among the people. But when he saw the multitudes,
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  he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed
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  and scattered like sheep without a shepherd.
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  Then he said to his disciples, the harvest indeed is plentiful,
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  but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, that the Lord
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  of the harvest will send out laborers into His harvest.
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  Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
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  everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
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  you, share it with a friend and be sure to follow the podcast so
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  you won't miss the next conversation.
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  Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
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  walking daily with Jesus.