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February 15, 2025 Daily Reading- Read the Bible in 1 Year
16 Plays8 months ago
Thank you for joining me today! Today's reading comes to us from Judges 7 and 10-12. We will be reading about how God wants to keep us humble. We will see that God can use anyone He chooses, even the youngest person from a supposedly unimportant family. We will discuss that God works through us and HE will complete the good work He has begun in us, so we don't need to worry about how "unimportant" we are! GOD is the one doing the work through us!
If you would like to join me LIVE for the daily reading you can register to attend the event on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/schedule
Registration for the live event is a tiered pricing event, so you are not required to pay to attend, only if you feel led. If you do feel led to support this event with either a paid live registration or a monthly membership then I will give back to YOU by sending you a printed copy of the monthly calendar on sugar cane paper along with a set of stickers for the month to keep track of your daily commitment to read the Bible with me every day.
Monthly memberships to support this event can be purchased on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/offering_packages
Please note, while this FREE online event is a family friendly event and the Bible we are using is suitable for ages 7 and up, you must be 18 or older to support this event by purchasing any monthly membership or by registering for the live event, whether registration for the live event is done with or without supporting the event with a paid registration.
If you enjoyed today's reading please click the LIKE button and consider subscribing to my channel, if you have not done so already. If you know someone who might be interested in reading the Bible with me every day this year please SHARE this video with them! It's never too late to join in! Let's help this event grow and spread the word about reading God's Word!
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Transcript
Introduction and Welcome
00:00:02
Speaker
Hi there, everyone. Welcome to Saturday, February 15th, 2025. You are here with Robin at In the Family Way Coaching, and we're here for our daily Bible reading. We are reading through the entire Bible in one year, and we're using the Day by Day Kids Bible, which is written by Karen Henley.
00:00:20
Speaker
If you are new with us today, thank you for joining us. And don't be discouraged by the fact that this is a kids' Bible. This is a great overview of the entire book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. And what this is showing us is the family line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and how they had their family with a covenant with God. And we are going to be seeing those family relationships in the days to come as we are reading our story.
Encouragement for New Listeners
00:00:50
Speaker
And I would like us all to, I'd like to welcome everybody, whether you are listening via YouTube or Spotify or on TikTok or on your favorite podcasting app, Apple Music or YouTube Music, wherever you are listening, thank you so much for being here today. And I'm glad that you've joined us. I hope that you like what you hear and that you are encouraged to come back and listen to us for the rest of the year.
00:01:17
Speaker
Don't be discouraged that you are not finding us until today, the middle of February, because you can pick up at any time. And I do have all of the postings for the daily readings from the beginning of Genesis that we started on January 1st up on the internet, whether on your favorite podcasting site or whether you're watching from YouTube or TikTok, wherever it is that you found this, there ah all of the sessions are there.
00:01:42
Speaker
but don't feel like you have to head back and listen to all of them. You're welcome to check in anytime and catch up with where we are here today.
Special Offer for Supporters
00:01:52
Speaker
I am going to bring out my calendar. I have my sticker on my calendar today. I don't know about you, but my calendar is getting a little worn there sometimes.
00:02:02
Speaker
And I have these gold foil heart ah gold foil cross stickers. And if you are interested in me printing you out a copy of the calendar, which is also available for free download, but if you would like for me to print it out on sugar cane paper and send you a sheet of stickers for the month so that you can use these particular stickers, I would love to give back to you if you choose to support the event. That's my little giving back to you.
00:02:30
Speaker
I do have that calendar available for free as a download on my website. And you can find that link in the description below wherever you are watching or listening. I have that description below. And we're gonna go ahead and get going today.
The Story of Gideon
00:02:43
Speaker
We are in the middle of Judges, the book of Judges. And yesterday we started our story with Gideon.
00:02:51
Speaker
or finished it with Gideon I should say. We started it with Deborah and we finished it with Gideon and Gideon I wanted to point out because there's always something that I forget from the day before and and i I mean to say it and then I get to the end and I go oh darn I forgot to say this but that's all right because I'll just say it today. ah One of the things that that Gideon said when God first called him was Why are you choosing me? How can you pick me? I am the least of the families and I am the least of the members of my family. And so I wanted that to be an encouragement to us that we it doesn't matter where we are in our place in the family or what we may deem or what society may deem as being lowly. God makes his choices. God chooses whom he will choose and he knows our hearts and he chose Gideon.
00:03:46
Speaker
In Gideon, if you remember, or if you were not here yesterday, he was like, are you sure you're talking to me, God? Let me put out this fleece. Don't be angry with me. But if the fleece is wet and the ground around it is dry in the morning, then I'll know that you're really talking to me. Because he wasn't sure entirely that God was speaking to him.
00:04:09
Speaker
And then when he got up the next day, what happened? The fleece was wet and the ground was dry. And then he asked again, he said, please don't be angry with me God, this time if the fleece is dry and the ground is wet, then I'll know for sure that you're talking to me. And sure enough, God was talking to him and the fleece was dry the next morning and the ground was wet. So we're gonna be picking up with Gideon today And I love this story of Gideon because it shows that God wants to keep us humble. So keep your ears open for that.
00:04:52
Speaker
As always, if you are interested in more details of the story of what we have covered in our overview story today, by all means, I hope you're hungry and you head up your big Bible and you can check out Judges chapter seven and chapters 10 through 12. Those are the chapters that our reading will be coming from today. So in Judges chapter seven, it is entitled, A Night Fight.
00:05:19
Speaker
Now the enemy army camped in a valley and Gideon and his men camped near a small river. God told Gideon, you have too many men. I don't want them to say they saved themselves. I don't want them to say they won because they're so strong. So tell them that anyone who is scared may go home. So Gideon told his men to go home if they were scared. 22,
00:05:47
Speaker
A thousand men went home. You still have too many men, said God. Take them down to the water. So Gideon took his men to a small river and he let them get a drink. Watch them drink, said God. Some men will put the water in their hands. Then they'll lap it up like a dog. Other men will get down on their knees and they'll drink the water straight from the river.
00:06:18
Speaker
Gideon watched. 300 men lapped water out of their hands. The others got down on their knees. God said, take the 300 men who lapped water. Let the others go back to their tents. I'll save my people with 300 men.
Lessons from Other Judges
00:06:39
Speaker
Now Gideon and his men were in the hills. The enemy camp was down in the valley.
00:06:45
Speaker
And that night God told Gideon, go down into the camp, take your servant, listen to what the people are saying and then you will not be afraid to fight. So Gideon took his servant down the hill and the valley was full of enemy men. There were more camels than you could count. They were like sand on the beach. So Gideon and his servant walked very quietly.
00:07:14
Speaker
They went to the edge of the enemy camp and they listened. They heard a man talking to his friend. I dreamed about bread, said the man. A big round loaf rolled into the camp.
00:07:31
Speaker
It hit our tent so hard, the tent fell down. That dream is about Gideon, said the other man. God is going to let Gideon win. Gideon heard all this.
00:07:44
Speaker
And he worshiped God. He called to every everyone, get up. God is going to let us win. So he made his men get into three groups and he gave each man a horn. He gave each man a jar. And in each jar was a stick with fire burning in it. Watch me, said Gideon, I'll lead and you follow. Do what I do. I'll blow my horn and then you blow yours.
00:08:13
Speaker
and Gideon told his men to shout these words, for God and for Gideon. They went down into the valley and they came to the enemy camp. The enemy army had just changed guards. All of a sudden Gideon blew his horn and he broke his jar and the other men blew their horns and they broke their jars. And then they shouted a sword for God and for Gideon. And then they just stayed where they were.
00:08:44
Speaker
all of a sudden the enemy army didn't stay, they were afraid. So they shouted and ran and they even began fighting against their own men. Then Gideon's men chased them. A man named Tola, enemies and judges, Judges chapters 10 through 12. A man named Tola became the next judge of God's people and his grandfather's name was Dodo.
00:09:13
Speaker
Tola led God's people for 23 years. The next judge was Jer and he led God's people for 23 years, 22 years. Jer had 30 sons and they rode on 30 donkeys. After these judges died, God's people sinned. They worshiped idols of Baal and other gods that were not real. They forgot the real God.
00:09:41
Speaker
So God was angry at them and he let enemies control the land again. God's people were having terrible trouble. Then they called for God to help them. We have sinned, they said. We have forgotten you and we have worshiped Baal idols. God said, didn't I save you from your enemies before, but you forgot about me. So I won't save you anymore. Ask your other gods to help you.
00:10:11
Speaker
If you're in trouble, let them save you. We have sinned, said the people. Do whatever you want with us, just save us now. Then they threw their idols away and they began following God. So God couldn't stand their sadness anymore. The enemy army came out to fight. So God's people gathered to fight too. They began to talk to each other.
00:10:39
Speaker
Whoever leads our fight will be our leader, they said. Now, there was a man named Jephthah and he was a strong fighter. He was the leader of a group of men and they often got into trouble. Some of God's people went to Jephthah. Come with us, they said, and be our leader. So Jephthah went with them and he sent a message to the enemy king. Why did you come to fight us?
00:11:07
Speaker
And the king sent a message back. Your people took my land many years ago. Now I want it back. So give it back in peace. Jephthah sent a message back to the king. God's people did not take your land. They came out of Egypt and they traveled and they tried to pass through your land. But your king wouldn't let them. And in fact, your king marched out to fight God's people. So God gave your land to his people.
00:11:37
Speaker
Jephthah went on, we'll keep whatever God gave us. Besides, God's people have lived in your land for 300 years. Then Jephthah asked, why didn't you take it back before? I didn't do anything wrong to you, but you're doing wrong. You're trying to fight against me. So let God be the judge between us. And this time the king did not listen to Jephthah. So Jephthah took his men out to fight and God made Jephthah win.
00:12:09
Speaker
Jephthah led God's people for six years and then he died. And the next judge was Ibsen and he had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He led God's people for seven years and then he died. And the next judge was Elon. He led for 10 years and then he died.
00:12:31
Speaker
And the next judge was Apton. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. And they rode 70 donkeys. And this judge led for eight years.
Applying Lessons to Life
00:12:41
Speaker
And then he died. And that's the end of our reading for today. And that actually completes the book of Judges for us because tomorrow we will be starting with Ruth.
00:12:58
Speaker
What was your favorite part? My favorite part was when God kept lowering the number of people that Gideon was going to take with him. And then I thought it was super funny when Gideon told his men to shout for God and for Gideon. So that was also my favorite part. I had two favorite parts today.
00:13:22
Speaker
Well, I always like to share a personal application so that you can be encouraged because just like Gideon said, he said, who am I? I'm the least important person in my family. And my family is the least important family of all the nations. And who am I? And who are any of us? God chooses who he will choose.
00:13:42
Speaker
and That was one thing that I find encouraging is that God uses all of us. It doesn't matter how little we think we are or how unimportant we think we are. God will use whom he will use. And I know I felt like Gideon previously and so I am reminded that I feel like Gideon too and when I am doing anything. But I know God sends me people to talk to and I know he gives me purpose in my life and he gives me stuff every day. And I love that.
00:14:15
Speaker
And I love how God lowered the number of people. At first he said that he had too many people and he said, send anybody home who's scared. So 22,000 men left. That was almost everybody. That was almost everybody. The only ones he took with him were 300 men because he didn't want the people to think that they had won the battle based upon their own strength.
00:14:42
Speaker
And remember I had said, let's keep our ears open for God wants us to be humble. And that is what he is talking about there. He doesn't want us to think that it's under our own power because who are we? We're not doing anything. It's God who is working through us. So I want us to remember that it is God working through us and that's why it doesn't matter who we are or how little we are because it is God who is working through us. And that takes a lot of the pressure off too, actually.
00:15:10
Speaker
I hope that you find that relieving to know that it's not you, it's not me, it's God. And he's going to complete a good work in you and he'll complete a good work in me.
00:15:25
Speaker
Let's see, I think that that is about it. I know i we see again God's kindness and God's compassion. At first he said that that he wasn't going to help them because they weren't acting right. They were still serving and worshipping other false gods. But it says that he couldn't stand their sadness anymore.
00:15:50
Speaker
That is compassion. That is how we would describe compassion. When you can't stand somebody's sadness and you want to help them, that is compassion. And so I want to encourage us to be compassionate, even towards people who have it have done wrong to us. How many times did God's people turn away from him? And each time they came back, he had compassion.
00:16:16
Speaker
He wasn't just forgiving. He had compassion. He cares about them. He doesn't want to see them sad. He doesn't want to see them suffer. And he knows that he is the only one who has the power to help them.
00:16:29
Speaker
And so I'm very thankful to God for His compassion. And it encourages me to be compassionate in my daily life. That if we see people, who especially people who have heard us, that we need to be compassionate to them. And this is shown even in the New Testament when the disciples were talking among themselves with Jesus. And they said,
00:16:51
Speaker
Jesus, how many times should I forgive my brother? 77 times? And Jesus said, 70 times seven. And they said, oh, who has that much faith and patience? And Jesus said, I tell you the truth. ah If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain to move and it will move.
00:17:15
Speaker
So he's saying that with faith, anything is possible. With trust in God, anything is possible. And to forgive, not just seven times, but 70 times seven. And so that is the example that God sets for us. He sets us the example of forgiving.
00:17:32
Speaker
And so if he of all can forgive the many, many sins that we have done, no matter how many times we we we commit them and come to him and say, we're sorry for committing them, and he is so faithful to forgive us, how can we also not forgive? How can we deny forgiveness to anybody when it's nowhere near as bad as the things that we have done and the ways that we have ah not held up our faith and our trust in God? And yet he forgives us.
00:18:02
Speaker
So I want that to be an encouragement to us to apply forgiveness and to people in our lives as well, the same way our faithful God does with us.
Conclusion and Preview
00:18:17
Speaker
Well, that's everything in our reading today. ah Thank you so much for joining me. Tomorrow we will start Ruth, as I mentioned, and it will be, it's a great story. I love the story of Ruth, and I will give you a little bit more information on Ruth tomorrow. I don't want to get ahead of myself. I already know what I'm thinking, but I don't want to give it all away just yet.
00:18:37
Speaker
So thank you for being here with me and I hope you enjoyed the reading today, whether you are watching via TikTok or Spotify or on YouTube, whether you are listening on your favorite podcast app, that is whether it's YouTube music or Apple music, or if you're listening on Spotify or Amazon music or iHeartRadio or Podcast or Podbean or Podfriend or Overcast or any one of the many, many podcasting apps. Thank you for being here. I appreciate it. And if you have a like button
00:19:12
Speaker
I say it looks like a like button, but it's really a light button. If you feel that God has lit your light to- today, then I ask that you please consider showing that light by clicking that light button. And if you have not already, please consider subscribing to my channel and sharing this day's reading if you have enjoyed it. And let's help spread the word about reading God's word. I hope everybody has a great Saturday and I will see everybody again tomorrow.