Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / February 25 - The Quiet Influence of Righteousness

Transcript

February 25 - The Quiet Influence of Righteousness · Bible Chat Devotional

• 0:02
  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
• 0:06
  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, February 25th.
• 0:11
  Voices that shape a city. Have you ever stopped to think
• 0:15
  about how much influence your voice actually carries?
• 0:19
  Not just what you say out loud, but the tone you use, the values
• 0:22
  you live by, the choices you make when no one is forcing you.
• 0:26
  Either way, one voice of encouragement can lift a room.
• 0:30
  One careless word can shift the atmosphere completely.
• 0:34
  Influence is never neutral, it's always doing something.
• 0:37
  Proverbs Chapter 11, verses 10:50 paints a powerful picture.
• 0:43
  It says that when it goes well with the righteous, the city
• 0:46
  rejoices, and that by the blessing of the upright, a city
• 0:49
  is lifted up. That means godly lives don't
• 0:52
  just affect individuals, They affect environments, families,
• 0:57
  schools, communities. On the other hand, words rooted
• 1:00
  in selfishness, lies, or wickedness don't stay contained
• 1:03
  either. They tear things down.
• 1:06
  Then we see this truth lived out in Acts chapter 25.
• 1:10
  Paul is once again standing before leaders who are more
• 1:13
  interested in politics than justice.
• 1:16
  Festus wants to please the crowd, even if it means putting
• 1:19
  Paul at risk. But Paul doesn't bend.
• 1:21
  He doesn't lash out. He doesn't beg for sympathy.
• 1:24
  He calmly stands on truth. He says that he has done no
• 1:28
  wrong and that he is standing where he ought to be.
• 1:31
  Paul refuses to let loud voices, false accusations, or pressure
• 1:36
  determine who he is or where his life is going.
• 1:39
  That kind of steady integrity has impact.
• 1:42
  Paul's voice wasn't just defending himself, it was
• 1:45
  bearing witness. Even in a courtroom filled with
• 1:48
  manipulation and self-interest, truth was standing tall.
• 1:52
  And that matters because cities aren't shaped only by laws or
• 1:55
  leaders. They're shaped by everyday
• 1:58
  people who choose honesty over compromise and courage over
• 2:01
  silence. This hits close to home for us.
• 2:05
  The way you speak in Group chats.
• 2:07
  The way you treat people when they're not popular.
• 2:09
  The way you respond when drama starts swirling.
• 2:12
  The way you stand firm in what's right without becoming harsh or
• 2:15
  proud. These things matter more than
• 2:18
  you think. God uses faithful voices to
• 2:20
  bring life, clarity, and hope into broken spaces.
• 2:25
  You may not feel like you're changing a city, but you are
• 2:27
  shaping your corner of it. When you choose truth, you bring
• 2:30
  stability. When you choose righteousness,
• 2:33
  you bring blessing. When you refuse to join in
• 2:36
  tearing others down, you quietly help lift something up.
• 2:40
  God doesn't need you to be loud to be effective.
• 2:42
  He needs you to be faithful. One life lived with integrity
• 2:46
  can influence more than you realize.
• 2:49
  Let your voice be one that builds, heals, and points people
• 2:51
  toward what is right. Let's pray.
• 2:55
  Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me that my words and
• 2:58
  choices carry real weight. Help me to use my voice for
• 3:01
  truth, encouragement and peace. Give me courage to stand firm
• 3:06
  like Paul when pressure comes and clarity to speak wisely
• 3:10
  instead of reacting emotionally. Let my life be a blessing
• 3:14
  wherever you place me, and use me to lift others closer to you
• 3:17
  in Jesus name, Amen. What if the way you pray changed
• 3:21
  because you truly knew who God is?
• 3:24
  The Supreme God Part 1 is an 8 book devotional and prayer
• 3:27
  journey that unveils the power, presence and glory of God
• 3:31
  through his biblical names. In Elohim you encounter God, the
• 3:35
  mighty Creator who forms and sustains all things.
• 3:38
  Yahweh draws you into relationship with the Eternal I
• 3:41
  AM who is present and faithful. Adonai calls you to surrender to
• 3:45
  the Lord and Master who leads and directs your steps.
• 3:49
  El Elyon reveals the God Most High, exalted above every power
• 3:53
  and authority. El Shaddai introduces the all
• 3:56
  sufficient God who nourishes and strengthens you.
• 3:59
  El Olam anchors your faith in the everlasting God whose
• 4:02
  purposes never fail. Elroy assures you that you are
• 4:06
  seen, known, and cared for by a compassionate father.
• 4:10
  And El Gibor awakens confidence in the mighty God who defends,
• 4:13
  delivers, and prevails. Through scripture, devotional
• 4:17
  insight, and prophetic prayer scripts, this series teaches you
• 4:20
  to pray from revelation, worship with understanding, and walk
• 4:23
  boldly in God's character. If you're ready to elevate your
• 4:26
  prayer life and rediscover the God you serve or to the Supreme
• 4:29
  God Part One on Amazon today or visit prayerscripts.org to begin
• 4:34
  your. Journey now I invite you to
• 4:36
  spend time with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan.
• 4:41
  Proverbs Chapter 11 verses 10 to 11 World English Bible.
• 4:46
  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices.
• 4:49
  When the wicked perish, there is shouting.
• 4:51
  By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is
• 4:55
  overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
• 4:57
  Acts, chapter 25. World English Bible.
• 5:00
  Festus, therefore, having come into the province after three
• 5:04
  days, went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
• 5:06
  Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews
• 5:09
  informed him against Paul, and they begged him, asking a favor
• 5:13
  against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem,
• 5:16
  plotting to kill him on the way. However, Festus answered that
• 5:19
  Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself
• 5:23
  was about to depart shortly. Let them therefore, he said,
• 5:27
  that are in power among you, go down with me, and if there is
• 5:30
  anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.
• 5:33
  When he had stayed among them more than 10 days, he went down
• 5:36
  to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgement seat and
• 5:39
  commanded Paul to be brought. When he had come, the Jews who
• 5:43
  had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing
• 5:46
  against him many and grievous charges which they could not
• 5:48
  prove, while he said in his defense, neither against the law
• 5:52
  of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have
• 5:55
  I sinned at all. But Festus, desiring to gain
• 5:59
  favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Are you willing
• 6:02
  to go up to Jerusalem and be judged by me there concerning
• 6:05
  these things? But Paul said, I am standing
• 6:08
  before Caesar's judgment seat where I ought to be tried.
• 6:11
  I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very
• 6:14
  well. For if I have done wrong and
• 6:16
  have committed anything worthy of death, I don't refuse to die.
• 6:20
  But if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no
• 6:23
  one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.
• 6:26
  Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council,
• 6:28
  answered, You have appealed to Caesar.
• 6:31
  To Caesar you shall go now. When some days had passed, King
• 6:35
  Agrippa and Burnis arrived at Caesaria and greeted Festus.
• 6:39
  As he stayed there many days. Festus laid Paul's case before
• 6:42
  the king, saying There is a certain man left a prisoner by
• 6:45
  Felix, about whom when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and
• 6:50
  the elders of the Jews informed me asking for a sentence against
• 6:53
  him. I answered them, that it is not
• 6:55
  the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before
• 6:59
  the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had
• 7:03
  opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid
• 7:06
  against him. When therefore, they had come
• 7:08
  together here, I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the
• 7:12
  judgement seat, and commanded the man to be brought.
• 7:15
  When the accuser stood up, they brought no charges against him
• 7:18
  of such things as I supposed, but had certain questions
• 7:21
  against him about their own religion, and about 1.
• 7:24
  Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
• 7:27
  Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked
• 7:31
  whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem, and there be judged
• 7:35
  concerning these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be
• 7:38
  kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be
• 7:41
  kept until I could send him to Caesar.
• 7:43
  Agrippa said to Festus, I also would like to hear the man
• 7:47
  myself tomorrow. He said, You shall hear him so
• 7:51
  on the next day, when Agrippa and Burnis had come with great
• 7:54
  pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the
• 7:57
  commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at
• 8:00
  the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
• 8:03
  Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present
• 8:07
  with us. You see this man about whom all
• 8:09
  the multitude of the Jews petitioned me both at Jerusalem
• 8:13
  and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
• 8:16
  But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of
• 8:18
  death, and as he himself appealed to the Emperor, I
• 8:22
  determined to send him, of whom I have no certain thing to
• 8:25
  write, to my Lord. Therefore, I have brought him
• 8:27
  out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that
• 8:31
  after examination I may have something to write for.
• 8:35
  It seems to me unreasonable in sending a prisoner not to also
• 8:38
  specify the charges against him. Thanks for joining us on Bible
• 8:43
  Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
• 8:46
  If today's devotional encouraged you, share it with a friend and
• 8:50
  be sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss the next
• 8:53
  conversation. Until next time, stay rooted in
• 8:56
  truth, anchored in hope, and walking daily with Jesus.