Word Traveler Daily Podcast

(NOTE: This is the last in the two-year Word Traveler series of podcasts. The producers of Word Traveler sincerly hope you have enjoyed the teaching from the Bible. Please go back and listen to any one of the 313 podcasts any time you wish.) Do you believe “the road to hell is paved with good intentions?” I don't. It's not a Bible saying. Nobody knows how this phrase evolved into popular language.[1] Many people dislike the idea of “good intentions” especially if they're linked to inaction. But I think good intentions matter.

The problem of undocumented immigrants has been around for a long time. King Solomon dealt decisively with foreigners in Israel about three thousand years ago. He counted and documented them, legalized them, and gave them jobs. He found 153,600 aliens in the land so he made 70,000 of them common laborers. 80,000 became stone cutters, and 3,600 worked as foremen over the other 150,000 at the Temple construction project in Jerusalem.

This world is not my permanent home or possession. I will not forever keep my house, my clothes, or even my family. All of these precious things and people will be stripped away from me one day. I cannot stop the shadow of my life from shifting me towards its final destination. I have “no hope or expectation of remaining” here.

Hushai the Arkite fulfilled a unique role in King David's life. He remained loyal to David at great risk of personal harm. Hushai earned the title “friend” and was the only person so named in the final days of the king's reign.

Has God made a promise to you? Then He will fulfill His promise through you! Without Him you can't. Without you He won't.You are an essential part of the equation. He boxed the ingredients of your destiny. You have all you need to fulfill His will. “Just Add [the] Water” of passion, hard work, and decisive action. “Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you!” (1st Chronicles 22.16).

This podcast is an overview of week 24 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 22 – 29; 2nd Chronicles 1 – 8; Acts 27 – 28; Romans 1 – 3. This week is the completes the two-year Word Traveler series having commenced on June 20, 2021. The final episode will be Friday, June 16, 2023, which will be the 313th Word Traveler podcast. The producers of Word Traveler sincerely hope you have enjoyed these Bible podcasts. Go back and listen anytime! Thank you for your support.

Joab and Abishai would have made good Marines. They exemplified the Marine Corps motto: Semper Fidelis. Joab and Abishai were “always faithful” to protect and defend each other in battle.

Not all ideas, even good ones, are in sync with God's plans. Your good ideas may be right for someone, just not you. They may be right for a future time, just not now. Good ideas are exactly that... good ideas and nothing more. God has ideas of His own. 

I cannot succeed in marriage, parenting, business, ministry, or any other noble endeavor without facing the possibility of my own death... death of my income, image, reputation, or friendships. I must quit running, take a stand, and defend some ground. Running away is slow death. Death of the spirit. It would be better to die valiantly attempting something great than to wither up and die from the shame of knowing I never had the guts to face my nemesis.

What is smaller than a fleeting thought? Not much. The number of thoughts passing daily through a person's mind ranges from 12,000 to 65,000. That's a lot of thinking; a new thought every single waking second! If “a penny for your thoughts” came true, it's an easy $500.00 per day or over $180,000 per year. Plenty for most folks to retire on. Unfortunately most of our thoughts aren't even worth “a penny.”

Letting go of our children as they grow to adulthood is risky. They can be forever lost. Left on their own, they might take chances you and I would certainly discourage. They could even hurt themselves and cause us serious suffering and grief. Letting go of our children is hard to do... and right to do. 

This podcast is an overview of week 23 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Chronicles 6 – 21; Acts 22 - 26.

There are two things we know about Jabez from the Bible... “Jabez was honorable” and “Jabez cried.”  He had integrity and he had passion. I suspect life was not always easy for Jabez. That's probably why he went to God in the first place. He treated God with respect by telling the truth. Jabez refused to gloss over his needs. He wept before the Lord from a soul filled with the anguish. Jabez struggled in prayer. God honored that.

According to the Genesis account, Nimrod was also an amazing leader who built huge empires and cities like Babylon, Shinar, Babel, and Nineveh. Assyria was known as “the land of Nimrod” according to the prophets (Micah 5.6). This remarkable man literally established the governments and controlled the politics of ancient Mesopotamia. Who was this man whose greatness surpassed Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, and Caesar?For reasons known only to God, Nimrod was divinely empowered with abilities far transcending the human norm. This man not only moved nations, he created them.You and I may never achieve the influence and greatness of Nimrod. But like Nimrod, we have been divinely empowered to lead someone... a family, a company, a committee, a church, or a community. To that end, we must apply ourselves diligently… “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,each of us is to exercise them accordingly:… he who leads, with diligence.”Romans 12.6, 8 Lead “with diligence” those few precious souls who will bear your legacy to the end that on some future day they will say of you, “He was ‘a mighty warrior' for his faith in Christ.”

God is patient with the human race. “The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing for anyto perish but for all to come to repentance.”2nd Peter 3:9 NASU However, there is an end-point. Because Manasseh “killed innocent people... the Lord was unwilling to forgive.”  Divine un-forgiveness is an un-common occurrence in the scriptures, but it happens. Thankfully, the Lord is “patient,” “merciful and gracious,” “longsuffering,” and “forgiving.” But there appears to be a limit to His willingness to overlook sin.

King Hezekiah “was sick and near death.” The prophet Isaiah announced the gravity of his condition: “Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” Facing the reality of his imminent demise, “Hezekiah wept bitterly.”No matter what our condition, it's terminal. Have you checked the statistics on death lately? It's 100%. No one gets out of this world alive. We will all meet our Maker. Sooner or later our time on earth ends. I “shall die, and not live.” It's inevitable. The real question is… what will we make of our lives until then? I may have another thirty years or another thirty seconds. How will I use these precious moments?

Enthusiasm for a project will only get you so far. At some point your excitement must turn into energy if you expect to make the idea a reality. Not so with the Lord. His zeal for a project is enough. Somehow, if the Lord God supports a plan, it just happens. He spoke and everything I have seen, known, or could possibly imagine, simply came into being.“By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word...” Hebrews 11.3 “The Message”

This podcast is an overview of week 22 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Kings 18 – 25; 1st Chronicles 1 – 5; Acts 17 – 21 .

We cannot hide and keep secrets from God. Adam and Eve tried and failed. No secret you try to keep will be kept that way.“The sons of Israel did things secretly” forming unholy alliances and creating a spiritual chasm between themselves and “the Lord their God.” They never got away with the secret plans they hoped to pull off. 

Don't go halve-sies. Finish the job. Gather some passion and perseverance. Show some stick-to-it-ive-ness. Go all the way. Invest yourself with total abandon.  It takes faith to work, pray, study, prepare, give, practice, and invest your life but Jesus will give you the strength.  Trust Him and don't give up. Do whatever it takes to get the job He's called you to do... done!

Many modern Christians are more concerned with making a good impression than with making a real difference. ‘Being nice' ranks right up there with serving Christ. The common church-goer may be more dedicated to etiquette than ethics. Doing things the right way has superseded doing the right things. Being liked is often more important than being Christ-like. Getting man's approval at any cost is the modern form of Baal worship... and it must be eradicated. 

Seeing with eyes of faith enables me to “walk by faith.” What do I see in faith? I see “the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around.” It is an amazing angelic vision, imparting the assurance of ultimate victory for me and the people I love. I can overcome my small problems because Jesus daily comforts my troubled heart.

When Moses stood before the God of Israel at the burning bush in the wilderness of Horeb, the Lord commanded him, “...remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3.5). Anywhere God displays Himself is “holy ground.” 

This podcast is an overview of week 21 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Kings 4 – 17; Acts 12 – 16 .

I Am as You Are

The boy inside a man's body doesn't care about consequences. He just wants what he wants and convinces himself he won't be happy without it.  The difference between a man and a boy is this a man's ability to delay gratification. A boy cannot do that. and falls apart when he can't get what he wants. A real man fully understands and graciously accepts that “you can't always get what you want.” He is learning to become free from the bondage of childish desires. A man of God places his faith in Christ and believes “you get what you need” when you need it.

Don't trust everyone who calls himself a “brother.”  Ben-Hadad was not a brother to Ahab. He was an enemy of Israel who pretended to be part of the family to save his life. Ahab was just stupid enough to believe him. Eight years later Ahab lost his life in a battle against “brother Ben-Hadad.”  That's how the king of Israel was repaid for showing mercy to a so-called “brother.”

I was a salesman for most of my later career. I used to wake up unemployed every single morning. I trusted then, and still trust, the same Jesus who multiplied the fish and loaves and fed thousands of hungry followers in the first century A.D. He will feed my family and me today. I choose to approach this day with confident expectation: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6.11). I know the God who owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50.10) can give me another sale. I believe in the miracle of divine multiplication.

A young prophet from Judah failed to trust the word of the Lord in his heart. Paul warned us against false reliance and blind faith one thousand years later: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel otherthan the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”Galatians 1.8 NIV Don't let anyone talk you out of what Jesus told you is true.

This podcast is an overview of week 20 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Kings 12 – 22; 2nd Kings 1 – 3; Acts 7 - 11 .

Like Solomon, God now pays you a second visit. In this visitation , He reminds you that your life is not over. You've done a good job so far but there's so far to go. Your latter years count for something more significant than you imagine. Don't quit. Jesus expects you to finish well.

It was always in my heart to give my dear wife tokens of my love and appreciation. I would have spent all our money on her, if she let me, which she emphatically did not. I assume, though, she secretly thought, “…you did well to have this in your heart.” That my heart wanted to honor her was good enough. She knew I loved her. Apparently in Adonica's mind, it was always “the thought that counts,” and that was good enough.  This coming Sunday would have been her special day. Happy Mother's Day, honey! I shall always love you.

My life (and yours) is a rock quarry. It's noisy there. Sometimes I am broken and crushed and grinded. The shaping process is painful, but always with a redemptive purpose. Jesus is shaping me into a stone designed to fit perfectly in the house He is building. “…you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house…” (1st Peter 2.5).

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore,” (1st Kings 4.29). Apparently Solomon's “heart” was the totality of his inner nature. It described “virtually every immaterial function” of the man whom we have come to know as the wisest of all men (1st Kings 4.31). Solomon's emotions, intellect, will, conscience, character, and personality; his 'who-I-am-ness,' were all wrapped up in this concept called “heart.”Everybody has an inner person, but Solomon was unique. His inner person was really, REALLY BIG. God gave him “largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.”

“There is a time for war” and “there is a time to kill.” But there is also “a time to heal” and “a time for peace.” A wise person knows the difference. “Blessed are the peacemakers” Jesus claimed, “for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5.9). It appears that Jesus leaned toward peace, not war. He would prefer to heal than to kill.

This podcast is an overview of week 19 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Kings 1 – 11; Acts 2 – 6 .

God has placed good people in our lives to advise us. We must listen to them. Even when we think we hear from the Lord about a particular course of action, it's always best to run it by trusted advisers… our family, work associates, close friends, and fellow believers. The Bible teaches: “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety,” (Proverbs 11.14). Counselors keep us safe from the foolish decisions we're prone to make.

Do you have faith that He can do it? It doesn't take much. “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,' and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17.20).

Absalom knew he was ‘all that.' He had an inflated self-view. His pride led him to the false notion that he would make a better king than his father. “Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel” (2nd Samuel 15.6) and he eventually conspired to overthrow David and usurp the throne. He almost got away with it. Absalom should have cut his hair before going into battle. Helplessly dangling by his mane caught in a branches of a giant oak tree made him an easy target. The precariousness of the moment may have given Absalom pause to consider how he might have done things differently. I'm sure he would have gladly traded his beauty for his freedom. Can you imagine his terror as David's army commander cocked his arm to thrust a spear through Absalom's proud heart? Well, that was the end of Absalom.

Most decisions are easy, if you don't over-think them. You will never have enough facts, counsel, or evidence. You may create a spread sheet, carefully weigh the pros and cons, draw plus and minus columns on a legal pad... and still make a bad decision. You will make a few mistakes during your decision-making career, but remember this... the perfectly logical choice is not always the right one.

The Banished Son

This podcast is an overview of week 18 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 2nd Samuel 13 – 24; John 18 – 21; Acts 1.

WARNING: The following podcast contains plenty of biblical sex and violence. This is an “R-rated” Bible story. Reader beware...

When we act hastily without consulting the Lord, people get hurt. When they do, like King David, we may become angry and blame others including God. Our indignation turns to fear. We're afraid to risk another serious consequence for what we thought was a trivial oversight or minor error. For a time, we may even refuse to serve God altogether.

“Mephibosheth” Verse 1:Once there was a certain nurse who had a little boy;She cared for him as if he was her own.She helped him learn to read and write, and taught him how to love.They played and sang and laughed and had some fun.Chorus:Mephibosheth, can you ever forgive me?Mephibosheth, patron saint of all hurt children,I'm so sad I caused you all this pain;Please come and heal the broken heart in me.

“...David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God,” (1st Samuel 30.6). God inspired David to chase down and defeat the Amalekites. He went from villain to hero because he was able to ‘strengthen himself in the Lord.' David's response to tough times gives me hope. I too can ‘strengthen myself in the Lord' and be the hero my family and loved ones deserve.

Imagine the loss of all things, no attachments at all. No family, no home, no income, no friends, no status. Would you truly believe in your own value? Would you believe yourself to be lovable by God and others? Jesus loves even the stripped down version of you. He lived and preached that “life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot” (Luke 12.15 “The Message”). I have more than my fair share of emotional and physical attachments. I hope they never get stripped away. But if they did, would I believe I still had value?

This podcast is an overview of week 17 in the Word Traveler Bible reading plan and covers the following chapters in the Old and New Testaments: 1st Samuel 26 – 31; 2nd Samuel 1 – 12; John 13 – 17.

The problem with problems is they always require a decision of me. That's the real problem! I don't like to make decisions. Decision-making scares me. My decisions will positively or adversely affect my future and that of my loved ones. That's where Jesus comes in. It would be wise for me to seek His guidance in every important decision before I make it. 

There's only one way to keep from being 'picked off' by the enemy of my soul. Remain near Jesus and His people. If I'm close to the edge, I'm an easy target. I must vigilantly remain of my own vulnerability and stay far removed from the outer limits of barely permissible, unwise, or isolated activities. 

David rocketed to the highest limits of political power in Israel about a thousand years before Christ. What was his secret? How did he achieve so much with so little? It was the Lord. God was the secret of David's rise to super-stardom. He was successful because “the LORD was with him.”