August 7th, 24: Letting the Light In: Seeing God’s True Nature Through Zephaniah and John 9

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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you.

TODAY'S EPISODE:

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, and thanks for joining us on this seventh day of August, day 220 in our journey through the Scriptures. I’m Hunter, your host and Bible reading coach, here to spend some meaningful time with you in God’s Word. Today, we’re delving into Zephaniah chapters 1 through 3 and John chapter 9. Together, we’ll explore powerful themes: God’s judgment, restoration, and the surprising ways He reveals Himself, even in our darkest moments. As we read about the dire warnings to Jerusalem and the miracle of the man born blind, we’re invited to let go of false ideas about God and discover His true nature—one of love, restoration, and self-giving grace. Stay tuned as we open our hearts, let the Bible direct our gaze to Jesus, and pray for eyes to see the light of the world anew.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

He opens our eyes to the truth of who God is. What is God to do with a world trapped in darkness, unable to see, fumbling after answers and lost beneath lies about who he is? Many of us, even those who have walked with God, labor under the false assumption that God is distant, angry, and waiting to punish us, that his aim is to make an example out of us for our sins or our parents’ mistakes. But when Jesus steps onto the scene, he is the light of the world, shining in our darkness—a living answer to every doubt and misbelief about God’s heart.

We witness this firsthand in John 9, as Jesus bends to the earth, forms mud from his own spit and the dust, and spreads it across a blind man’s eyes. What was lifeless and incapable of sight is remade by the hands of God, and suddenly the impossible happens—this man sees. The very power of God is revealed in this healing, but it’s not just a physical miracle. This is a sign. Jesus is showing us what he longs to do for each of us: to remove the scales from our eyes, to free us from crippling untruths about the Father, and to welcome us into the radiant light of his presence.

Yet, so often, lies keep us bound in darkness. Religion might paint God in the colors of our own fears, as if he is more interested in punishment than in restoration, as if he is more judge than Father. But Jesus shows us something utterly different—self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love. When we look at Jesus, we are seeing the heart of the Father. As he told Philip: “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” There is no shadow side to God, no surprise cruelty or hidden rage, only the faithful love we see in Jesus.

Are you weary of the darkness, of striving and fearing separation? Let Jesus open your eyes today. Let him show you who God really is: the one who heals, who welcomes, who sings over you with joy. You are not separate or abandoned; you’re invited into his light, already embraced in his love.

This is the prayer I carry for my own soul, for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And it is the prayer I hold for you. May it be so.

TODAY'S PRAYERS:

Lord of life, you have awakened me again to the gift of this day. You go before me, walk beside me and dwell within me.
Let me walk slowly in your presence. May I resist the hurried spirit of this world and instead breathe deep of your peace.
Open my eyes to beauty, my ears to your voice and my heart to the quiet work of grace.
Help me not to strive, but to abide, not to achieve, but to receive today.
Let my words carry your kindness, my actions reflect your mercy. My thoughts be anchored in your truth that I am yours and you are with