The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
Faith and the future: the great crowd
32 What more can I say, then? I’ve run out of time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. 33 It was through faith that they overcame kingdoms, put justice into practice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strong where they had been weak, became powerful in battle, and sent foreign armies packing. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection; others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might receive a better resurrection. 36 Others again experienced painful derision and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment; 37 they were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were put to the sword, they went about in sheepskins or goat-hides, they were destitute, they were persecuted, they were ill-treated— 38 the world didn’t deserve them!—and they wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people gained a reputation for their faith; but they didn’t receive the promise. 40 God was providing something better for us, so that they wouldn’t reach perfection without our doing so as well.
Looking to Jesus
12 What about us, then? We have such a great cloud of witnesses all around us! What we must do is this: we must put aside each heavy weight, and the sin which gets in the way so easily. We must run the race that lies in front of us, and we must run it patiently. 2 We must look ahead, to Jesus. He is the one who carved out the path for faith, and he’s the one who brought it to completion.
He knew that there was joy spread out and waiting for him. That’s why he endured the cross, making light of its shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of God’s throne. 3 He put up with enormous opposition from sinners. Weigh up in your minds just how severe it was; then you won’t find yourselves getting weary and worn out.
Christian suffering is God’s discipline
4 You have been struggling against sin, but your resistance hasn’t yet cost you any blood. 5 And perhaps you have forgotten the word of exhortation which speaks to you as God’s children:
My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s rebuke,
or grow weary when he takes issue with you;
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child he welcomes.
7 You must be patient with discipline. God is dealing with you as his sons and daughters. What child is there that the parent doesn’t discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline (we’ve all had our fair share of it!), you are illegitimate, and not true children. 9 After all, we had earthly parents who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we much rather submit ourselves to the father of spirits, and live? 10 Our earthly parents disciplined us for a little while, as they judged best; but when he disciplines us it’s for our advantage. It is so that we may share his holiness. 11 No discipline seems to bring joy at the time, but only sorrow. Later, though, it produces fruit, the peaceful fruit of righteousness, for those who are trained by it.
Watch out for dangers!
12 So stop letting your hands go slack, and get some energy into your sagging knees! 13 Make straight paths for your feet. If you’re lame, make sure you get healed instead of being put out of joint.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.