Podcasts about My God

The psalmists weren't afraid to admit when they were afraid. They even talked about feeling abandoned by God. Some of my favorite psalms are those that cry out desperately to God. You can feel the writers' authenticity. You can feel their struggle. It's easy for me to relate to what was going on with them. These psalms remind me that God is not against our honesty. He knows what is on our hearts anyway (Psalm 139:1-4), and He invites us to tell Him when we are afraid or when we are feeling alone. When Jesus was in agony on the cross, He cried out in the words of Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46). In the same way, we can be honest with God. We can also talk to others about the way we feel. When we are frustrated with life, when we feel like God has abandoned us, it's important that we reach out to other Christians who will listen to us and pray with us. As the body of Christ, we are called to encourage one another and remind each other that God is trustworthy and compassionate. Like the psalmists, we all go through struggles. At times, we find ourselves wondering why God is doing the things He is doing. In these times, the psalms can give us words to express our hearts to God, and they can help us remember His goodness and praise Him again. We don't need to be afraid to ask for help, prayer, and encouragement when we need it. Like the psalmists, we can be honest with God, and with one another. • Bethany Acker • Can you think of a time you felt discouraged, alone, or afraid? Did you feel like you could talk to God during that time? Why or why not? • Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about what you're going through? And how can you be a good friend to others when they are struggling? For you, Lord, rescued me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. Psalm 116:8 (CSB)

Psalms 58–65 Psalms 58–65 (Listen) God Who Judges the Earth To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam1 of David. 58   Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?2    Do you judge the children of man uprightly?2   No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;    your hands deal out violence on earth. 3   The wicked are estranged from the womb;    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.4   They have venom like the venom of a serpent,    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,5   so that it does not hear the voice of charmers    or of the cunning enchanter. 6   O God, break the teeth in their mouths;    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!7   Let them vanish like water that runs away;    when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.8   Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,    like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.9   Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,    whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!3 10   The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;    he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.11   Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;    surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Deliver Me from My Enemies To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam4 of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. 59   Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;    protect me from those who rise up against me;2   deliver me from those who work evil,    and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3   For behold, they lie in wait for my life;    fierce men stir up strife against me.  For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,4     for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.  Awake, come to meet me, and see!5     You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.  Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;    spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah 6   Each evening they come back,    howling like dogs    and prowling about the city.7   There they are, bellowing with their mouths    with swords in their lips—    for “Who,” they think,5 “will hear us?” 8   But you, O LORD, laugh at them;    you hold all the nations in derision.9   O my Strength, I will watch for you,    for you, O God, are my fortress.10   My God in his steadfast love6 will meet me;    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 11   Kill them not, lest my people forget;    make them totter7 by your power and bring them down,    O Lord, our shield!12   For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,    let them be trapped in their pride.  For the cursing and lies that they utter,13     consume them in wrath;    consume them till they are no more,  that they may know that God rules over Jacob    to the ends of the earth. Selah 14   Each evening they come back,    howling like dogs    and prowling about the city.15   They wander about for food    and growl if they do not get their fill. 16   But I will sing of your strength;    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.  For you have been to me a fortress    and a refuge in the day of my distress.17   O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,    for you, O God, are my fortress,    the God who shows me steadfast love. He Will Tread Down Our Foes To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam8 of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. 60   O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;    you have been angry; oh, restore us.2   You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;    repair its breaches, for it totters.3   You have made your people see hard things;    you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger. 4   You have set up a banner for those who fear you,    that they may flee to it from the bow.9 Selah5   That your beloved ones may be delivered,    give salvation by your right hand and answer us! 6   God has spoken in his holiness:10    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem    and portion out the Vale of Succoth.7   Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;    Ephraim is my helmet;    Judah is my scepter.8   Moab is my washbasin;    upon Edom I cast my shoe;    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”11 9   Who will bring me to the fortified city?    Who will lead me to Edom?10   Have you not rejected us, O God?    You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.11   Oh, grant us help against the foe,    for vain is the salvation of man!12   With God we shall do valiantly;    it is he who will tread down our foes. Lead Me to the Rock To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. 61   Hear my cry, O God,    listen to my prayer;2   from the end of the earth I call to you    when my heart is faint.  Lead me to the rock    that is higher than I,3   for you have been my refuge,    a strong tower against the enemy. 4   Let me dwell in your tent forever!    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah5   For you, O God, have heard my vows;    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6   Prolong the life of the king;    may his years endure to all generations!7   May he be enthroned forever before God;    appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 8   So will I ever sing praises to your name,    as I perform my vows day after day. My Soul Waits for God Alone To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. 62   For God alone my soul waits in silence;    from him comes my salvation.2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3   How long will all of you attack a man    to batter him,    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?4   They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.    They take pleasure in falsehood.  They bless with their mouths,    but inwardly they curse. Selah 5   For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,    for my hope is from him.6   He only is my rock and my salvation,    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.7   On God rests my salvation and my glory;    my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8   Trust in him at all times, O people;    pour out your heart before him;    God is a refuge for us. Selah 9   Those of low estate are but a breath;    those of high estate are a delusion;  in the balances they go up;    they are together lighter than a breath.10   Put no trust in extortion;    set no vain hopes on robbery;    if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11   Once God has spoken;    twice have I heard this:  that power belongs to God,12     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.  For you will render to a man    according to his work. My Soul Thirsts for You A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 63   O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;    my soul thirsts for you;  my flesh faints for you,    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.2   So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,    beholding your power and glory.3   Because your steadfast love is better than life,    my lips will praise you.4   So I will bless you as long as I live;    in your name I will lift up my hands. 5   My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,6   when I remember you upon my bed,    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;7   for you have been my help,    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.8   My soul clings to you;    your right hand upholds me. 9   But those who seek to destroy my life    shall go down into the depths of the earth;10   they shall be given over to the power of the sword;    they shall be a portion for jackals.11   But the king shall rejoice in God;    all who swear by him shall exult,    for the mouths of liars will be stopped. Hide Me from the Wicked To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 64   Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;    preserve my life from dread of the enemy.2   Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,    from the throng of evildoers,3   who whet their tongues like swords,    who aim bitter words like arrows,4   shooting from ambush at the blameless,    shooting at him suddenly and without fear.5   They hold fast to their evil purpose;    they talk of laying snares secretly,  thinking, “Who can see them?”6     They search out injustice,  saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”    For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep. 7   But God shoots his arrow at them;    they are wounded suddenly.8   They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;    all who see them will wag their heads.9   Then all mankind fears;    they tell what God has brought about    and ponder what he has done. 10   Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD    and take refuge in him!  Let all the upright in heart exult! O God of Our Salvation To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 65   Praise is due to you,12 O God, in Zion,    and to you shall vows be performed.2   O you who hear prayer,    to you shall all flesh come.3   When iniquities prevail against me,    you atone for our transgressions.4   Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,    to dwell in your courts!  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,    the holiness of your temple! 5   By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,    O God of our salvation,  the hope of all the ends of the earth    and of the farthest seas;6   the one who by his strength established the mountains,    being girded with might;7   who stills the roaring of the seas,    the roaring of their waves,    the tumult of the peoples,8   so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.  You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. 9   You visit the earth and water it;13    you greatly enrich it;  the river of God is full of water;    you provide their grain,    for so you have prepared it.10   You water its furrows abundantly,    settling its ridges,  softening it with showers,    and blessing its growth.11   You crown the year with your bounty;    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.12   The pastures of the wilderness overflow,    the hills gird themselves with joy,13   the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,    the valleys deck themselves with grain,    they shout and sing together for joy. Footnotes [1] 58:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 58:1 Or you mighty lords (by revocalization; Hebrew in silence) [3] 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [4] 59:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [5] 59:7 Hebrew lacks

Full Description / Show Notes Steren and Corey talk about how Google Cloud Run got its name (00:49) Corey talks about his experiences using Google Cloud (2:42) Corey and Steven discuss Google Cloud's cloud run custom domains (10:01) Steren talks about Cloud Run's high developer satisfaction and scalability (15:54) Corey and Steven talk about Cloud Run releases at Google I/O (23:21) Steren discusses the majority of developer and customer interest in Google's cloud product (25:33) Steren talks about his 20% projects around sustainability (29:00) About SterenSteren is a Senior Product Manager at Google Cloud. He is part of the serverless team, leading Cloud Run. He is also working on sustainability, leading the Google Cloud Carbon Footprint product.Steren is an engineer from École Centrale (France). Prior to joining Google, he was CTO of a startup building connected objects and multi device solutions.Links Referenced: Google Cloud Run: https://cloud.run sheets-url-shortener: https://github.com/ahmetb/sheets-url-shortener snark.cloud/run: https://snark.cloud/run Twitter: https://twitter.com/steren TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. I'm joined today by Steren Giannini, who is a senior product manager at Google Cloud, specifically on something called Google Cloud Run. Steren, thank you for joining me today.Steren: Thanks for inviting me, Corey.Corey: So, I want to start at the very beginning of, “Oh, a cloud service. What are we going to call it?” “Well, let's put the word cloud in it.” “Okay, great. Now, it is cloud, so we have to give it a vague and unassuming name. What does it do?” “It runs things.” “Genius. Let's break and go for work.” Now, it's easy to imagine that you spent all of 30 seconds on a name, but it never works that way. How easy was it to get to Cloud Run as a name for the service?Steren: [laugh]. Such a good question because originally it was not named Cloud Run at all. The original name was Google Serverless Engine. But a few people know that because they've been helping us since the beginning, but originally it was Google Serverless Engine. Nobody liked the name internally, and I think at one point, we wondered, “Hey, can we drop the engine structure and let's just think about the name. And what does this thing do?” “It runs things.”We already have Cloud Build. Well, wouldn't it be great to have Cloud Run to pair with Cloud Build so that after you've built your containers, you can run them? And that's how we ended up with this very simple Cloud Run, which today seems so obvious, but it took us a long time to get to that name, and we actually had a lot of renaming to do because we were about to ship with Google Serverless Engine.Corey: That seems like a very interesting last-minute change because it's not just a find and replace at that point, it's—Steren: No.Corey: —“Well, okay, if we call it Cloud Run, which can also be a verb or a noun, depending, is that going to change the meaning of some sentences?” And just doing a find and replace without a proofread pass as well, well, that's how you wind up with funny things on Twitter.Steren: API endpoints needed to be changed, adding weeks of delays to the launch. That is why we—you know, [laugh] announced in 2018 and publicly launched in 2019.Corey: I've been doing a fair bit of work in cloud for a while, and I wound up going down a very interesting path. So, the first native Google Cloud service—not things like WP Engine that ride on top of GCP—but my first native Google Cloud Service was done in service of this podcast, and it is built on Google Cloud Run. I don't think I've told you part of this story yet, but it's one of the reasons I reached out to invite you onto the show. Let me set the stage here with a little bit of backstory that might explain what the hell I'm talking about.As listeners of this show are probably aware, we have sponsors whom we love and adore. In the early days of this show, they would say, “Great, we want to tell people about our product”—which is the point of a sponsorship—“And then send them to a URL.” “Great. What's the URL?” And they would give me something that was three layers deep, then with a bunch of UTM tracking parameters at the end.And it's, “You do realize that no one is going to be sitting there typing all of that into a web browser?” At best, you're going to get three words or so. So, I built myself a URL redirector, snark.cloud. I can wind up redirecting things in there anywhere it needs to go.And for a long time, I did this on top of S3 and then put CloudFront in front of it. And this was all well and good until, you know, things happened in the fullness of time. And now holy crap, I have an operations team involved in things, and maybe I shouldn't be the only person that knows how to work on all of these bits and bobs. So, it was time to come up with something that had a business user-friendly interface that had some level of security, so I don't wind up automatically building out a spam redirect service for anything that wants to, and it needs to be something that's easy to work with. So, I went on an exploration.So, at first it showed that there were—like, I have an article out that I've spoken about before that there are, “17 Ways to Run Containers on AWS,” and then I wrote the sequel, “17 More Ways to Run Containers on AWS.” And I'm keeping a list, I'm almost to the third installation of that series, which is awful. So, great. There's got to be some ways to build some URL redirect stuff with an interface that has an admin panel. And I spent three days on this trying a bunch of different things, and some were running on deprecated versions of Node that wouldn't build properly and others were just such complex nonsense things that had got really bad. I was starting to consider something like just paying for Bitly or whatnot and making it someone else's problem.And then I stumbled upon something on GitHub that really was probably one of the formative things that changed my opinion of Google Cloud for the better. And within half an hour of discovering this thing, it was up and running. I did the entire thing, start to finish, from my iPad in a web browser, and it just worked. It was written by—let me make sure I get his name correct; you know, messing up someone's name is a great way to say that we don't care about them—Ahmet Balkan used to work at Google Cloud; now he's over at Twitter. And he has something up on GitHub that is just absolutely phenomenal about this, called sheets-url-shortener.And this is going to sound wild, but stick with me. The interface is simply a Google Sheet, where you have one column that has the shorthand slug—for example, run; if you go to snark.cloud/run, it will redirect to Google Cloud Run's website. And the second column is where you want it to go. The end.And whenever that gets updated, there's of course some caching issues, which means it can take up to five seconds from finishing that before it will actually work across the entire internet. And as best I can tell, that is fundamentally magic. But what made it particularly useful and magic, from my perspective, was how easy it was to get up and running. There was none of this oh, but then you have to integrate it with Google Sheets and that's a whole ‘nother team so there's no way you're going to be able to figure that out from our Docs. Go talk to them and then come back in the day.They were the get started, click here to proceed. It just worked. And it really brought back some of the magic of cloud for me in a way that I hadn't seen in quite a while. So, all which is to say, amazing service, I continue to use it for all of these sponsored links, and I am still waiting for you folks to bill me, but it fits comfortably in the free tier because it turns out that I don't have hundreds of thousands of people typing it in every week.Steren: I'm glad it went well. And you know, we measure tasks success for Cloud Run. And we do know that most new users are able to deploy their apps very quickly. And that was the case for you. Just so you know, we've put a lot of effort to make sure it was true, and I'll be glad to tell you more about all that.But for that particular service, yes, I suppose Ahmet—who I really enjoyed working with on Cloud Run, he was really helpful designing Cloud Run with us—has open-sourced this side project. And basically, you might even have clicked on a deploy to Cloud Run button on GitHub, right, to deploy it?Corey: That is exactly what I did and it somehow just worked and—Steren: Exactly.Corey: And it knew, even logging into the Google Cloud Console because it understands who I am because I use Google Docs and things, I'm already logged in. None of this, “Oh, which one of these 85 credential sets is it going to be?” Like certain other clouds. It was, “Oh, wow. Wait, cloud can be easy and fun? When did that happen?”Steren: So, what has happened when you click that deploy to Google Cloud button, basically, the GitHub repository was built into a container with Cloud Build and then was deployed to Cloud Run. And once on Cloud Run, well, hopefully, you have forgotten about it because that's what we do, right? We—give us your code, in a container if you know containers if you don't just—we support, you know, many popular languages, and we know how to build them, so don't worry about that. And then we run it. And as you said, when there is low traffic or no traffic, it scales to zero.When there is low traffic, you're likely going to stay under the generous free tier. And if you have more traffic for, you know, Screaming in the Cloud suddenly becoming a high destination URL redirects, well, Cloud Run will scale the number of instances of this container to be able to handle the load. Cloud Run scales automatically and very well, but only—as always—charging you when you are processing some requests.Corey: I had to fork and make a couple of changes myself after I wound up doing some testing. The first was to make the entire thing case insensitive, which is—you know, makes obvious sense. And the other was to change the permanent redirect to a temporary redirect because believe it or not, in the fullness of time, sometimes sponsors want to change the landing page in different ways for different campaigns and that's fine by me. I just wanted to make sure people's browser cache didn't remember it into perpetuity. But it was easy enough to run—that was back in the early days of my exploring Go, which I've been doing this quarter—and in the couple of months this thing has been running it has been effectively flawless.It's set it; it's forget it. The only challenges I had with it are it was a little opaque getting a custom domain set up that—which is still in beta, to be clear—and I've heard some horror stories of people saying it got wedged. In my case, no, I deployed it and I started refreshing it and suddenly, it start throwing an SSL error. And it's like, “Oh, that's not good, but I'm going to break my own lifestyle here and be patient for ten minutes.” And sure enough, it cleared itself and everything started working. And that was the last time I had to think about any of this. And it just worked.Steren: So first, Cloud Run is HTTPS only. Why? Because it's 2020, right? It's 2022, but—Corey: [laugh].Steren: —it's launched in 2020. And so basically, we have made a decision that let's just not accept HTTP traffic; it's only HTTPS. As a consequence, we need to provision a cert for your custom domain. That is something that can take some time. And as you said, we keep it in beta or in preview because we are not yet satisfied with the experience or even the performance of Cloud Run custom domains, so we are actively working on fixing that with a different approach. So, expect some changes, hopefully, this year.Corey: I will say it does take a few seconds when people go to a snark.cloud URL for it to finish resolving, and it feels on some level like it's almost like a cold start problem. But subsequent visits, the same thing also feel a little on the slow and pokey side. And I don't know if that's just me being wildly impatient, if there's an optimization opportunity, or if that's just inherent to the platform that is not under current significant load.Steren: So, it depends. If the Cloud Run service has scaled down to zero, well of course, your service will need to be started. But what we do know, if it's a small Go binary, like something that you mentioned, it should really take less than, let's say, 500 milliseconds to go from zero to one of your container instance. Latency can also be due to the way the code is running. If it occurred is fetching things from Google Sheets at every startup, that is something that could add to the startup latency.So, I would need to take a look, but in general, we are not spinning up a virtual machine anytime we need to scale horizontally. Like, our infrastructure is a multi-tenant, rapidly scalable infrastructure that can materialize a container in literally 300 milliseconds. The rest of the latency comes from what does the container do at startup time?Corey: Yeah, I just ran a quick test of putting time in front of a curl command. It looks like it took 4.83 seconds. So, enough to be perceptive. But again, for just a quick redirect, it's generally not the end of the world and there's probably something I'm doing that is interesting and odd. Again, I did not invite you on the show to file a—Steren: [laugh].Corey: Bug report. Let's be very clear here.Steren: Seems on the very high end of startup latencies. I mean, I would definitely expect under the second. We should deep-dive into the code to take a look. And by the way, building stuff on top of spreadsheets. I've done that a ton in my previous lives as a CTO of a startup because well, that's the best administration interface, right? You just have a CRUD UI—Corey: [unintelligible 00:12:29] world and all business users understand it. If people in Microsoft decided they were going to change Microsoft Excel interface, even a bit, they would revert the change before noon of the same day after an army of business users grabbed pitchforks and torches and marched on their headquarters. It's one of those things that is how the world runs; it is the world's most common IDE. And it's great, but I still think of databases through the lens of thinking about it as a spreadsheet as my default approach to things. I also think of databases as DNS, but that's neither here nor there.Steren: You know, if you have maybe 100 redirects, that's totally fine. And by the way, the beauty of Cloud Run in a spreadsheet, as you mentioned is that Cloud Run services run with a certain identity. And this identity, you can grant it permissions. And in that case, what I would recommend if you haven't done so yet, is to give an identity to your Cloud Run service that has the permission to read that particular spreadsheet. And how you do that you invite the email of the service account as a reader of your spreadsheet, and that's probably what you did.Corey: The click button to the workflow on Google Cloud automatically did that—Steren: Oh, wow.Corey: —and taught me how to do it. “Here's the thing that look at. The end.” It was a flawless user-onboarding experience.Steren: Very nicely done. But indeed, you know, there is this built-in security which is the principle of minimal permission, like each of your Cloud Run service should basically only be able to read and write to the backing resources that they should. And by default, we give you a service account which has a lot of permissions, but our recommendation is to narrow those permissions to basically only look at the cloud storage buckets that the service is supposed to look at. And the same for a spreadsheet.Corey: Yes, on some level, I feel like I'm going to write an analysis of my own security approach. It would be titled, “My God, It's Full Of Stars” as I look at the IAM policies of everything that I've configured. The idea of least privilege is great. What I like about this approach is that it made it easy to do it so I don't have to worry about it. At one point, I want to go back and wind up instrumenting it a bit further, just so I can wind up getting aggregate numbers of all right, how many times if someone visited this particular link? It'll be good to know.And I don't know… if I have to change permissions to do that yet, but that's okay. It's the best kind of problem: future Corey. So, we'll deal with that when the time comes. But across the board, this has just been a phenomenal experience and it's clear that when you were building Google Cloud Run, you understood the assignment. Because I was looking for people saying negative things about it and by and large, all of its seem to come from a perspective of, “Well, this isn't going to be the most cost-effective or best way to run something that is hyperscale, globe-spanning.”It's yes, that's the thing that Kubernetes was originally built to run and for some godforsaken reason people run their blog on it instead now. Okay. For something that is small, scales to zero, and has long periods where no one is visiting it, great, this is a terrific answer and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's clear that you understood who you were aiming at, and the migration strategy to something that is a bit more, I want to say robust, but let's be clear what I mean when I'm saying that if you want something that's a little bit more impressive on your SRE resume as you're trying a multi-year project to get hired by Google or pretend you got hired by Google, yeah, you can migrate to something else in a relatively straightforward way. But that this is up, running, and works without having to think about it, and that is no small thing.Steren: So, there are two things to say here. The first is yes, indeed, we know we have high developer satisfaction. You know, we measure this—in Google Cloud, you might have seen those small satisfaction surveys popping up sometimes on the user interface, and you know, we are above 90% satisfaction score. We hire third parties to help us understand how usable and what satisfaction score would users get out of Cloud Run, and we are constantly getting very, very good results, in absolute but also compared to the competition.Now, the other thing that you said is that, you know, Cloud Run is for small things, and here while it is definitely something that allows you to be productive, something that strives for simplicity, but it also scales a lot. And contrary to other systems, you do not have any pre-provisioning to make. So, we have done demos where we go from zero to 10,000 container instances in ten seconds because of the infrastructure on which Cloud Run runs, which is fully managed and multi-tenant, we can offer you this scale on demand. And many of our biggest customers have actually not switched to something like Kubernetes after starting with Cloud Run because they value the low maintenance, the no infrastructure management that Cloud Run brings them.So, we have like Ikea, ecobee… for example ecobee, you know, the smart thermostats are using Cloud Run to ingest events from the thermostat. I think Ikea is using Cloud Run more and more for more of their websites. You know, those companies scale, right? This is not, like, scale to zero hobby project. This is actually production e-commerce and connected smart objects production systems that have made the choice of being on a fully-managed platform in order to reduce their operational overhead.[midroll 00:17:54]Corey: Let me be clear. When I say scale—I think we might be talking past each other on a small point here. When I say scale, I'm talking less about oh tens or hundreds of thousands of containers running concurrently. I'm talking in a more complicated way of, okay, now we have a whole bunch of different microservices talking to one another and affinity as far as location to each other for data transfer reasons. And as you start beginning to service discovery style areas of things, where we build a really complicated applications because we hired engineers and failed to properly supervise them, and that type of convoluted complex architecture.That's where it feels like Cloud Run increasingly, as you move in that direction, starts to look a little bit less like the tool of choice. Which is fine, I want to be clear on that point. The sense that I've gotten of it is a great way to get started, it's a great way to continue running a thing you don't have to think about because you have a day job that isn't infrastructure management. And it is clear to—as your needs change—to either remain with the service or pivot to a very close service without a whole lot of retooling, which is key. There's not much of a lock-in story to this, which I love.Steren: That was one of the key principles when we started to design Cloud Run was, you know, we realized the industry had agreed that the container image was the standard for the deployment artifact of software. And so, we just made the early choice of focusing on deploying containers. Of course, we are helping users build those containers, you know, we have things called build packs, we can continuously deploy from GitHub, but at the end of the day, the thing that gets auto-scaled on Cloud Run is a container. And that enables portability.As you said. You can literally run the same container, nothing proprietary in it, I want to be clear. Like, you're just listening on a port for some incoming requests. Those requests can be HTTP requests, events, you know, we have products that can push events to Cloud Run like Eventarc or Pub/Sub. And this same container, you can run it on your local machine, you can run it on Kubernetes, you can run it on another cloud. You're not locked in, in terms of API of the compute.We even went even above and beyond by having the Cloud Run API looks like a Kubernetes API. I think that was an extra effort that we made. I'm not sure people care that much, but if you look at the Cloud Run API, it is actually exactly looking like Kubernetes, Even if there is no Kubernetes at all under the hood; we just made it for portability. Because we wanted to address this concern of serverless which was lock-in. Like, when you use a Function as a Service product, you are worried that the architecture that you are going to develop around this product is going to be only working in this particular cloud provider, and you're not in control of the language, the version that this provider has decided to offer you, you're not in control of more of the complexity that can come as you want to scan this code, as you want to move this code between staging and production or test this code.So, containers are really helping with that. So, I think we made the right choice of this new artifact that to build Cloud Run around the container artifact. And you know, at the time when we launched, it was a little bit controversial because back in the day, you know, 2018, 2019, serverless really meant Functions as a Service. So, when we launched, we little bit redefined serverless. And we basically said serverless containers. Which at the time were two worlds that in the same sentence were incompatible. Like, many people, including internally, had concerns around—Corey: Oh, the serverless versus container war was a big thing for a while. Everyone was on a different side of that divide. It's… containers are effectively increasingly—and I know, I'll get email for this, and I don't even slightly care, they're a packaging format—Steren: Exactly.Corey: —where it solves the problem of how do I build this thing to deploy on Debian instances? And Ubuntu instances, and other instances, God forbid, Windows somewhere, you throw a container over the wall. The end. Its DevOps is about breaking down the walls between Dev and Ops. That's why containers are here to make them silos that don't have to talk to each other.Steren: A container image is a glorified zip file. Literally. You have a set of layers with files in them, and basically, we decided to adopt that artifact standard, but not the perceived complexity that existed at the time around containers. And so, we basically merged containers with serverless to make something as easy to use as a Function as a Service product but with the power of bringing your own container. And today, we are seeing—you mentioned, what kind of architecture would you use Cloud Run for?So, I would say now there are three big buckets. The obvious one is anything that is a website or an API, serving public internet traffic, like your URL redirect service, right? This is, you have an API, takes a request and returns a response. It can be a REST API, GraphQL API. We recently added support for WebSockets, which is pretty unique for a service offering to support natively WebSockets.So, what I mean natively is, my client can open a socket connection—a bi-directional socket connection—with a given instance, for up to one hour. This is pretty unique for something that is as fully managed as Cloud Run.Corey: Right. As we're recording this, we are just coming off of Google I/O, and there were a number of announcements around Cloud Run that were touching it because of, you know, strange marketing issues. I only found out that Google I/O was a thing and featured cloud stuff via Twitter at the time it was happening. What did you folks release around Cloud Run?Steren: Good question, actually. Part of the Google I/O Developer keynote, I pitched a story around how Cloud Run helps developers, and the I/O team liked the story, so we decided to include that story as part of the live developer keynote. So, on stage, we announced Cloud Run jobs. So now, I talked to you about Cloud Run services, which can be used to expose an API, but also to do, like, private microservice-to-microservice communication—because cloud services don't have to be public—and in that case, we support GRPC and, you know, a very strong security mechanism where only Service A can invoke Service B, for example, but Cloud Run jobs are about non-request-driven containers. So, today—I mean, before Google I/O a few days ago, the only requirement that we imposed on your container image was that it started to listen for requests, or events, or GRPC—Corey: Web requests—Steren: Exactly—Corey: It speaks [unintelligible 00:24:35] you want as long as it's HTTP. Yes.Steren: That was the only requirement we asked you to have on your container image. And now we've changed that. Now, if you have a container that basically starts and executes to completion, you can deploy it on a Cloud Run job. So, you will use Cloud Run jobs for, like, daily batch jobs. And you have the same infrastructure, so on-demand, you can go from zero to, I think for now, the maximum is a hundred tasks in parallel, for—of course, you can run many tasks in sequence, but in parallel, you can go from zero to a hundred, right away to run your daily batch job, daily admin job, data processing.But this is more in the batch mode than in streaming mode. If you would like to use a more, like, streaming data processing, than a Cloud Run service would still be the best fit because you can literally push events to it, and it will auto-scale to handle any number of events that it receives.Corey: Do you find that the majority of customers are using Cloud Run for one-off jobs that barely will get more than a single container, like my thing, or do you find that they're doing massively parallel jobs? Where's the lion's share of developer and customer interest?Steren: It's both actually. We have both individual developers, small startups—which really value the scale to zero and pay per use model of Cloud Run. Your URL redirect service probably is staying below the free tier, and there are many, many, many users in your case. But at the same time, we have big, big, big customers who value the on-demand scalability of Cloud Run. And for these customers, of course, they will probably very likely not scale to zero, but they value the fact that—you know, we have a media company who uses Cloud Run for TV streaming, and when there is a soccer game somewhere in the world, they have a big spike of usage of requests coming in to their Cloud Run service, and here they can trust the rapid scaling of Cloud Run so they don't have to pre-provision things in advance to be able to serve that sudden traffic spike.But for those customers, Cloud Run is priced in a way so that if you know that you're going to consume a lot of Cloud Run CPU and memory, you can purchase Committed Use Discounts, which will lower your bill overall because you know you are going to spend one dollar per hour on Cloud Run, well purchase a Committed Use Discount because you will only spend 83 cents instead of one dollar. And also, Cloud Run and comes with two pricing model, one which is the default, which is the request-based pricing model, which is basically you only have CPU allocated to your container instances if you are processing at least one request. But as a consequence of that, you are not paying outside of the processing of those requests. Those containers might stay up for you, one, ready to receive new requests, but you're not paying for them. And so, that is—you know, your URL redirect service is probably in that mode where yes when you haven't used it for a while, it will scale down to zero, but if you send one request to it, it will serve that request and then it will stay up for a while until it decides to scale down. But you the user only pays when you are processing these specific requests, a little bit like a Function as a Service product.Corey: Scales to zero is one of the fundamental tenets of serverless that I think that companies calling something serverless, but it always charges you per hour anyway. Yeah, that doesn't work. Storage, let's be clear, is a separate matter entirely. I'm talking about compute. Even if your workflow doesn't scale down to zero ever as a workload, that's fine, but if the workload does, you don't get to keep charging me for it.Steren: Exactly. And so, in that other mode where you decide to always have CPU allocated to your Cloud Run container instances, then you pay for the entire lifecycle of this container instances. You still benefit from the auto-scaling of Cloud Run, but you will pay for the lifecycle and in that case, the price points are lower because you pay for a longer period of time. But that's more the price model that those bigger customers will take because at their scale, they basically always receive requests, so they already to pay always, basically.Corey: I really want to thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Before you go, one last question that we'll be using as a teaser for the next episode that we record together. It seems like this is a full-time job being the product manager on Cloud Run, but no Google, contrary to popular opinion, does in fact, still support 20% projects. What's yours?Steren: So, I've been looking to work on Cloud Run since it was a prototype, and you know, for a long time, we've been iterating privately on Cloud Run, launching it, seeing it grow, seeing it adopted, it's great. It's my full-time job. But on Fridays, I still find the time to have a 20% project, which also had quite a bit of impact. And I work on some sustainability efforts for Google Cloud. And notably, we've released two things last year.The first one is that we are sharing some carbon characteristics of Google Cloud regions. So, if you have seen those small leaves in the Cloud Console next to the regions that are emitting the less carbon, that's something that I helped bring to life. And the second one, which is something quite big, is we are helping customers report and reduce their gross carbon emissions of their Google Cloud usage by providing an out of the box reporting tool called Google Cloud Carbon Footprint. So, that's something that I was able to bootstrap with a team a little bit on the side of my Cloud Run project, but I was very glad to see it launched by our CEO at the last Cloud Next Conference. And now it is a fully-funded project, so we are very glad that we are able to help our customers better meet their sustainability goals themselves.Corey: And we will be talking about it significantly on the next episode. We're giving a teaser, not telling the whole story.Steren: [laugh].Corey: I really want to thank you for being as generous with your time as you are. If people want to learn more, where can they find you?Steren: Well, if they want to learn more about Cloud Run, we talked about how simple was that name. It was obviously not simple to find this simple name, but the domain is https://cloud.run.Corey: We will also accept snark.cloud/run, I will take credit for that service, too.Steren: [laugh]. Exactly.Corey: There we are.Steren: And then, people can find me on Twitter at @steren, S-T-E-R-E-N. I'll be happy—I'm always happy to help developers get started or answer questions about Cloud Run. And, yeah, thank you for having me. As I said, you successfully deployed something in just a few minutes to Cloud Run. I would encourage the audience to—Corey: In spite of myself. I know, I'm as surprised as anyone.Steren: [laugh].Corey: The only snag I really hit was the fact that I was riding shotgun when we picked up my daughter from school and went through a dead zone. It's like, why is this thing not loading in the Google Cloud Console? Yeah, fix the cell network in my area, please.Steren: I'm impressed that you did all of that from an iPad. But yeah, to the audience give Cloud Run the try. You can really get started connecting your GitHub repository or deploy your favorite container image. And we've worked very hard to ensure that usability was here, and we know we have pretty strong usability scores. Because that was a lot of work to simplicity, and product excellence and developer experience is a lot of work to get right, and we are very proud of what we've achieved with Cloud Run and proud to see that the developer community has been very supportive and likes this product.Corey: I'm a big fan of what you've built. And well, of course, it links to all of that in the show notes. I just want to thank you again for being so generous with your time. And thanks again for building something that I think in many ways showcases the best of what Google Cloud has to offer.Steren: Thanks for the invite.Corey: We'll talk again soon. Steren Giannini is a senior product manager at Google Cloud, on Cloud Run. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice. If it's on YouTube, put the thumbs up and the subscribe buttons as well, but in the event that you hated it also include an angry comment explaining why your 20% project is being a shithead on the internet.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

Proper 7 First Psalm: Psalm 101; Psalm 109:1–30 Psalm 101 (Listen) I Will Walk with Integrity A Psalm of David. 101   I will sing of steadfast love and justice;    to you, O LORD, I will make music.2   I will ponder the way that is blameless.    Oh when will you come to me?  I will walk with integrity of heart    within my house;3   I will not set before my eyes    anything that is worthless.  I hate the work of those who fall away;    it shall not cling to me.4   A perverse heart shall be far from me;    I will know nothing of evil. 5   Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly    I will destroy.  Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart    I will not endure. 6   I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,    that they may dwell with me;  he who walks in the way that is blameless    shall minister to me. 7   No one who practices deceit    shall dwell in my house;  no one who utters lies    shall continue before my eyes. 8   Morning by morning I will destroy    all the wicked in the land,  cutting off all the evildoers    from the city of the LORD. (ESV) Psalm 109:1–30 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109   Be not silent, O God of my praise!2   For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,    speaking against me with lying tongues.3   They encircle me with words of hate,    and attack me without cause.4   In return for my love they accuse me,    but I give myself to prayer.15   So they reward me evil for good,    and hatred for my love. 6   Appoint a wicked man against him;    let an accuser stand at his right hand.7   When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;    let his prayer be counted as sin!8   May his days be few;    may another take his office!9   May his children be fatherless    and his wife a widow!10   May his children wander about and beg,    seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11   May the creditor seize all that he has;    may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12   Let there be none to extend kindness to him,    nor any to pity his fatherless children!13   May his posterity be cut off;    may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14   May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,    and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15   Let them be before the LORD continually,    that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16   For he did not remember to show kindness,    but pursued the poor and needy    and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17   He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him!    He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18   He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;    may it soak4 into his body like water,    like oil into his bones!19   May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,    like a belt that he puts on every day!20   May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,    of those who speak evil against my life! 21   But you, O GOD my Lord,    deal on my behalf for your name's sake;    because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22   For I am poor and needy,    and my heart is stricken within me.23   I am gone like a shadow at evening;    I am shaken off like a locust.24   My knees are weak through fasting;    my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25   I am an object of scorn to my accusers;    when they see me, they wag their heads. 26   Help me, O LORD my God!    Save me according to your steadfast love!27   Let them know that this is your hand;    you, O LORD, have done it!28   Let them curse, but you will bless!    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29   May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30   With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;    I will praise him in the midst of the throng. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 119:121–144 Psalm 119:121–144 (Listen) Ayin 121   I have done what is just and right;    do not leave me to my oppressors.122   Give your servant a pledge of good;    let not the insolent oppress me.123   My eyes long for your salvation    and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.124   Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,    and teach me your statutes.125   I am your servant; give me understanding,    that I may know your testimonies!126   It is time for the LORD to act,    for your law has been broken.127   Therefore I love your commandments    above gold, above fine gold.128   Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;    I hate every false way. Pe 129   Your testimonies are wonderful;    therefore my soul keeps them.130   The unfolding of your words gives light;    it imparts understanding to the simple.131   I open my mouth and pant,    because I long for your commandments.132   Turn to me and be gracious to me,    as is your way with those who love your name.133   Keep steady my steps according to your promise,    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.134   Redeem me from man's oppression,    that I may keep your precepts.135   Make your face shine upon your servant,    and teach me your statutes.136   My eyes shed streams of tears,    because people do not keep your law. Tsadhe 137   Righteous are you, O LORD,    and right are your rules.138   You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness    and in all faithfulness.139   My zeal consumes me,    because my foes forget your words.140   Your promise is well tried,    and your servant loves it.141   I am small and despised,    yet I do not forget your precepts.142   Your righteousness is righteous forever,    and your law is true.143   Trouble and anguish have found me out,    but your commandments are my delight.144   Your testimonies are righteous forever;    give me understanding that I may live. (ESV) Old Testament: Numbers 16:36–50 Numbers 16:36–50 (Listen) 36 1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. 38 As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, 40 to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the LORD said to him through Moses. 41 But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.” 42 And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped. Footnotes [1] 16:36 Ch 17:1 in Hebrew (ESV) New Testament: Romans 4:13–25 Romans 4:13–25 (Listen) The Promise Realized Through Faith 13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness1 of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Footnotes [1] 4:19 Greek deadness (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 20:1–16 Matthew 20:1–16 (Listen) Laborers in the Vineyard 20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius1 a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.' 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'2 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.” Footnotes [1] 20:2 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [2] 20:15 Or is your eye bad because I am good? (ESV)

Three events in today's news from around the world remind me of what you and I need most in the troubled times in which we live. It's the subject of today's show where I talk about a relationship thread that connects all three of these stories: The horrific murder of 19 fourth graders in Uvalde, Texas Celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in England Anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France 78 years ago Keep listening because you'll hear where to find what you and I need most in today's world. What's true here in June 2022 as I record this will be true in 2052 and every year following. It's part of the human condition. The Uvalde, Texas shooting I'll start with an article Peggy Noonan wrote in the Wall Street Journal shortly after the shooting in Uvalde, Texas. It's a blistering piece of fire-breathing anger at the police on the scene who stood around for 45 minutes outside the school while the killer inside gunned down children in their classroom. The failure of the police to storm the building to take out the murderer is contemptible, says Noonan. Young children were calling 911 from their cell phones while the police did nothing. They called for help but none came. One of the things I appreciate about Peggy Noonan is her ability to look at events in their larger context and to find meaning in them that goes beyond the immediate. She ends her article with the following: “I close with a thought tugging around in my brain. I think I am seeing a broad and general decline in professionalism in America, a deterioration of our pride in concepts like rigor and excellence. Jan. 6 comes and law enforcement agencies are weak and unprepared and the U.S. Capital falls to a small army of mooks [stupid or incompetent person]. Afghanistan and the departure that was really a collapse, all traceable to the incompetence of diplomatic and military leadership. It's like everyone's forgotten the mission. “I'm not saying, ‘Oh, America was once so wonderful and now it's not.' I'm saying we are losing old habits of discipline and pride in expertise - of peerlessness. There was a kind of American gleam. If the world called on us - in business, the arts, the military, diplomacy, science - they knew they were going to get help. The grown-ups had arrived with their deep competence. The larger meaning found in the Texas tragedy “America now feels more like the people who took the Expedited Three Month Training Course and got the security badge and went to work and formed an affinity group to advocate for change. A people who love to talk, endlessly, about sensitivity, yet aren't sensitive enough to save children bleeding out on the other side of the door. “I fear that as people we're becoming not only increasingly unimpressive but increasingly unlovable. “My God, I've never seen a country so in need of a hero.” - Peggy Noonan, June 4, 2022, Wall Street Journal, page A15 Let that last line sink in for a minute, My God, I've never seen a country so in need of a hero. It's Noonan's take on what you and I need most right now. I'm going to come back to this in a little bit. The second event - Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee In contrast to the implications of the murders in Texas, we had the Platinum Jubilee celebration in England for Queen Elizabeth II. It was to honor her for the 70 years she's been the queen, and for becoming the longest-ruling monarch in British - and European - history. Is there anyone who doesn't like Queen Elizabeth? I saw a few TV clips of the Jubilee event and all the commentators talked about the hundreds of thousands of Brits who turned out for this 4-day celebration to cheer on the queen. In watching this, I couldn't help but think of Peggy Noonan's quote about America, “I've never seen a country so in need of a hero.” Could it be that Queen Elizabeth is the hero England needs? She doesn't have any political power. She can't set polices for the country. Yet she he is so dearly loved . Why? My sense is that she is stability personified in the otherwise unstable world we live in. She is a continuation of the monarchy that's been part of British history for over a thousand years. The Queen's appeal Her appeal is even more winsome when you consider the dysfunction of the Royal Family. There's Prince Charles and his messy divorce with the oh-so-popular Princess Diana and his related affair with Camila. There's the scandal with the queen's other son, Prince Andrew. And of course, the current mess with Harry and Megan throwing the Royal Family under the bus. Yet Queen Elizabeth stays out of the public fray of it all. You've got to admire a queen like this. The family she presides over isn't all that different than some of our own families. Is someone like Queen Elizabeth what you and I need most right now? Before I answer, there's one more worldwide event to consider. One that connects with the Peggy Noonan article about the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. 78th Anniversary of D-Day This month, here in 2022, marks the 78th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, which marked the beginning of the end of World War II. This year's anniversary had a different twist to it that I had not seen or heard of before. Several years ago, in rare bi-partisan support, Congress approved an addition to the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. Construction will begin next month, in July 2022, on the D-Day Prayer Project. On June 6, 1944, at At 9:57 pm, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed the nation on radio, announcing the D-Day invasion that began earlier that day. He encouraged everyone to join him in prayer about the invasion.  It will be added to the WWII memorial. It's not too long, so I will read it to you. It was what the world needed most on June 6, 1944. And it is certainly what you and I need most now. As I read the prayer, look past the specifics of that war-time need, and instead think about the appeal to a person outside of ourselves to meet our needs when things are looking terrible. That's the point. Here's the prayer: FDR's prayer My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. Pray for ourselves And for us at home - fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas - whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them - help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts. Give us strength, too - strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. Give us faith And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; and faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose. With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen. What you and I need Most Let's return now to the three events I mentioned in the beginning and consider the theme they all touch on. The elementary school killing of 19 young children in Uvalde, Texas Queen Elizabeth and her Platinum Jubilee celebration in England Anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France The thread that ties these events together is the need for someone or something outside of ourselves to get us out of a mess, to give us a sense of stability that things are going to be okay, no matter what. Like the trapped 4th graders in that Uvalde Texas classroom, we all need someone to rescue us. In our case, to rescue us from ourselves. We need stability in our lives. We need someone like Queen Elizabeth who has been giving 70 years of her life to serving her subjects, with no intention of stopping. Someone so deeply committed to us. Someone beyond ourselves. We need God like the allied forces needed on D-Day. Like FDR who called upon us to pray to defeat that which seeks to destroy us. So what does all this mean for YOU? It is easier to understand how we need to be saved from forces outside of ourselves like evil people. It's harder to understand how at times we need to be saved from ourselves. What we need most, in either case, is Jesus. In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, some of the disciples of Jesus begin to desert him. It prompts Jesus to say to his 12 apostles, “Are you going to leave, too?” Peter replies and says in effect, Where else would we go? You are the only one who gives life.” Here's the main takeaway I hope you remember from today's episode We all need to be rescued from something. Often it's to be rescued from ourselves. So the rescue must come from someone outside of us. Thankfully, what we need most is right in front of us. Just look and you'll find Jesus there. Ready to rescue. As always, I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about today's episode. Closing In closing, I hope your thinking was stimulated by today's show, enough to call upon him to calm your heart in light of the troubled times in which we live. To ask him to save you from your fears, idiosyncrasies, and dysfunctions whatever they may be. And to replace them with the peace only he can provide. For when you do, it will help you experience the joy of your relationship with God. Because after all, You Were Made for This. Well, that's it for today. Please tell others about this podcast if you think it would be interesting and helpful to them. And don't forget to spread a little relational sunshine around the people you meet this week. Spark some joy for them. And I'll see you again next time. Related episodes you may want to listen to 021: The Most Important Relationship of All 139: Why Should I Listen to This Podcast? Our Sponsor You Were Made for This is sponsored by Caring for Others, a missionary care ministry. The generosity of people like you supports our ministry. It enables us to continue this weekly podcast and other services we provide to missionaries around the world.

Mini: Let's review Daniel and the Lion's Den with the songs: "Bubbles", "Whisper a Prayer", Tis So Sweet" and our memory verse Dan.6:22 "My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth."Recorded and produced by: Ashley B. LarsonDon't forget to check out the coloring pages that go along with each lesson! https://startingwithjesus.com/spb-cp/If you have enjoyed this program and would like to know more, go to our website: www.startingwithjesus.comThe Bible and nature story material used in today's devotional podcast has been used with permission from My Bible First. If you would like your own copy, please visit their website-or call 1-877-242-5317.If you would like to purchase your own Memory Verse CD or Songbook, go to Ouchita Hills Store (https://www.ouachitahillsacademy.org/store?page=1&store_category_id=0&sort_by=title&is_ascending=1&search=).If you would like to purchase the full Scripture Songs and Little Lessons CD, go to thehomeplace.org.Songs from: Little Voices Praise Him, SDA Hymnal, Sabbath Songs For Tiny Tots, New Sabbath Songs For Tiny Tots, Memory Verse Verse Songs for Cradle Roll, Children's Songs For Jesus, and Scripture Songs and Little LessonsAll Bible verses are from the NKJV.Singers for this Quarter: Tory, Caleb, and Enoch Hall, Hudson Reeves, Michael and Amy NelsonEditing assist: Dillon Austin and Josh LarsonMusic Recording and Editing: Rachel Nelson and Kristy HallColoring Pages: Rachel Lamming, Lily Canada, and Evie RodriguezTheme Music: Lindsey Mills- www.lindseymillsmusic.com God: who gives talents for us to use for Him

My God, it's full of stars… Thanks Hal… How beautiful is that? Yes, this week we get sciencey and oh, how our minds are scrambled! This episode Geordie & Michelle look at quantum-y things like the multiverse, time travel and more, starting with Geordie's revelation about a super hungry Super Massive Black Hole that's been discovered by Australian scientists. Apparently it eats the equivalent of one Earth every second  - WHAT?! - and it shines 7,000 times brighter than all the light from our own galaxy. Plus she natters about 2001: A Space Odyssey, an interstellar object floating randomly in space called Oumuamua, a fascinating Time Slip incident in Liverpool plus Michelle compares the multiverse theory to a giant eating a Malteser. Tune in to hear all this and more!   What would you change if you could go back in time? What kind of life you could have had if only you'd made even one different decision? These questions and more were inspired by Michelle reading How To Stop Time by Matt Haig, which is a gorgeous time-skipping novel about the power of love and the point of living, which Michelle basically reviews in this episode.  She then talks about The Midnight Library, another Matt Haig book, about a place between life and death where you can try on different lives the way you'd try on a coat… Michelle then gets very confused about Einstein's time-travel theory that's part of his special relativity theory and time dilation, but she has some interesting info about time gain and GPS satellites. She also discusses some real-life time travellers and  about what she might change if only she'd bought those 9 Bitcoins…   We hope you enjoy this week's episode – and wherever you are, whatever you do, just keep Eavesdroppin'!   *Disclaimer: We don't claim to have any factual info about anything ever, soooooorrrrrryyyyyyyy   Get in touch with your stories and listen, like, subscribe, share etc…  Or email us at hello@eavesdroppinpodcast.com      Listen here: www.eavesdroppinpodcast.com Or here: https://podfollow.com/1539144364   WE ARE NOW ON PATREON :) Want to show your favourite podcast some love by throwing a coin into the tip jar? You can support Eavesdroppin' over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eavesdroppin   EAVESDROPPIN' ON SPOTIFY : https://open.spotify.com/show/3BKt2Oy4zfPCxI7LDOQLN4   APPLE PODCASTS : https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/eavesdroppin/id1539144364   GOOGLE PODCASTS : https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2VhdmVzZHJvcHBpbi9mZWVkLnhtbA?hl=en   YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcuzv-EXizUo4emmt9Pgfw   Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/eavesdroppinpodcast   Or wherever you normally listen…      #timetravel #supermassiveblackhole #multiverse #oumuamua #timedilation #timetravellers #reallife #conspiracy #timeslip #einstein #science #matthaig #themidnightlibrary #howtostoptime #timeslips #2001aspaceodyssey #kubrick #differentrealities #arthurcclarke #briancox #abba #podcast #comedy  #comedypodcast #truestories #truelife #storytellingpodcast #eavesdroppin #eavesdroppinpodcast              SHOW LINKS   Teacher's Pet the podcast – listen here! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-teachers-pet/id1385379989   What is a Super Massive Black Hole? Find out more here: https://www.voanews.com/a/australian-led-team-discovers-supermassive-black-hole/6618360.html#:~:text=A%20massive%2C%20fast%2Dgrowing%20black,light%20from%20our%20own%20galaxy.   Go Aussie Scientists! They've discovered a super massive black hole… https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-06-15/black-hole-fastest-growing-past-nine-billion-years/101149598   More on Oumuamua: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/oumuamua/in-depth/   Read about The Sentinal by Arthur C Clarke here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sentinel_(short_story)   The trailer for 2001: A Space Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR_e9y-bka0   Arthur C Clarke predicted the future… https://historyofyesterday.com/the-predictions-made-by-arthur-c-clarke-50-years-ago-have-proven-true-f3299c12dca4   Brian Cox on the multiverse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_VrMvTNvX0   Brian Cox also says he doesn't believe in aliens:       https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/brian-cox-says-doesnt-believe-26388811   Michelle is desperate to go to the Abba hologram concert!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdm7rwP2xVk   What is the Big Bounce theory? https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a34941841/big-bounce-universe-theory/#:~:text=In%20the%20Big%20Bounce%20theory,is%20what%20makes%20our%20universe.   More on Time Slips… https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-9565865/Have-experienced-time-slip.html   The ladies from Versailles who reckoned they time travelled… https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/time-traveling-claims-a-lie-or-reality-b630cf03e3c2 And more here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moberly%E2%80%93Jourdain_incident#:~:text=The%20Moberly%E2%80%93Jourdain%20incident%20(also,Jourdain%20(1863%E2%80%931924   More on Frank and the Liverpool Time Slip incident: https://medium.com/@NellRose1/the-liverpool-time-slips-and-mysterious-occurences-in-bold-street-7a42898c124b   What is the multiverse theory? https://www.livescience.com/multiverse   David Bowie's Space Oddity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo   How to Stop Time – the book by Matt Haig: http://www.matthaig.com/how-to-stop-time/   The Midnight Library – another book by Matt Haig: http://www.matthaig.com/books/midnight-library/   Looper: the official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iQuhsmtfHw   Here's the un-confused explanation of time dilation! https://blog.scienceborealis.ca/time-travel-is-possible-but-its-a-one-way-ticket/   Time travelers are real! Read all about it here! https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5574774/time-travellers/   Watch the weird melty face of time traveler Alexander Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyIUlKeRpq8   More on real life time travelers: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/worldnews/5583228/time-traveller-alexander-smith-2118-picture-proof/    

Godly King Hezekiah's pride and selfishness brought judgment on his descendants, yet his response to this was self-centered, -Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime- -2 Kings 20-19-.--In fulfillment of God's judgement regarding some of Hezekiah's descendants becoming eunuchs ------------ plural of ------- in the Babylonian court, almost a century later Daniel is placed under the authority of Ashpenaz, the master of Nebuchadnezzar's eunuchs ------------, Daniel 1-3-.--Yet Daniel who never had children proved to be a father to many people, fulfilling the role of protector and provider. He is the one God chose to be a father to the people of Israel by giving him the prophecy of the 70 weeks.--A far worse example of bad fathers is found in the dreadful words of Matthew 27-25, -His blood be on us and on our children----Sometimes a good father allows his child to feel abandoned. When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross, he cried out- -My God, my God, why have you forsaken me-- -Matthew 27-46 in fulfillment of Psalm 22-1---The Lord Jesus was cut off from the Father when he took our sins on himself. Yet he was not utterly cut off, so as he died, 'Jesus called out with a loud voice, -FATHER, into your hands I commit my spirit.- When he had said this, he breathed his last.' -Luke 23-46 referencing Psalm 31-5-.

I find it fascinating that the first thing Jesus is recorded to have shared after his resurrection was this: [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' " (Jn. 20:16-17). He was addressing Mary Magdalene. His earth shattering news, the first news He wanted His disciples to hear after his death and now resurrection (they weren't aware he was alive)… was this. Jesus and His disciples now shared the same Father. This was, and is world altering news! In this message we be looking a bit more deeply into this concept, that God is our Father, and what it actually means for us as believers. We will be looking truths from Ephesians. Paul wrote this epistle to the believer at and around Ephesus, and it appears the letter is primarily addressed to the Gentiles in Ephesus. This revelation that he was sharing with them was awesome! The revelation and truth that Gentiles now along with Jews were fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God!

Psalms 21–25 Psalms 21–25 (Listen) The King Rejoices in the Lord's Strength To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 21   O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!2   You have given him his heart's desire    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah3   For you meet him with rich blessings;    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.4   He asked life of you; you gave it to him,    length of days forever and ever.5   His glory is great through your salvation;    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.6   For you make him most blessed forever;1    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.7   For the king trusts in the LORD,    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8   Your hand will find out all your enemies;    your right hand will find out those who hate you.9   You will make them as a blazing oven    when you appear.  The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,    and fire will consume them.10   You will destroy their descendants from the earth,    and their offspring from among the children of man.11   Though they plan evil against you,    though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.12   For you will put them to flight;    you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13   Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!    We will sing and praise your power. Why Have You Forsaken Me? To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. 22   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?2   O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,    and by night, but I find no rest. 3   Yet you are holy,    enthroned on the praises2 of Israel.4   In you our fathers trusted;    they trusted, and you delivered them.5   To you they cried and were rescued;    in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6   But I am a worm and not a man,    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.7   All who see me mock me;    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;8   “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9   Yet you are he who took me from the womb;    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.10   On you was I cast from my birth,    and from my mother's womb you have been my God.11   Be not far from me,    for trouble is near,    and there is none to help. 12   Many bulls encompass me;    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;13   they open wide their mouths at me,    like a ravening and roaring lion. 14   I am poured out like water,    and all my bones are out of joint;  my heart is like wax;    it is melted within my breast;15   my strength is dried up like a potsherd,    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;    you lay me in the dust of death. 16   For dogs encompass me;    a company of evildoers encircles me;  they have pierced my hands and feet3—17   I can count all my bones—  they stare and gloat over me;18   they divide my garments among them,    and for my clothing they cast lots. 19   But you, O LORD, do not be far off!    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!20   Deliver my soul from the sword,    my precious life from the power of the dog!21     Save me from the mouth of the lion!  You have rescued4 me from the horns of the wild oxen! 22   I will tell of your name to my brothers;    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:23   You who fear the LORD, praise him!    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!24   For he has not despised or abhorred    the affliction of the afflicted,  and he has not hidden his face from him,    but has heard, when he cried to him. 25   From you comes my praise in the great congregation;    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.26   The afflicted5 shall eat and be satisfied;    those who seek him shall praise the LORD!    May your hearts live forever! 27   All the ends of the earth shall remember    and turn to the LORD,  and all the families of the nations    shall worship before you.28   For kingship belongs to the LORD,    and he rules over the nations. 29   All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,    even the one who could not keep himself alive.30   Posterity shall serve him;    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;31   they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,    that he has done it. The Lord Is My Shepherd A Psalm of David. 23   The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.63     He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness7    for his name's sake. 4   Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,8    I will fear no evil,  for you are with me;    your rod and your staff,    they comfort me. 5   You prepare a table before me    in the presence of my enemies;  you anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.6   Surely9 goodness and mercy10 shall follow me    all the days of my life,  and I shall dwell11 in the house of the LORD    forever.12 The King of Glory A Psalm of David. 24   The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,13    the world and those who dwell therein,2   for he has founded it upon the seas    and established it upon the rivers. 3   Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?    And who shall stand in his holy place?4   He who has clean hands and a pure heart,    who does not lift up his soul to what is false    and does not swear deceitfully.5   He will receive blessing from the LORD    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.6   Such is the generation of those who seek him,    who seek the face of the God of Jacob.14 Selah 7   Lift up your heads, O gates!    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.8   Who is this King of glory?    The LORD, strong and mighty,    the LORD, mighty in battle!9   Lift up your heads, O gates!    And lift them up, O ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.10   Who is this King of glory?    The LORD of hosts,    he is the King of glory! Selah Teach Me Your Paths 15 Of David. 25   To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.2   O my God, in you I trust;    let me not be put to shame;    let not my enemies exult over me.3   Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 4   Make me to know your ways, O LORD;    teach me your paths.5   Lead me in your truth and teach me,    for you are the God of my salvation;    for you I wait all the day long. 6   Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,    for they have been from of old.7   Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;    according to your steadfast love remember me,    for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! 8   Good and upright is the LORD;    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.9   He leads the humble in what is right,    and teaches the humble his way.10   All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11   For your name's sake, O LORD,    pardon my guilt, for it is great.12   Who is the man who fears the LORD?    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.13   His soul shall abide in well-being,    and his offspring shall inherit the land.14   The friendship16 of the LORD is for those who fear him,    and he makes known to them his covenant.15   My eyes are ever toward the LORD,    for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 16   Turn to me and be gracious to me,    for I am lonely and afflicted.17   The troubles of my heart are enlarged;    bring me out of my distresses.18   Consider my affliction and my trouble,    and forgive all my sins. 19   Consider how many are my foes,    and with what violent hatred they hate me.20   Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.21   May integrity and uprightness preserve me,    for I wait for you. 22   Redeem Israel, O God,    out of all his troubles. Footnotes [1] 21:6 Or make him a source of blessing forever [2] 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises [3] 22:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet [4] 22:21 Hebrew answered [5] 22:26 Or The meek [6] 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest [7] 23:3 Or in right paths [8] 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness [9] 23:6 Or Only [10] 23:6 Or steadfast love [11] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell [12] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days [13] 24:1 Or and all that fills it [14] 24:6 Septuagint, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text who seek your face, Jacob [15] 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [16] 25:14 Or The secret counsel (ESV)

It is Friday morning, 17th June 2022, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.” Psalm 34:7“My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Daniel 6:22Do you believe in angels? I most definitely do. If you don't believe in angels then clearly you don't believe in the authority and the genuineness of God's Holy Word. Daniel believed in angels. Those lions were not tame. They would have been starved and ravenous because Daniel's false accusers were thrown into that same den after Daniel was taken out. They were instantly torn apart and killed. Remember one important point - We do not call upon angels when we need help, we call upon Jesus and He sends His angels to help us.Around 2006 we had a Mighty Men Conference on the farm. We were so excited and expecting approximately 5000 men to come and hear the Gospel. Do you know what happened? 7,500 men arrived! To that ladies listening to this message, how would you like it if your husband brought home 2,500 men for you to feed for the whole weekend? Men have got a habit of doing that, don't they? They don't tell you who is coming home, they just bring them. The cooks said to me, “Please tell the guys to go easy on the food.” I was so excited at seeing so many men I said, “There is a message from the kitchen. Eat as much as you can!” I know Jesus sent angels into that kitchen because we fed them for a whole weekend and there were thirty-six baskets of left overs after the weekend.Call upon the Lord, He will send His angels to protect you.Jesus bless you and goodbye.

With family: Deuteronomy 21; Psalms 108–109 Deuteronomy 21 (Listen) Atonement for Unsolved Murders 21 “If in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. 3 And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke. 4 And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. 5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled. 6 And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. 8 Accept atonement, O LORD, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.' 9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. Marrying Female Captives 10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her. Inheritance Rights of the Firstborn 15 “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,1 16 then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, 17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his. A Rebellious Son 18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear. A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed 22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. Footnotes [1] 21:15 Or hated; also verses 16, 17 (ESV) Psalms 108–109 (Listen) With God We Shall Do Valiantly A Song. A Psalm of David. 108   My heart is steadfast, O God!    I will sing and make melody with all my being!12   Awake, O harp and lyre!    I will awake the dawn!3   I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples;    I will sing praises to you among the nations.4   For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 5   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!    Let your glory be over all the earth!6   That your beloved ones may be delivered,    give salvation by your right hand and answer me! 7   God has promised in his holiness:2    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem    and portion out the Valley of Succoth.8   Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;    Ephraim is my helmet,    Judah my scepter.9   Moab is my washbasin;    upon Edom I cast my shoe;    over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 10   Who will bring me to the fortified city?    Who will lead me to Edom?11   Have you not rejected us, O God?    You do not go out, O God, with our armies.12   Oh grant us help against the foe,    for vain is the salvation of man!13   With God we shall do valiantly;    it is he who will tread down our foes. Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109   Be not silent, O God of my praise!2   For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,    speaking against me with lying tongues.3   They encircle me with words of hate,    and attack me without cause.4   In return for my love they accuse me,    but I give myself to prayer.35   So they reward me evil for good,    and hatred for my love. 6   Appoint a wicked man against him;    let an accuser stand at his right hand.7   When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;    let his prayer be counted as sin!8   May his days be few;    may another take his office!9   May his children be fatherless    and his wife a widow!10   May his children wander about and beg,    seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11   May the creditor seize all that he has;    may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12   Let there be none to extend kindness to him,    nor any to pity his fatherless children!13   May his posterity be cut off;    may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14   May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,    and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15   Let them be before the LORD continually,    that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16   For he did not remember to show kindness,    but pursued the poor and needy    and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17   He loved to curse; let curses come4 upon him!    He did not delight in blessing; may it be far5 from him!18   He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;    may it soak6 into his body like water,    like oil into his bones!19   May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,    like a belt that he puts on every day!20   May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,    of those who speak evil against my life! 21   But you, O GOD my Lord,    deal on my behalf for your name's sake;    because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22   For I am poor and needy,    and my heart is stricken within me.23   I am gone like a shadow at evening;    I am shaken off like a locust.24   My knees are weak through fasting;    my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25   I am an object of scorn to my accusers;    when they see me, they wag their heads. 26   Help me, O LORD my God!    Save me according to your steadfast love!27   Let them know that this is your hand;    you, O LORD, have done it!28   Let them curse, but you will bless!    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29   May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30   With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31   For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 108:1 Hebrew with my glory [2] 108:7 Or sanctuary [3] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [4] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [5] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [6] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) In private: Isaiah 48; Revelation 18 Isaiah 48 (Listen) Israel Refined for God's Glory 48   Hear this, O house of Jacob,    who are called by the name of Israel,    and who came from the waters of Judah,  who swear by the name of the LORD    and confess the God of Israel,    but not in truth or right.2   For they call themselves after the holy city,    and stay themselves on the God of Israel;    the LORD of hosts is his name. 3   “The former things I declared of old;    they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;    then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.4   Because I know that you are obstinate,    and your neck is an iron sinew    and your forehead brass,5   I declared them to you from of old,    before they came to pass I announced them to you,  lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,    my carved image and my metal image commanded them.' 6   “You have heard; now see all this;    and will you not declare it?  From this time forth I announce to you new things,    hidden things that you have not known.7   They are created now, not long ago;    before today you have never heard of them,    lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.'8   You have never heard, you have never known,    from of old your ear has not been opened.  For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,    and that from before birth you were called a rebel. 9   “For my name's sake I defer my anger;    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,    that I may not cut you off.10   Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;    I have tried1 you in the furnace of affliction.11   For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,    for how should my name2 be profaned?    My glory I will not give to another. The Lord's Call to Israel 12   “Listen to me, O Jacob,    and Israel, whom I called!  I am he; I am the first,    and I am the last.13   My hand laid the foundation of the earth,    and my right hand spread out the heavens;  when I call to them,    they stand forth together. 14   “Assemble, all of you, and listen!    Who among them has declared these things?  The LORD loves him;    he shall perform his purpose on Babylon,    and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.15   I, even I, have spoken and called him;    I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way.16   Draw near to me, hear this:    from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,    from the time it came to be I have been there.”  And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit. 17   Thus says the LORD,    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “I am the LORD your God,    who teaches you to profit,    who leads you in the way you should go.18   Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!    Then your peace would have been like a river,    and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;19   your offspring would have been like the sand,    and your descendants like its grains;  their name would never be cut off    or destroyed from before me.” 20   Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea,    declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it,  send it out to the end of the earth;    say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!”21   They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;    he made water flow for them from the rock;    he split the rock and the water gushed out. 22   “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” Footnotes [1] 48:10 Or I have chosen [2] 48:11 Hebrew lacks my name (ESV) Revelation 18 (Listen) The Fall of Babylon 18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,   “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!    She has become a dwelling place for demons,  a haunt for every unclean spirit,    a haunt for every unclean bird,    a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.3   For all nations have drunk1    the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,  and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,    and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,   “Come out of her, my people,    lest you take part in her sins,  lest you share in her plagues;5   for her sins are heaped high as heaven,    and God has remembered her iniquities.6   Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,    and repay her double for her deeds;    mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.7   As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,    so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,  since in her heart she says,    ‘I sit as a queen,  I am no widow,    and mourning I shall never see.'8   For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,    death and mourning and famine,  and she will be burned up with fire;    for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,   “Alas! Alas! You great city,    you mighty city, Babylon!  For in a single hour your judgment has

The Lord is Near to All Who Call Upon Him…Often, when tough times come, much like we are experiencing as a culture and as the church today, God seems distant. We pray, and receive no answer. We worship, only to feel alone. And when we attend church, well, it sometimes seems like something we do out of duty and not out of passion or love. Have you ever felt this way when surrounded by the uncertainties of life? And if so, have you ever wondered why and what you can do about it? David did. And so have millions of believers down through the ages. In David's last Psalm, he reveals so much of what we need to embrace today. He tells us how to worship the Lord in dark times and when life couldn't get any better. And he uses a powerful word that has fallen out of vogue today— extol. Look at how David begins this Psalm. I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever – Psalm 145:1-2. In just these two sentences, David claims he will do four things because of his love for the Lord and because of God's unsearchable greatness (Psalm 145:3). He will, •  Extol You… •  Bless Your name… •  Bless You… •  Praise Your name… But what do these words mean? And what can we learn about our Lord through these actions of David? •  extol (rûm) means “to raise, to lift up, to be exalted” •  bless (bāraḵ) means “to kneel, to bend one's knee in honor, submission, and blessing, to speak words of excellence about” •  praise (hālal) means “to commend, boast, shout out affirmations of greatness, to worship, to exclaim Hallelujah” And as you can see, these words mean more than simply, “Have a blessed day.”  They convey the idea of submission to a power greater than we are, to kneel before our mighty King. Which is exactly what David calls God when he says, “My God, O King.” To All Who Call Upon Him in Truth – Psalm 145:18But there is so much more. It seems God always anticipates our questions in advance and gives us the answer when we simply keep reading. And this is never more true than it is in this Psalm. •  What is it about God and His Kingdom that elicits such praise? Keep reading verse 3. •  What are we to do with the greatness of God?  How are we to respond? Do we proclaim it from the rooftops? Or keep it hidden under a basket on a table? Keep reading verses 4 to 6. •  But what does it look like when the church praises God for His greatness? How is that to be done? See verse 7. •  And what specifically about God's goodness are we to be remembering and sharing? Again, keep reading the next few verses. Get the point? Read it for yourself and see if every question and fear you have about praising the Lord with a full and sincere heart is not answered in this Psalm by simply reading more. It is like we are having a conversation with the Lord Himself and He is telling us what we need to know. One final thought. The most powerful truth in this Psalm is found in verse 18. Here we see God's promise to be near all (key word) who call upon Him. And that all includes you and me and people we like and people we don't. God promises to be near to all who call upon Him in truth (Psalm 145:18). The LORD is near to all (kōl – each, every, everything, the whole, entire, in totality and without exception) who call upon Him, to all (kōl – each, every, everything, the whole, entire, in totality and without exception) who call upon Him in truth. Know the Lord is near, whatever your circumstances. And He is near no matter what happens in the future. So what are we to fear? Nothing. Why? Because...

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Human experience reminds us regularly that adversity and trauma are inescapable. As much as we might like to escape or avoid this reality, the only healthy response is to work through it. Even if the work is more like a slog, we are still better off just dealing with it in the best way we can. This kind of trauma and pain doesn't simply vanish from our lives if we deny or avoid it. The pain is held within our body and our spirit. Despite the cultural currents that encourage us to avoid dealing with pain and adversity, there is a history in our faith tradition that helps us to navigate this in a healthier way than avoidance. The hymnbook of Israel, the Book of Psalms, is filled with examples of people who had experienced a wide range of adversity and trauma. They were not meek about taking these concerns to God. They would take even their rawest feelings and emotions to God. Jesus' lament on the cross is a prime example, from Psalm 22. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” Even though some voices in our history would try to squelch this kind of honesty with God, it is a necessary part of faith, then and now. Lament is so much more than just yelling at God; lament also includes a moment when one takes a deep breath and remembers that even in that moment of pain, God's promise is still the anchoring reality of their life. This week's sermon unpacks this important part of our faith.

In this episode of the podcast, we'll consider what it looks like to practice the presence of God in the ordinary moments of our life. The Christian Church celebrates 7 distinct seasons in the Church calendar year. The season begins with advent, then Christmas, Ephiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and Ordinary time.   In our daily lives, we keep track of activities and special events with a calendar. Throughout the centuries, the Church has followed a calendar of special days, feasts and seasons too. Each season plays an important role in our faith journey as we remember and celebrate the gift of our salvation in Jesus Christ.   The majority of the Church calendar year is spent in Ordinary Time, as we live out the ordinary moments of life.   The ancient rhythms of prayer and meditation, remind us of the human story and great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us, giving testimony to the love of God through Christ.   Our passion and purpose at The Daily Still Podcast is to help others notice and pay attention to God's Presence with us in the every day moments.    Every moment is holy.  Every moment is sacred — whether we are planting flowers, helping our neighbor, doing laundry, tending to a child, laughing, crying, preparing a meal, grieving, working, loving, vacationing, studying, playing, dreaming, hoping, praying.    In everything Christ is with us! Christ is in us!  Christ is for us!    There's a Divine invitation with your name on it to pull away from the busyness, distractions, and details that consume you.    It's an invitation to live in the Divine Presence of God — now.   What would it look like if we truly lived  from a place of Divine companionship?   Where will you notice God with you today?   As you listen to these scriptures from the Book of Psalms, picture how they apply to each aspect of your life.    You are He who took me from the womb…from my mother's womb you have been my God. Psalm 22:9-10   In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8   Psalm 90:16-17 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands.    Psalm 22:1-2 My God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?   Psalm 36: How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. 8  You feed them from lthe abundance of your own house, Letting them drink from mthe river of nyour delights. Psalm 36:7-8    Psalm 32:8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.     He heals the brokenhearted  and binds up their wounds.Psalm 147: 3   Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! Psalm 111:1-2    Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. 

Psalms 91:2 (NKJV)I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Dare and Lekan were friends from when they were in elementary school. They both became born again and … Continued

When Jesus was on the cross, he quoted Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus voluntarily experienced the pain and disappointment of feeling abandoned by God. If we live a life of faith, our family will also experience that feeling. Will they have the words and perspective to persevere through that experience? (Scripture: […]

With family: Deuteronomy 17; Psalm 104 Deuteronomy 17 (Listen) 17 “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God. 2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, 4 and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. 6 On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge1 the evil2 from your midst. Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges 8 “If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the LORD your God will choose. 9 And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision. 10 Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that the LORD will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you. 11 According to the instructions that they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left. 12 The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again. Laws Concerning Israel's Kings 14 “When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.' 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by3 the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. Footnotes [1] 17:7 Septuagint drive out; also verse 12 [2] 17:7 Or evil person; also verse 12 [3] 17:18 Hebrew from before (ESV) Psalm 104 (Listen) O Lord My God, You Are Very Great 104   Bless the LORD, O my soul!    O LORD my God, you are very great!  You are clothed with splendor and majesty,2     covering yourself with light as with a garment,    stretching out the heavens like a tent.3   He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;  he makes the clouds his chariot;    he rides on the wings of the wind;4   he makes his messengers winds,    his ministers a flaming fire. 5   He set the earth on its foundations,    so that it should never be moved.6   You covered it with the deep as with a garment;    the waters stood above the mountains.7   At your rebuke they fled;    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.8   The mountains rose, the valleys sank down    to the place that you appointed for them.9   You set a boundary that they may not pass,    so that they might not again cover the earth. 10   You make springs gush forth in the valleys;    they flow between the hills;11   they give drink to every beast of the field;    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12   Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;    they sing among the branches.13   From your lofty abode you water the mountains;    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 14   You cause the grass to grow for the livestock    and plants for man to cultivate,  that he may bring forth food from the earth15     and wine to gladden the heart of man,  oil to make his face shine    and bread to strengthen man's heart. 16   The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17   In them the birds build their nests;    the stork has her home in the fir trees.18   The high mountains are for the wild goats;    the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. 19   He made the moon to mark the seasons;1    the sun knows its time for setting.20   You make darkness, and it is night,    when all the beasts of the forest creep about.21   The young lions roar for their prey,    seeking their food from God.22   When the sun rises, they steal away    and lie down in their dens.23   Man goes out to his work    and to his labor until the evening. 24   O LORD, how manifold are your works!    In wisdom have you made them all;    the earth is full of your creatures.25   Here is the sea, great and wide,    which teems with creatures innumerable,    living things both small and great.26   There go the ships,    and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.2 27   These all look to you,    to give them their food in due season.28   When you give it to them, they gather it up;    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.29   When you hide your face, they are dismayed;    when you take away their breath, they die    and return to their dust.30   When you send forth your Spirit,3 they are created,    and you renew the face of the ground. 31   May the glory of the LORD endure forever;    may the LORD rejoice in his works,32   who looks on the earth and it trembles,    who touches the mountains and they smoke!33   I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.34   May my meditation be pleasing to him,    for I rejoice in the LORD.35   Let sinners be consumed from the earth,    and let the wicked be no more!  Bless the LORD, O my soul!  Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 104:19 Or the appointed times (compare Genesis 1:14) [2] 104:26 Or you formed to play with [3] 104:30 Or breath (ESV) In private: Isaiah 44; Revelation 14 Isaiah 44 (Listen) Israel the Lord's Chosen 44   “But now hear, O Jacob my servant,    Israel whom I have chosen!2   Thus says the LORD who made you,    who formed you from the womb and will help you:  Fear not, O Jacob my servant,    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.3   For I will pour water on the thirsty land,    and streams on the dry ground;  I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,    and my blessing on your descendants.4   They shall spring up among the grass    like willows by flowing streams.5   This one will say, ‘I am the LORD's,'    another will call on the name of Jacob,  and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD's,'    and name himself by the name of Israel.” Besides Me There Is No God 6   Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel    and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:  “I am the first and I am the last;    besides me there is no god.7   Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.1    Let him declare and set it before me,  since I appointed an ancient people.    Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.8   Fear not, nor be afraid;    have I not told you from of old and declared it?    And you are my witnesses!  Is there a God besides me?    There is no Rock; I know not any.” The Folly of Idolatry 9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. 12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil.2 He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” 18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” The Lord Redeems Israel 21   Remember these things, O Jacob,    and Israel, for you are my servant;  I formed you; you are my servant;    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.22   I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud    and your sins like mist;  return to me, for I have redeemed you. 23   Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it;    shout, O depths of the earth;  break forth into singing, O mountains,    O forest, and every tree in it!  For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,    and will be glorified3 in Israel. 24   Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,    who formed you from the womb:  “I am the LORD, who made all things,    who alone stretched out the heavens,    who spread out the earth by myself,25   who frustrates the signs of liars    and makes fools of diviners,  who turns wise men back    and makes their knowledge foolish,26   who confirms the word of his servant    and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,  who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,'    and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,    and I will raise up their ruins';27   who says to the deep, ‘Be dry;    I will dry up your rivers';28   who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,    and he shall fulfill all my purpose';  saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,'    and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.'” Footnotes [1] 44:7 Or Who like me can proclaim it? [2] 44:13 Hebrew stylus [3] 44:23 Or will display his beauty (ESV) Revelation 14 (Listen) The Lamb and the 144,000 14 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. The Messages of the Three Angels 6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion1 of her sexual immorality.” 9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” 12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.2 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” The Harvest of the Earth 14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.3 Footnotes [1] 14:8 Or wrath [2] 14:12 Greek and the faith of Jesus [3] 14:20 About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Proverbs 6:1–19 Proverbs 6:1–19 (Listen) Practical Warnings 6   My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,    have given your pledge for a stranger,2   if you are snared in the words of your mouth,    caught in the words of your mouth,3   then do this, my son, and save yourself,    for you have come into the hand of your neighbor:    go, hasten,1 and plead urgently with your neighbor.4   Give your eyes no sleep    and your eyelids no slumber;5   save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,2    like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6   Go to the ant, O sluggard;    consider her ways, and be wise.7   Without having any chief,    officer, or ruler,8   she prepares her bread in summer    and gathers her food in harvest.9   How long will you lie there, O sluggard?    When will you arise from your sleep?10   A little sleep, a little slumber,    a little folding of the hands to rest,11   and poverty will come upon you like a robber,    and want like an armed man. 12   A worthless person, a wicked man,    goes about with crooked speech,13   winks with his eyes, signals3 with his feet,    points with his finger,14   with perverted heart devises evil,    continually sowing discord;15   therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;    in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. 16   There are six things that the LORD hates,    seven that are an abomination to him:17   haughty eyes, a lying tongue,    and hands that shed innocent blood,18   a heart that devises wicked plans,    feet that make haste to run to evil,19   a false witness who breathes out lies,    and one who sows discord among brothers. Footnotes [1] 6:3 Or humble yourself [2] 6:5 Hebrew lacks of the hunter [3] 6:13 Hebrew scrapes (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Deuteronomy 12 Deuteronomy 12 (Listen) The Lord's Chosen Place of Worship 12 “These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. 4 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way. 5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation1 there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. 8 “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the LORD. 12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13 Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, 14 but at the place that the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you. 15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, 18 but you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place that the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that you undertake. 19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land. 20 “When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,' because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire. 21 If the place that the LORD your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire. 22 Just as the gazelle or the deer is eaten, so you may eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that all may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. 26 But the holy things that are due from you, and your vow offerings, you shall take, and you shall go to the place that the LORD will choose, 27 and offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, but the flesh you may eat. 28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. Warning Against Idolatry 29 “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.' 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 2 32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. Footnotes [1] 12:5 Or name as its habitation [2] 12:31 Ch 13:1 in Hebrew (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Hosea 9 Hosea 9 (Listen) The Lord Will Punish Israel 9   Rejoice not, O Israel!    Exult not like the peoples;  for you have played the whore, forsaking your God.    You have loved a prostitute's wages    on all threshing floors.2   Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them,    and the new wine shall fail them.3   They shall not remain in the land of the LORD,    but Ephraim shall return to Egypt,    and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 4   They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD,    and their sacrifices shall not please him.  It shall be like mourners' bread to them;    all who eat of it shall be defiled;  for their bread shall be for their hunger only;    it shall not come to the house of the LORD. 5   What will you do on the day of the appointed festival,    and on the day of the feast of the LORD?6   For behold, they are going away from destruction;    but Egypt shall gather them;    Memphis shall bury them.  Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver;    thorns shall be in their tents. 7   The days of punishment have come;    the days of recompense have come;    Israel shall know it.  The prophet is a fool;    the man of the spirit is mad,  because of your great iniquity    and great hatred.8   The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God;  yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways,    and hatred in the house of his God.9   They have deeply corrupted themselves    as in the days of Gibeah:  he will remember their iniquity;    he will punish their sins. 10   Like grapes in the wilderness,    I found Israel.  Like the first fruit on the fig tree    in its first season,    I saw your fathers.  But they came to Baal-peor    and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame,    and became detestable like the thing they loved.11   Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird—    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!12   Even if they bring up children,    I will bereave them till none is left.  Woe to them    when I depart from them!13   Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm1 planted in a meadow;    but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter.214   Give them, O LORD—    what will you give?  Give them a miscarrying womb    and dry breasts. 15   Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal;    there I began to hate them.  Because of the wickedness of their deeds    I will drive them out of my house.  I will love them no more;    all their princes are rebels. 16   Ephraim is stricken;    their root is dried up;    they shall bear no fruit.  Even though they give birth,    I will put their beloved children to death.17   My God will reject them    because they have not listened to him;    they shall be wanderers among the nations. Footnotes [1] 9:13 Or like Tyre [2] 9:13 Hebrew to him who slaughters (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Titus 3:8–11 Titus 3:8–11 (Listen) 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Proverbs 5 Proverbs 5 (Listen) Warning Against Adultery 5   My son, be attentive to my wisdom;    incline your ear to my understanding,2   that you may keep discretion,    and your lips may guard knowledge.3   For the lips of a forbidden1 woman drip honey,    and her speech2 is smoother than oil,4   but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,    sharp as a two-edged sword.5   Her feet go down to death;    her steps follow the path to3 Sheol;6   she does not ponder the path of life;    her ways wander, and she does not know it. 7   And now, O sons, listen to me,    and do not depart from the words of my mouth.8   Keep your way far from her,    and do not go near the door of her house,9   lest you give your honor to others    and your years to the merciless,10   lest strangers take their fill of your strength,    and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,11   and at the end of your life you groan,    when your flesh and body are consumed,12   and you say, “How I hated discipline,    and my heart despised reproof!13   I did not listen to the voice of my teachers    or incline my ear to my instructors.14   I am at the brink of utter ruin    in the assembled congregation.” 15   Drink water from your own cistern,    flowing water from your own well.16   Should your springs be scattered abroad,    streams of water in the streets?17   Let them be for yourself alone,    and not for strangers with you.18   Let your fountain be blessed,    and rejoice in the wife of your youth,19     a lovely deer, a graceful doe.  Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;    be intoxicated4 always in her love.20   Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman    and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?521   For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD,    and he ponders6 all his paths.22   The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,    and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.23   He dies for lack of discipline,    and because of his great folly he is led astray. Footnotes [1] 5:3 Hebrew strange; also verse 20 [2] 5:3 Hebrew palate [3] 5:5 Hebrew lay hold of [4] 5:19 Hebrew be led astray; also verse 20 [5] 5:20 Hebrew a foreign woman [6] 5:21 Or makes level (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Deuteronomy 10:12–11:32 Deuteronomy 10:12–11:32 (Listen) Circumcise Your Heart 12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. 21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Love and Serve the Lord 11 “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. 2 And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline1 of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, 3 his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land, 4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day, 5 and what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel. 7 For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did. 8 “You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, 9 and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it,2 like a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, 12 a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 13 “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 he3 will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. 15 And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. 16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; 17 then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you. 18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. 22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, 23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. 24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to4 the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. 25 No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you. 26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known. 29 And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, toward the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oak5 of Moreh? 31 For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you. And when you possess it and live in it, 32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today. Footnotes [1] 11:2 Or instruction [2] 11:10 Hebrew watered it with your feet [3] 11:14 Samaritan, Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew I; also verse 15 [4] 11:24 Hebrew and [5] 11:30 Septuagint, Syriac; see Genesis 12:6. Hebrew oaks, or terebinths (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Hosea 8 Hosea 8 (Listen) Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind 8   Set the trumpet to your lips!    One like a vulture is over the house of the LORD,  because they have transgressed my covenant    and rebelled against my law.2   To me they cry,    “My God, we—Israel—know you.”3   Israel has spurned the good;    the enemy shall pursue him. 4   They made kings, but not through me.    They set up princes, but I knew it not.  With their silver and gold they made idols    for their own destruction.5   I have1 spurned your calf, O Samaria.    My anger burns against them.  How long will they be incapable of innocence?6   For it is from Israel;  a craftsman made it;    it is not God.  The calf of Samaria    shall be broken to pieces.2 7   For they sow the wind,    and they shall reap the whirlwind.  The standing grain has no heads;    it shall yield no flour;  if it were to yield,    strangers would devour it.8   Israel is swallowed up;    already they are among the nations    as a useless vessel.9   For they have gone up to Assyria,    a wild donkey wandering alone;    Ephraim has hired lovers.10   Though they hire allies among the nations,    I will soon gather them up.  And the king and princes shall soon writhe    because of the tribute. 11   Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning,    they have become to him altars for sinning.12   Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,    they would be regarded as a strange thing.13   As for my sacrificial offerings,    they sacrifice meat and eat it,    but the LORD does not accept them.  Now he will remember their iniquity    and punish their sins;    they shall return to Egypt.14   For Israel has forgotten his Maker    and built palaces,  and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;    so I will send a fire upon his cities,    and it shall devour her strongholds. Footnotes [1] 8:5 Hebrew He has [2] 8:6 Or shall go up in flames (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Titus 3:1–8 Titus 3:1–8 (Listen) Be Ready for Every Good Work 3 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (ESV)

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com    Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain't for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com     WE TRANSFORM BY ABIDING     Psalm 91 91  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4  He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6  Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7  A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8  Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9  Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, (ABIDE)  10  No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11  For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12  In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 14  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16  With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”     Ps. 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.   DWELLS - lives continually, this is where I do my business, this is my mindset, this is my calling, this is my hope, this is my framework. It's where I live!    REST - Abide, like when an eagle rests on the winds underneath its wings.    PSALM 91:1 SECRET PLACE What is the secret place?  Psalm 31:20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.     Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31  But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.     Ps. 91: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide/wait under the shadow of the Almighty.   REST - Abide, like when an eagle rests on the winds underneath its wings.      How to wait   God is a jealous God. Have you ever wanted someones attention, you actually deserve it- and they are distracted.    WE always think of jealousy as a bad thing… but it also can be a good thing. It wants to protect, it wants to instruct, it wants you to recognize their love and intent for you.   Kim in our yard talking to the neighbor… she had a bikini top on with shorts… the guy next door would always want to talk to her on the fence - I was ticked, I told her not to walk over there and talk to him. I was jealous!    “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24).   God wants all of you!   Turn off your phone- silence your soul and mind. Shut down your computer, maybe even turn off the praise music.   

To support the ministry and get access to exclusive content, go to: http://patreon.com/logicalbiblestudy John 19: 25-34 - 'Behold your Son. Behold your Mother.' Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraphs: - 544 (in 'The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God') - Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst and privation (abbreviated). - 607 (in 'Christ's whole life is an offering to the Father') - From the cross, just before "It is finished", he said, "I thirst." (abbreviated). - 2561 (in 'What is Prayer?') - Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God (abbreviated). - 2605 (in 'Jesus Prays') - When the hour had come for him to fulfill the Father's plan of love, Jesus allows a glimpse of the boundless depth of his filial prayer, not only before he freely delivered himself up (“Abba . . . not my will, but yours."), but even in his last words on the Cross, where prayer and the gift of self are but one: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do", "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise", "Woman, behold your son" - "Behold your mother", "I thirst."; "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" "It is finished"; "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" until the "loud cry" as he expires, giving up his spirit. - 624 (in 'Jesus Christ was Buried') - "By the grace of God" Jesus tasted death "for every one". In his plan of salvation, God ordained that his Son should not only "die for our sins" but should also "taste death", experience the condition of death, the separation of his soul from his body, between the time he expired on the cross and the time he was raised from the dead. The state of the dead Christ is the mystery of the tomb and the descent into hell. It is the mystery of Holy Saturday, when Christ, lying in the tomb, reveals God's great sabbath rest after the fulfilment of man's salvation, which brings peace to the whole universe. - 730 (in 'Christ Jesus') - At last Jesus' hour arrives: he commends his spirit into the Father's hands at the very moment when by his death he conquers death, so that, "raised from the dead by the glory of the Father," he might immediately give the Holy Spirit by "breathing" on his disciples (abbreviated). - 726 (in 'Rejoice you who are full of grace') - 2618 (in 'The Prayer of the Virgin Mary') - 501 (in 'Mary ever-virgin') - 964 (in 'Wholly united with her Son') - 2677-2679 (in 'In Communion with the Holy Mother of God') - 641 (in 'The Appearances of the Risen One') - 478 (in 'The Heart of the Incarnate Word') - 694 (in 'Symbols of the Holy Spirit') - 1225 (in 'Christ's Baptism') Got a Bible question? Send an email to logicalbiblestudy@gmail.com, and it will be answered in an upcoming episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-gospel-exegesis/message

My God, My God! The halls around me are transforming into the dusty streets of the Ancient Near East. There are seder meal menus and ancient Hebrew scripts on the copier. Veggie Tale songs resonate in the rafters. Yes, Vacation Bible School starts on Monday and soon we will see Jerusalem transposed to a juvenile key. It's a program lovingly crafted to immerse our children and their neighbors in the world of Jesus' passion. Amy and I were just laughing about some of the more ridiculous accommodations we make in order to make these things make sense to kids. But that's just what love does: we speak to be heard, and often this means bringing things down to the young beloved's level. When God does this kind of thing for his children, theologians call it “divine condescension.” That word “condescend” gets a bad rap these days, but it's really a kindness: God comes down to us in our inability to ascend to him. I thought about that as we began the infamous Leviticus this week in the Soul Room. Even though it's a notoriously difficult book to make it through, Leviticus is infinitely valuable source material for a feasting church (peep chapter 23!). More than that, its weirdness is a perfect illustration of the lengths to which Yahweh goes to have his love heard and understood by people whose thoughts are so far below his own. He assumes images, rituals, and languages they already know, and then He exalts those cultural artifacts by using them to express his profound fondness for sinners. What wondrous love. He's doing the same thing for us when Jesus quotes Psalm 22 on the cross. It was common practice those days to reference the first line of a work as an allusion to the entire text. The High Priest Jesus wanted us to be comforted by the fact that in his moment of perfect self-sacrifice, he was relating to us not merely as a substitute, but also as a co-sufferer. To feel alone in our pain is a universal and deeply disorienting human experience. And yet that's good news too, because, in the words of the ancient father St. Gregory Nazianzen, “That which is not assumed is not redeemed.” Now, no one can ever again be in that place of feeling forsaken without sharing the company of Christ. Let's talk more about it this Sunday. - joshua PS: Each week during this series, I'll also be including in this space two playlists – Messiah's Mixtape, where you can hear fantastic song versions of the Psalms we're preaching through, and also a “Staff Member Mixtape,” where you can enjoy some of the songs that have shaped us in the past or are inspiring us today. This week, it's Luke!

Police in Uvalde, Texas, restrained parents from rushing into Robb Elementary School to save their children as law enforcement seemed unwilling or unable to do their job. The President of the United States cries, "My God, can no one stop the gun lobby?" The press jabber about AR-15 rifles, as if the type of weapon used in murder is the cause of murder. The weapons are morally neutral. It's not the problem. Who will address the true evil? Bill Whittle's Moving Back to America is a production of our Members at https://BillWhittle.com

Talk 3. God speaks to us through Jesus (Part 2) Last time: God speaks to us in the person of Jesus God speaks to us in the words of Jesus Today: God speaks to us in the actions of Jesus In his letter to the Galatians Paul lists nine wonderful qualities which he calls the fruit of the Spirit[1]. These qualities should be evident in the life of every Christian as they reflect the character of Jesus which the indwelling Spirit of Christ seeks to reproduce in us. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we read the Gospels it is not difficult to see these qualities in the life of the Lord Jesus. And, as we see what Jesus did, God speaks to us challenging us to do the same. Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). And, of course, our attitude will determine our actions. Let's look at this wonderful ‘fruit' in more detail asking God to speak to us through the attitude and actions of Jesus.   We'll take them in reverse order from the list in Galatians so that we will conclude with love which is undeniably the greatest of all the fruit of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). Self-control Right at the start of his ministry, straight after he was baptised in the River Jordan, Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  Then, Matthew tells us: After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry (Matthew 4:2). He was hungry. What an understatement! He had eaten nothing for six weeks! I feel hungry if I haven't eaten for six hours! Then, suddenly, an opportunity comes to break his fast. Some of the stones in the desert may have looked like loaves of bread. You're the Son of God, aren't you? says Satan, Why not turn these stones into bread? Now Jesus knew that he was the Son of God. God has said so (just three verses earlier) at his baptism: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). Jesus knew that he had the power to do what Satan suggested, but just because you can doesn't mean that you should. I can't imagine how strong the temptation to eat must have been, but Jesus chose to listen to his Father rather than to Satan. He answered: It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' (Matthew 4:4). What amazing self-control! Where did it come from? His relationship with God, his desire to please him and his knowledge of God's word. Could there be any greater demonstration of self-control? Yes, and we find it in Matthew's account of the crucifixion: Those who passed by hurled insults at him… saying… ‘Save yourself. Come down from the cross if you are the Son of God!' (Matthew 27:39-40). And Jesus was the Son of God, and he could have come down from the cross. But he didn't. Despite the agony, he stayed there. Why? Because he knew that if we were to be saved he must die for our sins. He must pay the price. He must take the punishment. So he stayed there. He stayed there because he loved us. Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus' self-control. Humility The Greek word translated as gentleness in Galatians 5:23 carries with it the thought of humility. Paul uses it a few verses later when he says: Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1). This warning, to watch yourself because you might be tempted too, clearly implies that Paul is using the word gently to mean in a spirit of humility. This is confirmed by the paraphrase in the Amplified Bible which interprets gently as not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness. So it seems reasonable to assume that this is how he is using it when talking about the fruit of the Spirit just a few verses earlier. The humility of Jesus is most clearly expressed in two main New Testament passages. The first is Philippians 2:5-11. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! This passage speaks for itself. It took humility for someone who was equal with God to become a man, to become a servant, to become nothing. And yet he humbled himself even further. He became obedient to death, even death on a cross. And as Christians we're encouraged to have the same attitude. The second passage is John 13:1-17 where Jesus washes his disciples' feet. In verse 1 we're told that Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He knew that he was shortly to be crucified. But he also knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God (v.3). And so he did something that would be an active demonstration of the truth later to be expressed by Paul in Philippians 2. It would demonstrate his humility and give his disciples an object lesson in how they too should behave. He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist (v.4). Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel (v.5). This was a symbol of what he would accomplish on the cross enabling his disciples to be washed clean by the shedding of his blood. That's why it was important that Peter, who had protested, should allow Jesus to wash his feet too (vv.6-10). And Jesus' humility, his willingness to wash feet, to cleanse us from sin, was another expression of his love. Finally, when Jesus had finished washing their feet he put on his clothes and returned to his place (v.12).[2] Then he said: Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (vv.12-17). Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus' humility. Faithfulness From the very beginning of his life here on earth Jesus came to do the will of God. Hebrews 10:5-7 tells us that when Christ came into the world, he said…I have come to do your will, O God. Even at the age of 12 Jesus knew that God, not Joseph, was his true Father (Luke 2:49). And throughout his life he was faithful to his Father's will.  In John 4:34, when the disciples were trying to persuade Jesus to eat something, he said: My food…is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. And in John 6:38 he says I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. But his faithfulness to God and determination to do his will are no more clearly seen than in the Garden of Gethsamane on the night before Jesus was crucified. In Matthew 26 we're told that he took with him Peter, James and John, and told them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow… Stay here and keep watch with me (v.38). Jesus then went a little farther and fell with his face to the ground and prayed: My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will (v.39). He then returns to his disciples and finds them sleeping! And this happens twice more. Jesus prays the same prayer, comes back, and finds them sleeping. This sad story reveals in stark contrast the unfaithfulness of the disciples and faithfulness of Jesus. The disciples can't even stay awake even at the time of Jesus' greatest need. Jesus knows what's going to happen. The thought of crucifixion horrifies him, and he asks his Father three times if there is any other way. But ultimately, when he knows that there is not, his faithfulness shines through. Yet not as I will, but as you will. But this story not only reveals Jesus' faithfulness to God. It shows his faithfulness to his disciples. If Jesus had refused the way of the cross – and he could have – what hope would there have been for them or for us? Perhaps the sight of the disciples sleeping reminded him of the weakness of human nature and our need for him to save us. His faithfulness, motivated by love for his Father and his love for us, gave him the strength to carry on. Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus' faithfulness. Goodness and kindness The English word goodness, like the word good, can be used in many different ways. It's very flexible. For example, we can talk of a good meal and we can refer to someone as a good person, but the meaning of good in each case is rather different. The same is true of the Greek words for good and goodness (agathos and agathōsunē). So we can't be entirely sure of how Paul is using the word in Galatians 5:22. However, in the New Testament the word is frequently connected with doing good works and in Colossians 1:10 we read: And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, The reference to bearing fruit in this verse seems to suggest that the fruit of the Spirit which Paul calls goodness relates to: Living a life worthy of the Lord Pleasing him in every way Doing good works Growing in the Knowledge of God. And, of course, that's exactly what Jesus did. He lived a sinless life. He pleased God in every way. As a human being he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). And Peter, when summarising Jesus' ministry, said of him that he went about doing good and healing… (Acts 10:38). He not only was good. He did good. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit to preach good news to the poor… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Luke 4:18-19). Similarly his kindness overflowed again and again as he met the needs of the poor and needy. Consider, for example, his kindness in turning water into wine at the wedding-feast at Cana in Galilee. We are so often preoccupied with the amazing miracle that we neglect the kindness of Jesus in performing it. And his goodness and kindness were surely motivated by his love. Let God speak to you through the goodness and kindness of Jesus. Patience The English word patience comes from the Latin verb patior meaning I suffer. That's why people in hospital are called patients – people who are suffering. But the Greek word makrothumia, translated as patience in Galatians 5:22, has a wider meaning. It comes from two other Greek words, makros meaning far and thumos meaning wrath or anger. So to exercise makrothumia is to keep your anger far from you. It's used elsewhere in the New Testament to mean patient enduring of evil, slowness of avenging injuries, or patient expectation. It's not difficult to see all these qualities in the life of the Lord Jesus. He was consistently enduring opposition from sinners (Hebrews 12:3), he prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him (Luke 23:34) and he endured the cross, scorning its shame because he patiently expected the joy that was set before him (Hebrews 12:2). But he was patient with his disciples too.  They were so slow to learn and to believe. On the eve of his crucifixion they still had not fully understood who he was. In John 14:2-9 Jesus tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father's house (v.2) and that they know the way (v.4). Thomas says to him: Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answers: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him (vv.6-7) Then Philip says: Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Imagine how Jesus must have felt. In a few hours he's going to be crucified. And still they don't understand who he is. I know personally the frustration of a teacher whose students still haven't got what I've painstakingly tried to teach them! Yet I hear infinite patience in Jesus' reply: Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (v.9). How amazing! Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus' patience. Peace and Joy Peace of heart, as every Christian knows, springs from that peace with God which results from our being in right relationship with him. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). But Jesus had no need to be justified. He was the sinless one. He always lived in right relationship with Father! Yet there's one occasion when it appears that Jesus is not at peace. As he bears our sins in his body on the cross he cries in anguish: My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?    (Matthew 27:46). It's as if God has turned his back on his Son. Jesus has forfeited his peace. He's bearing your sin and mine. And God is too holy to look at sin[3]. Jesus sacrifices his peace that we might have peace with God. And he does it because he loves us. And Jesus' relationship with God was the source of his joy too. He lived life in God's presence, and in his presence there is fulness of joy[4]. Luke records that Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit[5] (Luke 10:21). What a pity that so many stained-glass windows and paintings portray him with a long and gloomy face! Jesus was a man of joy! Admittedly, he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief[6]. But that was primarily at the time of his passion, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and the events that led to his crucifixion. As with his peace, so with his joy. He sacrificed both so that we could have them. Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus' peace and joy. Love Finally, Jesus was a man of love. Love is the greatest of the fruit and it is possible to understand Paul's teaching in Galatians as meaning that love is the fruit and that the eight other qualities are manifestations of it. That's what I've been trying to demonstrate as we've looked at each of the fruit of the Spirit. They are all, in one way or another, a manifestation of love[7]. Jesus' love is evident throughout the New Testament, not just in the Gospels. Paul could refer to him as the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20) and this reference to the cross reminds us that Calvary is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. And, what's more, Paul says he did it for me. In the last two talks we have seen how God speaks to us through the person, the words, and the actions of Jesus. In all these three ways God continues to speak through Jesus, revealing what God is like, teaching us what to believe, and showing us how we should live. But, most important of all, he is telling us that he loves us. [1] You'll find a similar lists in Colossians 3:12-15 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.   [2] What a wonderful symbol of Jesus returning to his place in heaven after he had finished his redemptive work on the cross! Compare Hebrews 1:3 …After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. [3] See Habakkuk 1:13 [4] Psalm 16:11 [5] Luke 10:21 [6] Isaiah 53:3 [7] Compare, for example, Colossians 3:12-14

About SharoneI'm Sharone Zitzman, a marketing technologist and open source community builder, who likes to work with engineering teams that are building products that developers love. Having built both the DevOps Israel and Cloud Native Israel communities from the ground up, today I spend my time finding the places where technology and people intersect and ensuring that this is an excellent experience. You can find my talks, articles, and employment experience at rtfmplease.dev. Find me on Twitter or Github as @shar1z.Links Referenced: Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/shar1z Website: https://rtfmplease.dev LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonez/ @TLVCommunity: https://twitter.com/TLVcommunity @DevOpsDaysTLV: https://twitter.com/devopsdaystlv TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: DoorDash had a problem as their cloud native environment scaled and developers delivered new features, their monitoring system kept breaking down. In an organization where data is used to make better decisions about technology and about the business, losing observability means the entire company loses their competitive edge. With Chronosphere, DoorDash is no longer losing visibility into their applications suite. The key? Chronosphere is an open source compatible, scalable, and reliable observability solution that gives the observability lead at DoorDash business, competence, and peace of mind. Read the full success story at snark.cloud/chronosphere. That's snark.cloud/C-H-R-O-N-O-S-P-H-E-R-E.Corey: The company 0x4447 builds products to increase standardization and security in AWS organizations. They do this with automated pipelines that use well-structured projects to create secure, easy-to-maintain and fail-tolerant solutions, one of which is their VPN product built on top of the popular OpenVPN project which has no license restrictions; you are only limited by the network card in the instance. To learn more visit: snark.cloud/deployandgoCorey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn and I have been remiss by not having today's guest on years ago because back before I started this ridiculous nonsense that, well, whatever it is you'd call what I do for a living, I did other things instead. I did the DevOps, which means I was sad all the time. And the thing that I enjoyed was the chance to go and speak on conference stages. One of those stages, early on in my speaking career, was at DevOpsDays Tel Aviv.My guest today is Sharone Zitzman, who was an organizer of DevOpsDays Tel Aviv, who started convincing me to come back. And today is in fact, in the strong tradition here of making up your own job titles in ways that make people smile, she is the Chief Manual Reader at RTFM Please Ltd. Sharone, thank you for joining me.Sharone: Thank you for having me, Corey. Israelis love the name of my company, but Americans think it has a lot of moxie and chutzpah. [laugh].Corey: It seems a little direct and aggressive. It's like, oh, good, you are familiar with how this is going to go. There's something to be said for telling people what you do on the tin upfront. I've never been a big fan of trying to hide that. I mean, the first iteration of my company was the Quinn Advisory Group because I thought, you know, let's make it look boring and sedate and like I can talk to finance people. And yeah, that didn't last more than ten seconds of people talking to me.Also, in hindsight, the logo of a big stylized Q. Yeah, I would have had to change that anyway, for the whole QAnon nonsense because I don't want to be mistaken for that particular brand of nuts.Sharone: Yeah, I decided to do away with the whole formalities and upfront, just go straight [laugh]. For the core of who we are, Corey; you are very similar in that. So, yes. Being a dev first company, I thought the developers would appreciate such a title and name for my company. And I have to give a shout out here to Avishai Ish-Shalom, who's my friend from the community who you also know from the DevOpsDays community.Corey: Oh, yeah @nukemberg on Twitter—Sharone: Yes exactly.Corey: For those who are not familiar.Sharone: [laugh]. Yep. He coined the name.Corey: The problem that I found is that people when they start companies or they manage their careers, they don't bias for the things that they're really good at. And it took me a long time to realize this, I finally discovered, “Ah, what am I the best at? That's right, getting myself fired for my personality, so why don't I build a business where that stops being a liability?” So, I started my own company. And I can tell this heroic retcon of what happened, but no, it's because I had nowhere else to go at that point.And would you hire me? Think about this for a minute. You, on the other hand, had options. You are someone with a storied history in community building, in marketing to developers without that either coming across as insincere or that marked condescending accent that so many companies love to have of, “Oh, you're a developer. Let me look at you and get down on my hands and knees like we're going camping and tell a story in ways that actively and passively insult you.”No, you have always gotten that pitch-perfect. The world was your oyster. And for some godforsaken reason, you looked around and decided, “Ah, I'm going to go out independently because you know what I love? Worrying.” Because let's face it, running your own company is an exercise in finding new and exciting things to worry about that 20 minutes ago, you didn't know existed. I say this from my own personal experience. Why would you ever do such a thing?Sharone: [laugh]. That's a great question. It was a long one, but a good one. And I do a thing where I hit the mic a lot because I also have. I can't control my hand motions.Corey: I too speak with my hands. It's fine.Sharone: [laugh]. Yeah, so it's interesting because I wanted to be independent for a really long time. And I wasn't sure, you know, if it was something that I could do if I was a responsible enough adult to even run my own company, if I could make it work, if I could find the business, et cetera. And I left the job in December 2020, and it was the first time that I hadn't figured out what I was doing next yet. And I wanted to take some time off.And then immediately, like, maybe a week after I started to get a lot of, like, kind of people reaching out. And I started to interview places and I started to look into possibly being a co-founder at places and I started to look at all these different options. And then just, I was like, “Well…. This is an opportunity, right? Maybe I should finally—that thing that's gnawing at the back of my head to see if, like, you know if I should go for this dream that I've always wanted, maybe now I can just POC it and see if, you know, it'll work.”And it just, like, kind of exploded on me. It was like there was so much demand, like, I just put a little, like, signal out to the world that this is something that I'm interested in doing, and everyone was like, “Ahh, I need that.” [laugh]. I wanted to take a quarter off and I signed my first clients already on February 1st, which was, like, a month after. I left in December and that—it was crazy. And since then, I've been in business. So, yeah. So, and since then, it's also been a really crazy ride; I got to discover some really exciting companies. So.Corey: How did you get into this? I found myself doing marketing-adjacent work almost entirely by accident. I started the newsletter and this podcast, and I was talking to sponsors periodically and they'd come back with, “Here's the thing we want you to talk about in the sponsor read.” And it's, “Okay, you want to give people a URL to go to that has four sub-directories and entire UTM code… okay, have you considered, I don't know, not?” And because so much of what they were talking about did not resonate.Because I have the engineering background, and it was, I don't understand what your company does and you're spending all your time talking about you instead of my painful problem. Because as your target market, I don't give the slightest of shits about you, I care about my problem, so tell me how you're going to solve my problem and suddenly I'm all ears. Spend the whole time talking about you, and I could not possibly care less and I'll fast-forward through the nonsense. That was my path to it. How did you get into it?Sharone: How did I get into it? It's interesting. So, I started my journey in typical marketing, enterprise B2B marketing. And then at GigaSpaces, we kickstarted the open-source project Cloudify, and that's when I found myself leading this project as the open-source community team leader, building, kind of, the community from the ground floor. And I discovered a whole new world of, like, how to build experience into your marketing, kind of making it really experiential and making sure that everyone has a really, really easy and frictionless way of using your product, and that the product—putting the product at the center and letting it speak for itself. And then you discover this whole new world of marketing where it's—and today, you know, it has more of a name and a title, PLG, and people—it has a whole methodology and practice, but then it was like we were—Corey: PLG? I'm unfamiliar with the acronym. I thought tech was bad for acronyms.Sharone: Right? [laugh]. So, product-led growth. But then, you know, like, kind of wasn't solidified yet. And so, a lot of what we were doing was making sure that developers had a really great experience with the product then it kind of sold itself and marketed itself.And then you understood what they wanted to hear and how they wanted to consume the product and how they wanted it to be and to learn about it and to kind of educate themselves and get into it. And so, a lot of the things that I learned in the context of marketing was very guerilla, right, from the ground up and kind of getting in front of people and in the way they wanted to consume it. And that taught me a lot about how developers consume technology, the different channels that they're involved in, and the different tools that they need in order to succeed, and the different, you know, all the peripheral experience, that makes marketing really, really great. And it's not about what you're selling to somebody; it's making your product shine and making the experience shine, making them ensure that it's a really, really easy and frictionless experience. You know, I like how [Donald Bacon 00:08:00] says it; he calls it, like, mean time to hello world, and that to me is the best kind of marketing, right? When you enable people to succeed very, very quickly.Corey: Yeah, there's something to be said for the ring of authenticity and the rest. Periodically I'll promote guest episodes on this, where it's a sponsored episode where people get up and they talk about what they're working on. And they're like, “Great. So, here's the sales pitch I want to give,” and it's no you won't because first, it won't work. And secondly, I'm sorry, whether it's a promoted episode or not, I will not publish something that isn't good because I have a reputation to uphold here.And people run into challenges an awful lot when they're trying to effectively tell their story. If you have a startup that was founded by an engineer, for example, as so many of these technical startups were, the engineer is often so deeply and profoundly in love with this problem space and the solution and the rest, but if they talk about that, no one cares about the how. I mean, I fix AWS bills, and people don't care—as a general rule—how I do that at all if they're in my target market. They don't care if it's through clever optimization, amazing tooling, doing it on-site, or taking hostages in Seattle. They care about their outcome much more than they ever do about the how.The only people who care about the how are engineers who very often are going to want to build it themselves, or work for you, or start a competitor. And it doesn't resonate in quite the same way. It's weird because all these companies are in slightly different spaces; all of them tend to do slightly different things—or very different things—but so many of the challenges that I see in the way that they're articulating what they do to customers rhymes with one another.Sharone: Yeah. So, I agree completely that developers will talk often about how it works. How it works. How does it work under the hood? What are the bits and bytes, you know?Like, nobody cares about how it works. People care about how will this make my life better, right? How will this improve my life? How will this change my life? [laugh]. As an operations engineer, if I'm, you know, crunching through logs, how will this tool change that? What my days look like? What will my on-call rotation look like? What will—you know, how are you changing my life for the better?So, I think that that's the question. When you learn how to crystallize the answer to that question and you hit it right on the mark—you know, and it takes a long time to understand the market, and to understand the buying persona, and t—and there's so much that you have to do in the background, and so much research you have to do to understand who is that person that needs to have that question answered? But once you do and you crystallize that answer, it lands. And that's the fun part about marketing, really trying to understand the person who's going to consume your product and how you can help them understand that you will make their life better.Corey: Back when I was starting out as a consultant myself, I would tell stories that I had seen in the AWS billing environment, and I occasionally had clients reach out to me, “Hey, why don't you tell our story in public?” It's, “Because that wasn't your story. That was something I saw on six different accounts in the same month. It is something that everyone is feeling.” It's, people think that you're talking about them.So, with that particular mindset on this, without naming specific companies, what themes are you seeing emerging? What are companies getting wrong when they are attempting and failing to market effectively to developers?Sharone: So, exactly what we're talking about in terms of the product pitch, in that they're talking at developers from this kind of marketing speak and this business language that, you know, developers often—you know, unless a company does a really, really good job of translating, kind of, the business value—which they should do, by the way—to engineers, but oftentimes, it's a little bit far from them in the chain, and so it's very hard for them to understand the business fluff. If you talk to them in bits and bytes of this is what my day-to-day developer workflow looks like and if we do these things, it'll cut down the time that I'm working on these things, it'll make these things easier, it'll help streamline whatever processes that are difficult, remove these bottlenecks, and help them understand, like I said, how it improves their life.But the things that I've seen breakdown is also in the authenticity, right? So obviously, the world is built on a lot of the same gimmicks and it's just a matter of whether you're doing it right or not, right? So, there's so much content out there and webcasts and webinars, and I don't know what and podcasts and whatever it is, but a lot of the time, people, their most valuable asset is their time. And if you end up wasting their time, without it being, like, really deeply valuable—if you're going to write content, make sure that there is a valuable takeaway; if you're going to create a webinar, make sure that somebody learned something. That if they're investing their time to join your marketing activities, make sure that they come away with something meaningful and then they'll really appreciate you.And it's the same idea behind the whole DevOpsDays movement with the law of mobility and open spaces that people if they find value, they'll join this open space and they'll participate meaningfully and they'll be a part of your event, and they'll come back to your event from year to year. But if you're not going to provide that tangible value that somebody takes away, and it's like, okay, well, I can practically apply this in my specific tech stack without using your tool, without having to have this very deterministic or specific kind of tech stack that they're talking about. You want to give people something—or even if it is, but even how to do it with or without, or giving them, like, kind of practical tools to try it. Or if there's an open-source project that they can check out first, or some kind of lean utility that gives them a good indication of the value that this will give them, that's a lot more valuable, I think. And practically understandable to somebody who wants to eventually consume your product or use your products.Corey: The way that I see things, at least in the past couple of years, the pandemic has sharpened an awful lot of the messaging that needs to happen. Because in most environments, you're sitting at a DevOpsDays in the front row or whatnot, and it's time for the sponsor talks and someone gets up and starts babbling and wasting your time, most people are not going to get up and leave. Okay, they will in Israel, but in most places, they're not going to get up and leave, whereas in pandemic land, it's you are one tab away from something I actually want—Sharone: Exactly.Corey: To be doing, so if you become even slightly boring, it's not going to go well. So, you have to be on message, you have to be on point or no one cares. People are like, “Oh, well what if we say the wrong thing and people wind up yelling about us on Twitter?” It's like unless it is for something horrifying, you should be so lucky because people are then talking about you. The failure mode isn't that people don't like your product, it's no one talks about it.Sharone: Yeah. No such thing as bad publicity [crosstalk 00:14:32] [laugh]—Corey: Oh, there very much is such a thing is bad publicity. Like, “I could be tweeting about your product most days,” is apparently a version of that, according to some folks. But it's a hard problem to solve for. And one of the things that continually surprises me is the things I'm still learning about this entire industry. The reason that people sponsor this show—and the rates they pay, to be direct—have little bearing to the actual size of the audience—as best we can tell; lies, damn lies, and podcast statistics; if you're listening to this, let me know. I'd love to know if anyone listens to this nonsense—but when you see all of that coming out, why are we able to charge the rates that we do?It's because the long-term value of someone who is going to buy a long-term subscription or wind up rolling out something like ChaosSearch or whatnot that is going to be a fundamental tenet of their product, one prospect becoming a customer pays for anything, I can sell a company, it will sponsor—they can pay me to sponsor for the next ten years, as opposed to the typical mass-market audience where well, I'm here to sling Casper mattresses today or something. It's a different audience and there's a different perception there. People are starting to figure out the value of—in an age where tracking is getting harder and harder to do and attribution will drive you nuts, instead of go where your audience is. Go where the people who care about the problem that you have and will experience that problem are going to hang out. And it always is wild to me to see companies missing out on that.It's, “Okay, so you're going to do a $25 million billboard ad in spotted in airports around the world talking about your company… but looking at your billboard, it makes no sense. I don't understand what it's there for.” Even as a brand awareness play, it fails because your logo is tiny in the corner or something. It's you spent that much money on ads, and maybe a buck on messaging because it seems like with all that attention you just bought, you had nothing worthwhile to say. That's the cardinal sin to me at least.Sharone: Yeah. One thing that I found—and back to our community circuit and things that we've done historically—but that's one thing that, you know, as a person comes from community, I've seen so much value, even from the smaller events. I mean, today, like with Covid and the pandemic and everything has changed all the equilibrium and the way things are happening. But some meetups are getting smaller, face-to-face events are getting smaller, but I've had people telling me that even from small, 30 to 40 people events, they'll go up and they'll do a talk and great, okay, a talk; everybody does talks, but it's like, kind of, the hallway track or the networking that you do after the talk and you actually talk to real users and hear their real problems and you tap into the real community. And some people will tell me like, I had four concrete leads from a 30-person meet up just because they didn't even know that this was a real challenge, or they didn't know that there was a tool that solves this problem, or they didn't understand that this can actually be achieved today.Or there's so many interesting technologies and emerging technologies. I'm privileged to be able to be at the forefront of that and discover it all, and I if I could, I would drop names of all of the awesome companies that work for me, that I work with, and just give them a shout out. But really, there's so many amazing companies doing, like, developer metrics, and all kinds of troubleshooting and failure analysis that's, like, deeply intelligent—and you're going to love this one: I have a Git replacement client apropos to your closing keynote of DevOpsDays 2015—and tapping into the communities and tapping into the real users.And sometimes, you know, it's just a matter of really understanding how developers are working, what processes look like, what workflows look like, what teams look like, and being able to architect your products and things around real use cases. And that you can only discover by really getting in front of actual users, or potential users, and learning from them and feedback loops, and that's the little core behind DevRel and developer advocacy is really understanding your actual users and your consumers, and encouraging them to you know, give you feedback and try things, and beta programs and a million things that are a lot more experiential today that help you understand what your users need, eventually, and how to actually architect that into your products. And that's the important part in terms of marketing. And it's a whole different marketing set. It's a whole different skill set. It's not talking at people, it's actually… ingesting and understanding and hearing and implementing and bringing it into your products.Corey: And it takes time. And you have to make yourself synonymous with a painful problem. And those problems are invariably very point-in-time specific. I don't give a crap about log aggregation today, but in two weeks from now, when I'm trying to chase down 18 different Lambdas function trying to figure out what the hell's broken this week, I suddenly will care very much about log aggregation. Who was that company that's in that space that's doing interesting things? And maybe it's Cribl, for example; they do a lot of stuff in that space and they've been a good sponsor. Great.I start thinking about those things in that light because it is—when I started having these problems, it sticks in your head and it resonates. And there's value and validity to that, but you're never going to be able to attribute that either, which is where people often lose their minds. Because for anything even slightly complicated—you're going to be selling things to big bank—great, good on you. Most of those customers are not going to go and spin up a trial in the dead of night. They're going to hear about you somewhere and think, “Ohh, this is interesting.”They're going to talk about a meeting, they're going to get approval, and at that point, you have long since lost any tracking opportunity there. So, the problem is that by saying it like this, as someone who is a publisher, let's be very clear here, it sounds like you're trying to justify your entire business model. I feel like that half the time, but I've been reassured by people who are experts in doing these things, like, oh, yeah, we have data on this; it's working. So, the alternative is either I accept that they're right or I sit here and arrogantly presume I know more about marketing than people who've devoted their entire careers to it. I'm not that bold. I am a white guy in tech, but not that much.Sharone: Yeah, I mean, the DevRel measurement problem is a known problem. We have people like [unintelligible 00:20:21] who have written about it. We have [Sarah Drasner 00:20:23], we have a million people that have written really, really great content about how do you really measure DevRel and the quality. And one of the things that I liked, Philipp Krenn, the dev advocate at Elastic once said in one of his talks that, you know, “If you're measuring your developer advocates on leads, you're a marketing organization. If you're measuring them on revenue, you're a sales organization. It's about reach, engagement, and awareness, and a lot of things that it's much, much harder to measure.”And I can say that, like, once upon a time, I used to try and attribute it at Cloudify. Like, I remember thinking, like, “Okay, maybe I could really track this back to, you know, the first touch that I actually had with this user.” It's really, really difficult, but I do remember, like, when we used to go out into the events and we were really active in the OpenStack community, in the DevOps community, and many other things, and I remember, like, even after events, like, you get all those lead gen emails. All I would say now is, like, “Hey, if you missed us at the booth, you know, and you want still want a t-shirt, you know, reach out and I'll ship it to you.” And some of those eventually, after we continued the relationship, and we, you know, when we were friends and community friends, six months later, when they moved to their next role at their next job, they were like, “Oh, now I have an opportunity to use Cloudify and I'm going to check it out.”And it's very long relationship that you have to cultivate. It has to be, you know, mutual. You have to be, you have to give be giving something and eventually is going to come back to you. Good deeds come back to you. So, I—that's my credo, by the way, good deeds come back to you. I believe in that and I try to live by that.Corey: This episode is sponsored in parts by our friend EnterpriseDB. EnterpriseDB has been powering enterprise applications with PostgreSQL for 15 years. And now EnterpriseDB has you covered wherever you deploy PostgreSQL on-premises, private cloud, and they just announced a fully-managed service on AWS and Azure called BigAnimal, all one word. Don't leave managing your database to your cloud vendor because they're too busy launching another half-dozen managed databases to focus on any one of them that they didn't build themselves. Instead, work with the experts over at EnterpriseDB. They can save you time and money, they can even help you migrate legacy applications—including Oracle—to the cloud. To learn more, try BigAnimal for free. Go to biganimal.com/snark, and tell them Corey sent you.Corey: So, I have one last question for you and it is pointed and the reason I buried it this deep in the episode is so that if I open with it, I will get letters and I'm hoping to get fewer of them. But I met you, again, at DevOpsDays Tel Aviv, and it was glorious. And then you said, “This is fun. Come help me organize it next year.”And I, like an idiot said, “Sure, that sounds awesome because I love going to conferences and it's great. So, what's involved?” “Oh, a whole bunch of meetings.” “Okay, great.” “And planning”—things I'm terrible at—“Okay.” And then the big day finally arrives where, “Great, when do we get to get on stage and tell a story?” Like, “That's the neat part. We don't.” So, I have to ask, given that it is all behind-the-scenes work that is fairly thankless unless you really screw it up because then it's very visible, what is the point of being so involved in the community?Sharone: Wow, that's a big question, Corey.Corey: It really is.Sharone: [laugh].Corey: Because you've been involved in community for a long time and you're very good at it.Sharone: It's true. It's true. Appreciate it, thank you. So, for me, first of all, I enjoy, kind of, the people aspect of it, absolutely. And that people aspect of it actually has played out in so many different ways.Corey: Oh, you mean great people, and also me.Sharone: [laugh]. Particularly you, Corey, and we will bring you back. [laugh]. And we will make sure you chop wood and carry water because eventually it'll fill your soul, you'll see. [laugh] one of the things that really I have had the privilege and honor, and having come out of, like, kind of all my community work is really the network I've built and the people that I've met.And I've learned so much and I've grown so much, but I've also had the opportunity to connect people, connect things that you wouldn't imagine, un—seemingly-related things. So, there are so many friends of mine that have grown up with me in this community, it's been already ten years now, and a lot of folks have now been going on to new adventures and are looking to kickstart their new startup and I can connect them to this investor, I can connect them to this other person who is maybe a good, you know, partner for their startup, and hiring opportunities, and something—I've had this, like, privilege of kind of being able to connect Israel to the outer world and other things and the global kind of community, and also bring really intelligent folks into the community. And this has just created this amazing flywheel of opportunity that I'm really happy to be at the center of. And I think I've grown as a person, I think our community has grown, has learned, and there's a lot of value in that, I think, yeah. We got to meet wonderful folks like you, Corey. [laugh].Corey: It has its moments. Again, you're one of those rarities in that it's almost become a trope in VC land where VCs always like, “How may I be useful?” And it's this self-serving transparent thing. Every single time you have deigned to introduce me to someone, it's been a productive conversation and I'm always glad I took the meeting. That is no small thing.A lot of people say, “I'm good at community,” which is sort of cover for, “I'm not good at anything,” but in your case, it—Sharone: [laugh]. [I'm an entrepreneur 00:24:48].—Corey: Is very much not true. Oh, yeah. I'm a big believer that ‘entrepreneur' and ‘hero' and other terms like that are things people call you; you don't call yourself that. It always feels weird for, “Oh, he's an entrepreneur.” It's like, that's a pretty lofty word for shitposting, but okay, we'll roll with it.It doesn't work that way. You've clearly invested long-term in a building reputation for yourself by building a name for yourself in the space, and I know that whenever you reach out to me as a result, you are not there to waste my time or shill some bullshit. It is always something that is going to, even if I don't love every aspect of it or agree with the core of the message you're sending, great, it is never not going to be worth my time, which is why I'm so glad I got the chance to talk to you this show.Sharone: I appreciate that. It's something that I really believe in, I don't want to waste people's time and I really only will connect folks or only really will reach out to someone if I do think that there's something meaningful for both sides. It's never only what's in it for me, also. I also want to make sure that there's something in it for the other person and it's something that makes sense and it's meaningful for both sides. I've had the opportunity of meeting such interesting folks, and sometimes it's just like, “You must meet. [laugh]. You will love each other.” You will have so much to do together or it's so much collaboration opportunity.And so yeah, I really am that type of person. And I'll even say from a personal perspective, you know, I know a lot of people, and I've even been asked from the flip side, “Okay, is this a toxic manager? Or is this a, you know, a good hire? Is this”—and I tried to provide really authentic input so people make the right decisions, or make, you know, the right contacts, or make—and that's something I really value. And I managed to build trust with a lot of really great folks—Corey: And also me—Sharone: —and it's come back to me, also. And—[laugh] and particularly you, again. [laugh].Corey: If people want to learn more about how you see the world and the space and otherwise bask in your wisdom, where's the best place to find you?Sharone: So, I'm on Twitter as @shar1z, which is SharoneZ. Basically, everyone thinks it's such a smart, or I don't know what, like, or an esoteric screen name. And I'm like, no, it's just my name, I just—the O-N-E is… the one. [laugh].So yes, shar1z on Twitter, but also my website, rtfmplease.dev, you can reach out, there's a contact form there. You can find me on the web anywhere—LinkedIn. Reach out, I answer almost all my DMs when I can. It's very rare that I don't answer DMs. Maybe there'll be a slight lag, but I do. And I really do like when folks reach out to me. I do like it when people try and make contact.Corey: And you can also be found, of course, wherever find DevOps products are sold, on stage apparently.Sharone: [laugh]. The DevOps community, that's right. @TLVCommunity, @DevOpsDaysTLV—don't out me. All those are—yes, those are also handles that I run on Twitter, it's true.Corey: Excellent.Sharone: So, when you see them all retweeting the same tweet, yes, it's happening within same five minutes, it's me.Corey: Oh, that would have made it way easier to go viral. My God, I should have just thought of that earlier.Sharone: [laugh].Corey: Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.Sharone: Thank you, Corey, for having me. It's been a privilege and honor being on your show and I really do think that you are doing wonderful things in the cloud space. You're teaching us, and we're all learning, and you—keep up the good work.Corey: Well, thank you. I appreciate that.Sharone: I also want to add that on proposed marketing and whatever, I do actually listen to all of your openings of all of your shows because they're not fluffy and I like that you do, like, kind of a deep explanation, a deep technical explanation of what your sponsoring product does, and it gives a lot more insight into why is this important. So, I think you're doing that right. So, anybody who's sponsoring this show, listen. Corey knows what he's doing.Corey: Well, thank you. I appreciate that. Yay, “I know what I'm doing.” That one's going in the testimonial kit. My God.Sharone: [laugh]. That's the name of this episode, “Corey knows what he's doing.”Corey: We're going to roll with it, you know. No take-backsies. Sharone Zitzman, Chief Manual Reader at RTFM Please. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review of your podcast platform of choice, or if it's on the YouTubes smash the like and subscribe buttons, whereas if you've hated this show, exact same thing—five-star review wherever you happen to find it, smash both the buttons—but also leave an insulting comment telling me that I'm completely wrong which then devolves into an 18-page diatribe about exactly how your nonsense, bullshit product is built and works.Sharone: [laugh].Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

7 Easter First Psalm: Psalm 101; Psalm 109:1–30 Psalm 101 (Listen) I Will Walk with Integrity A Psalm of David. 101   I will sing of steadfast love and justice;    to you, O LORD, I will make music.2   I will ponder the way that is blameless.    Oh when will you come to me?  I will walk with integrity of heart    within my house;3   I will not set before my eyes    anything that is worthless.  I hate the work of those who fall away;    it shall not cling to me.4   A perverse heart shall be far from me;    I will know nothing of evil. 5   Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly    I will destroy.  Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart    I will not endure. 6   I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,    that they may dwell with me;  he who walks in the way that is blameless    shall minister to me. 7   No one who practices deceit    shall dwell in my house;  no one who utters lies    shall continue before my eyes. 8   Morning by morning I will destroy    all the wicked in the land,  cutting off all the evildoers    from the city of the LORD. (ESV) Psalm 109:1–30 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109   Be not silent, O God of my praise!2   For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,    speaking against me with lying tongues.3   They encircle me with words of hate,    and attack me without cause.4   In return for my love they accuse me,    but I give myself to prayer.15   So they reward me evil for good,    and hatred for my love. 6   Appoint a wicked man against him;    let an accuser stand at his right hand.7   When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;    let his prayer be counted as sin!8   May his days be few;    may another take his office!9   May his children be fatherless    and his wife a widow!10   May his children wander about and beg,    seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11   May the creditor seize all that he has;    may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12   Let there be none to extend kindness to him,    nor any to pity his fatherless children!13   May his posterity be cut off;    may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14   May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,    and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15   Let them be before the LORD continually,    that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16   For he did not remember to show kindness,    but pursued the poor and needy    and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17   He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him!    He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18   He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;    may it soak4 into his body like water,    like oil into his bones!19   May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,    like a belt that he puts on every day!20   May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,    of those who speak evil against my life! 21   But you, O GOD my Lord,    deal on my behalf for your name's sake;    because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22   For I am poor and needy,    and my heart is stricken within me.23   I am gone like a shadow at evening;    I am shaken off like a locust.24   My knees are weak through fasting;    my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25   I am an object of scorn to my accusers;    when they see me, they wag their heads. 26   Help me, O LORD my God!    Save me according to your steadfast love!27   Let them know that this is your hand;    you, O LORD, have done it!28   Let them curse, but you will bless!    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29   May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30   With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;    I will praise him in the midst of the throng. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 119:121–144 Psalm 119:121–144 (Listen) Ayin 121   I have done what is just and right;    do not leave me to my oppressors.122   Give your servant a pledge of good;    let not the insolent oppress me.123   My eyes long for your salvation    and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.124   Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,    and teach me your statutes.125   I am your servant; give me understanding,    that I may know your testimonies!126   It is time for the LORD to act,    for your law has been broken.127   Therefore I love your commandments    above gold, above fine gold.128   Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;    I hate every false way. Pe 129   Your testimonies are wonderful;    therefore my soul keeps them.130   The unfolding of your words gives light;    it imparts understanding to the simple.131   I open my mouth and pant,    because I long for your commandments.132   Turn to me and be gracious to me,    as is your way with those who love your name.133   Keep steady my steps according to your promise,    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.134   Redeem me from man's oppression,    that I may keep your precepts.135   Make your face shine upon your servant,    and teach me your statutes.136   My eyes shed streams of tears,    because people do not keep your law. Tsadhe 137   Righteous are you, O LORD,    and right are your rules.138   You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness    and in all faithfulness.139   My zeal consumes me,    because my foes forget your words.140   Your promise is well tried,    and your servant loves it.141   I am small and despised,    yet I do not forget your precepts.142   Your righteousness is righteous forever,    and your law is true.143   Trouble and anguish have found me out,    but your commandments are my delight.144   Your testimonies are righteous forever;    give me understanding that I may live. (ESV) Old Testament: Isaiah 4:2–6 Isaiah 4:2–6 (Listen) The Branch of the Lord Glorified 2 In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.1 5 Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. Footnotes [1] 4:4 Or purging (ESV) New Testament: Ephesians 4:1–16 Ephesians 4:1–16 (Listen) Unity in the Body of Christ 4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,   “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,    and he gave gifts to men.”1 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?2 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds3 and teachers,4 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,5 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Footnotes [1] 4:8 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women [2] 4:9 Or the lower parts of the earth? [3] 4:11 Or pastors [4] 4:11 Or the shepherd-teachers [5] 4:13 Greek to a full-grown man (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 8:28–34 Matthew 8:28–34 (Listen) Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons 28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,1 two demon-possessed2 men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. Footnotes [1] 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes [2] 8:28 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons (ESV)

About RafalRafal is Serverless Engineer at Stedi by day, and Dynobase founder by night - a modern DynamoDB UI client. When he is not coding or answering support tickets, he loves climbing and tasting whiskey (not simultaneously).Links Referenced:Company Website: https://dynobase.dev TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: This episode is sponsored by our friends at Revelo. Revelo is the Spanish word of the day, and its spelled R-E-V-E-L-O. It means “I reveal.” Now, have you tried to hire an engineer lately? I assure you it is significantly harder than it sounds. One of the things that Revelo has recognized is something I've been talking about for a while, specifically that while talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is absolutely not. They're exposing a new talent pool to, basically, those of us without a presence in Latin America via their platform. It's the largest tech talent marketplace in Latin America with over a million engineers in their network, which includes—but isn't limited to—talent in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina. Now, not only do they wind up spreading all of their talent on English ability, as well as you know, their engineering skills, but they go significantly beyond that. Some of the folks on their platform are hands down the most talented engineers that I've ever spoken to. Let's also not forget that Latin America has high time zone overlap with what we have here in the United States, so you can hire full-time remote engineers who share most of the workday as your team. It's an end-to-end talent service, so you can find and hire engineers in Central and South America without having to worry about, frankly, the colossal pain of cross-border payroll and benefits and compliance because Revelo handles all of it. If you're hiring engineers, check out revelo.io/screaming to get 20% off your first three months. That's R-E-V-E-L-O dot I-O slash screaming.Corey: The company 0x4447 builds products to increase standardization and security in AWS organizations. They do this with automated pipelines that use well-structured projects to create secure, easy-to-maintain and fail-tolerant solutions, one of which is their VPN product built on top of the popular OpenVPN project which has no license restrictions; you are only limited by the network card in the instance. To learn more visit: snark.cloud/deployandgoCorey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. It's not too often that I wind up building an episode here out of a desktop application. I've done it once or twice, and I'm sure that the folks at Microsoft Excel are continually hoping for an invite to talk about things. But we're going in a bit of a different direction today. Rafal Wilinski is a serverless engineer at Stedi and, in apparently what is the job requirement at Stedi, he also has a side project that manifests itself as a desktop app. Rafal, thank you for joining me today. I appreciate it.Rafal: Yeah. Hi, everyone. Thanks for having me, Corey.Corey: I first heard about you when you launched Dynobase, which is awesome. It sounds evocative of dinosaurs unless you read it, then it's D-Y-N-O, and it's, “Ah, this sounds a lot like DynamoDB. Let me see what it is.” And sure enough, it was. As much as I love misusing things as databases, DynamoDB is actually a database that is decent and good at what it does.And please correct me if I get any of this wrong, but Dynobase is effectively an Electron app that you install, at least on a Mac, in my case; I don't generally use other desktops, that's other people's problems. And it provides a user-friendly interface to DynamoDB that is not actively hostile to the customer.Rafal: Yeah, exactly. That was the goal. That's how I envisioned it, and I hope I executed correctly.Corey: It was almost prescient in some ways because they recently redid the DynamoDB console in AWS to actively make it worse, to wind up working with individual items, to modify things. It feels like they are validating your market for you by, “Oh, we really like Dynobase. How do we drive more traffic to it? We're going to make this thing worse.” But back then when you first created this, the console was his previous version. What was it that inspired you to say, “You know what I'm going to build? A desktop application for a cloud service.” Because on the surface, it seems relatively close to psychotic, but it's brilliant.Rafal: [laugh]. Yeah, sure. So, a few years ago, I was freelancing on AWS. I was jumping between clients and my side projects. That also involved jumping between regions, and AWS doesn't have a good out-of-the-box solution for switching your accounts and switching your regions, so when you want it to work on your client table in Australia and simultaneously on my side project in Europe, there was no other solution than to have two browser windows open or to, even, browsers open.And it was super frustrating. So, I was like, hey, “DynamoDB has SDK. Electron is this thing that allows you to make a desktop application using HTML and JS and some CSS, so maybe I can do something with it.” And I was so naive to think that it's going to be a trivial task because it's going to be—come on, it's like, a couple of SDK calls, displaying some lists and tables, and that's pretty much it, right?Corey: Right. I use Retool as my system to build my newsletter every week, and that is the front-end I use to interact with DynamoDB. And it's great. It has a table component that just—I run a query that, believe it or not, is a query, not a scan—I know, imagine that, I did something slightly right this one time—and it populates things for the current issue into it, and then I basically built a CRUD API around it and have components that let me update, delete, remove, the usual stuff. And it's great, it works for my purposes, and it's fine.And that's what I use most of the time until I, you know, hit an edge case or a corner case—because it turns out, surprise everyone, I'm bad at programming—and I need to go in and tweak the table myself manually. And that's where Dynobase, at least for my use case, really comes into its own.Rafal: Good to hear. Good to hear. Yeah, that was exactly same case why I built it because yeah, I was also, a few years ago, I started working on some project which was really crazy. It was before AppSync times. We wanted to have GraphQL serverless API using single table design and testing principles [unintelligible 00:04:38] there.So, we've been verifying many things by just looking at the contents of the table, and sometimes fixing them manually. So, that was also the thing that motivated me to make the editing experience a little bit better.Corey: One thing I appreciate about the application is that it does things right. I mean, there's no real other way to frame that. When I fire up the application myself and I go to the account that I've been using it with—because in this case, there's really only one account that I have that contains the data that I spent that my time working with—and I get access to it on my machine via Granted, which because it's a federated SSO login. And it says, “Ah, this is an SSL account. Click here to open the browser tab and do the thing.”I didn't have to configure Dynobase. It is automatically reading my AWS config file in my user directory. It does a lot of things right. There's no duplication of work. From my perspective. It doesn't freak out because it doesn't know how SSO works. It doesn't have run into these obnoxious edge case problems that so many early generation desktop interfaces for AWS things seem to.Rafal: Wow, it seems like it works for you even better than for me. [laugh].Corey: Oh, well again, how I get into accounts has always been a little weird. I've ranted before about Granted, which is something that Common Fate puts out. It is a binary utility that winds up logging into different federated SSO accounts, opens them in Firefox containers so you could have you know, two accounts open, side-by-side. It's some nice affordances like that. But it still uses the standard AWS profile syntax which Dynobase does as well.There are a bunch of different ways I've logged into things, and I've never experienced friction [unintelligible 00:06:23] using Dynobase for this. To be clear, you haven't paid me a dime. In fact, just the opposite. I wind up paying my monthly Dynobase subscription with a smile on my face. It is worth every penny, just because on those rare moments when I have to work with something odd in DynamoDB, it's great having the tool.I want to be very clear here. I don't recall what the current cost on this is, but I know for a fact it is more than I spend every month on DynamoDB itself, which is fine. You pay for utility, not for the actual raw cost of the underlying resources on it. Some people tend to have issues with that and I think it's the wrong direction to go in.Rafal: Yeah, exactly. So, my logic was that it's a productivity improvement. And a lot of programmers are simply obsessed with productivity, right? We tend to write those obnoxious nasty Bash and Python scripts to automate boring tasks in our day jobs. So, if you can eliminate this chore of logging to different AWS accounts and trying to find them, and even if it takes, like, five or ten seconds, if I can shave that five or ten seconds every time you try to do something, that over time accumulates into a big number and it's a huge time investment. So, even if you save, like, I don't know, maybe one hour a month or one hour a quarter, I think it's still a fair price.Corey: Your pricing is very interesting, and the reason I say that is you do not have a free tier as such, you have a free seven-day trial, which is great. That is the way to do it. You can sign up with no credit card, grab the thing, and it's awesome. Dynobase.dev for folks who are wondering.And you have a solo yearly plan, which is what I'm on, which is $9 a month. Which means that you end up, I think, charging me $108 a year billed annually. You have a solo lifetime option for 200 bucks—and I'm going to fight with you about that one in a second; we're going to come back to it—then you have a team plan that is for I think for ten licenses at 79 bucks a month, and for 20 licenses it's 150 bucks a month. Great. And then you have an enterprise option for 250 a month, the end. Billed annually. And I have problems with that, too.So, I like arguing with pricing, I [unintelligible 00:08:43] about pricing with people just because I find that is one of those underappreciated aspects of things. Let's start with my own decisions on this, if I may. The reason that I go for the solo yearly plan instead of a lifetime subscription of I buy this and I get to use it forever in perpetuity. I like the tool but, like, the AWS service that underlies it, it's going to have to evolve in the fullness of time. It is going to have to continue to support new DynamoDB functionality, like the fact that they have infrequent access storage classes now, for tables, as an example. I'm sure they're coming up with other things as well, like, I don't know, maybe a sane query syntax someday. That might be nice if they ever built one of those.Some people don't like the idea of a subscription software. I do just because I like the fact that it is a continual source of revenue. It's not the, “Well, five years ago, you paid me that one-off thing and now you expect feature enhancements for the rest of time.” How do you think about that?Rafal: So, there are a couple of things here. First thing is that the lifetime support, it doesn't mean that I will be always implementing to my death all the features that are going to appear in DynamoDB. Maybe there is going to be a some feature and I'm not going to implement it. For insta