In our fast-paced, modern lives, we often want God to act in unmistakable ways with dramatic wonders, but what if God’s care for us is more often seen in the quiet, ordinary routines of daily life. Would we miss His faithful care?

In our Bible story today, our storyteller crafts his tale to make this specific point. Even the ordinary events of life are under God’s watchful eye. This is the definition of God’s providence. God directs and cares for us, even when his hand is unseen.

In this episode, we will meet Abraham’s servant, who treks 500 miles across the desert to find a bride for Isaac. We will watch Rebekah demonstrate her humility and hospitality by drawing water for 10 thirsty camels and later hear her agree to return with the servant to become Isaac’s wife. She recognized God’s unseen hand at work. Isaac, also, understood the providence of God and accepted Rebekah into the role of family matriarch.

Episode Timestamps

• 03:37 Providence in Abraham’s Tent. Abraham commissions his trusted servant to find a wife for Isaac, confident that God will guide the journey and preserve His covenant promises.
• 08:59 Providence by the City Well. The servant prays for God’s guidance, and God provides a remarkable answer with Rebekah’s immediate kindness and hospitality. Her generosity reveals her character and shows God’s unseen hand at work.
• 20:43 Providence in the Family Home. The servant recounts how God has guided his journey and persuades Rebekah’s family to agree to the marriage. Rebekah courageously chooses to leave her home and begin a new life as Isaac’s wife.
• 39:01 Providence by a Desert Well. Rebekah and Isaac meet, marry, and begin a new chapter in the covenant family. As Abraham’s life comes to an end, the author emphasizes that God continues to fulfill His promises through the next generation.
• 47:08 Personal Encouragement. A personal story from my childhood on an Oregon farm, a ruined grain harvest, my father’s simple trust, and a modern illustration of God’s faithful, unseen hand.

We don’t often see supernatural acts of God in our daily routines, but even among our ordinary calendars and to do lists, we can learn to see God’s faithful unseen hand.

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

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What do you do when the worst day of your life collides with the grandest promises of God?

In this episode, we step into the quiet vacuum of a devastating loss and sit in the mourning tent with Abraham. After losing Sarah—his partner in a decades-long adventure of faith—Abraham faces a defining moment. He is a wealthy but landless nomad, grieving the only woman in Scripture whose exact lifespan is immortalized on the page. Yet, what he does next at the local city gate writes a new script on how people of God handle sorrow.

Before diving into his high-stakes real estate negotiation with the local Hittites, we pull back the curtain on the spectacular, climactic architecture of the Abraham narrative. We explore how the explosion of ancient family trees and legal contracts isn't a dry historical accident, but visual, undeniable evidence on the scroll that God’s word is coming true.

Whether you are examining an ancient family lineage, a ten-pound pile of raw silver, or a fresh grave in Hebron, this episode delivers a loud, clear, and deeply personal message for whatever trial you are facing today: Even in times of grief and pain, your faith can stand unshakable on God’s promises.

Listen to explore:

• The hidden, mirrored symmetries of Abraham's life story.
• Why a traveler's gossip about Abraham’s grand-nephew mattered to later Israel.
• The ancient real estate traps and tax loopholes hidden inside Ephron's "generous" offer.
• A personal reflection on resurrection hope beside my father’s casket.

Episode Chapters

• 00:10 – Unshakable: When Grief Meets Promise—Introduction
• 02:39 – Climactic Structure of Abraham’s Story
• 07:29 – Genealogy of Abraham’s Brother—A preview of Israel’s frenemies and Isaac’s bride
• 11:08 – Abraham Grieves
• 16:01 – Abraham Buys a Tomb
• 31:35 – Closing Comments & Personal Encouragement

If you are walking through grief, uncertainty, disappointment, if God’s promises seem far from fulfillment, then this episode offers a deeply encouraging perspective: faith does not require us to deny our grief. It gives us a strong reason to keep trusting while we grieve.

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

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Have you ever asked God, “Why did this happen to me?”

What would you do if God asked you to surrender the very thing you had waited years to receive?

The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:1–19, is one of the most challenging and powerful passages in the Bible. Why would God test Abraham in such a shocking way?

Genesis 22 brings Abraham to the greatest test of his faith—and forces us to wrestle with one of the Bible’s most difficult questions: Can we really trust God to have our best interests at heart?

In this episode of Bible Wisdom Today, we take a deep look at Abraham’s test of faith, Isaac’s role in the story, the Angel of the LORD, the meaning of Mount Moriah, and God’s miraculous provision of the ram. We also explore the literary craftsmanship of Genesis 22 and its four-panel structure, which builds tension toward the story’s dramatic turning point.

Most importantly, we examine the central message of the passage: Our God who sees all, can do all, and who loves all will provide all that we need. God’s provision may not always be what we expect or even want, but He knows what we truly need.

Finally, we’ll consider the connection between Isaac’s sacrifice and the later biblical theme of substitution and redemption.

Episode Chapters

· 05:56 — God’s Call
God tests Abraham with a command that seems to contradict His promises.

· 17:16 — Call of Isaac
Isaac asks the haunting question, “Where is the lamb?” Abraham’s response reveals his developing faith in God’s provision.

· 21:35 — Call of the Angel of the LORD
At the moment of greatest tension, the Angel of the LORD stops Abraham and reveals God’s provision of a substitute.

· 25:10 — Second Call of the Angel of the LORD
God restates His promises to Abraham and connects his obedience with the future blessing of his descendants and the nations.

· 30:46 — Final Comments
Mount Moriah was not simply the place where God provided a ram for Abraham. It points forward to a greater provision—and a greater Son who would carry His own cross and become the source of redemption for the world.

If you are studying Genesis, Abraham, biblical faith, obedience, God’s provision, or the meaning of Genesis 22, this episode invites you to slow down, examine the details, and think deeply about what this remarkable story says about your relationship with God.

Resources

Blog Post: Chart of Four-Panel Structure of Genesis 22

Blog Post: Comparison Chart of Genesis 21 and 22

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

Musical excerpts from "Pour le Piano" by Claude Debussy (Public Domain) performed by your host.

Have you ever failed God?

Has your lapse in judgment completely disqualified you in God’s eyes?

If you’ve ever looked at your own spiritual track record and thought that you must surely have exhausted God’s patience, you are not alone.

In this episode, you will discover a profound sense of relief, as you watch Abraham, our legendary patriarch, step into God’s spiritual classroom as a self-focused schemer and finally graduate as a mature, faithful follower. He is living proof that God routinely transforms our biggest moral deficits into our greatest spiritual assets.

In God’s academy of faith, Abraham learns…

Three distinct lessons:

• 03:19 The Lesson of the Stolen Wife: Focus on blessing others, not just survival
• 17:18 The Lesson of the Promised Baby: Remember the promises God has already kept as a sign of His continued reliability.
• 29:39 The Lesson of the Stolen Well: Root yourself confidently in the ground of God’s faithfulness

Abraham’s initial failures could not disrupt the spiritual curriculum God designed for him. Neither will yours.

Join me as we learn how God, our patient teacher, uses our failures to train us for future successes.

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

Musical excerpts from "Pour le Piano" by Claude Debussy (Public Domain) performed by your host.

Have you ever looked at the world around you—or even at your own life—and quietly wondered, “Is God always fair?”

When we read ancient biblical stories about entire cities being wiped out by fire and brimstone, or when we face unexpected, undeserved heartbreaks in our own lives, it is easy to feel like justice is blind, harsh, or completely random. Our story today, one of the most terrifying tales of divine judgment in the Bible, was written to answer that very question. “Is God always fair?”

In this episode we will step directly into the smoke and burning asphalt of Sodom. We will look beyond the simple children’s stories of Abraham’s bold bartering with God and Lot’s harrowing rescue out the city gates. When we do, we will discover a raw, ancient story which still answers our deepest contemporary questions about divine justice, human frailty, and God’s priority for mercy.

Whether you are struggling with the idea of a God of judgment, or trying to make sense of your personal unwarranted suffering this episode is for you.

Just a quick note: due to the historical realities of the text, today's episode contains some mature themes and adult content, so you may want to use headphones if little ears are nearby.

Timestamps

00:00 Podcast standard intro

02:13 God reveals his plans for Sodom

16:05 God investigates Sodom

27:07 God rescues Lot and destroys Sodom

35:32 Incest in the cave

40:14 Final comments

Now, join me in the Judean hills, where God makes a bombshell announcement to Abraham; and Abraham then confronts God with a question which still reverberates in thinking minds today.

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

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Where is the most important point in a story? In the beginning? At the climax? During the resolution? In ancient literature, the most important point was often in the very center.

Ancient writers frequently used a skillful writing technique called chiastic structure. In this form, the second half of the story mirrored the first half, but in reverse order. Each half of the story converged on that all-important central point.

In this episode, we come to Genesis 17, the dramatic epicenter of Abraham’s life story. God appears to him, changes his name, tells him to mark his body by circumcision, and promises to bring a new baby boy from his wife’s barren womb. He will do it within one year. Then with those dramatic words God makes a dramatic exit. He simply vanishes.

The title of this episode is Marked at the Middle: When God reorders your identity and guarantees your future. This reflects the middle of Abraham’s life story, the middle of Abraham’s body, and the middle of Abraham’s identity. But this episode is not just about an ancient writing technique, or a personal story from long ago. God also wants to meet you and me right in the middle of our life, in the home of our secret thoughts and deepest motivations. He wants to reorder our identity and guarantee our future. The apostle Paul refers to this when he challenges us to be circumcised in the heart.

Time Stamps

00:00 Opening Comments

02:39 God announces his everlasting covenant

09:48 Literary Structure of the Abraham Story

12:42 Circumcision: Marked at the middle

23:48 Birth of Isaac Announced

36:08 Final Comments

Join me in this episode as we discover how we too can be marked at the middle.

Resource

Blog Post showing the chiastic structure of the Abraham story

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

Musical excerpts from "Pour le Piano" by Claude Debussy (Public Domain) performed by your host.

Why does God seem to move so slowly? You pray, you trust, and you continue waiting—but the answer never seems to come. In those long seasons of silence, it's easy to wonder, has God forgotten me? Should I just take matters into my own hands?

Today we explore Genesis 15–16, where Abram and Sarai model two very different responses to God's delay. Abram brings his questions honestly to God and discovers that God is not threatened by sincere doubt. Instead, He strengthens Abram's faith through powerful signs and promises. Sarai, however, can no longer bear the weight of waiting. She devises her own solution but only succeeds in making a mess of her life and all those around her.

What do these ancient stories teach us about waiting for God to show up? How can we trust God's timing when His delay seems impossible to understand?

Join me as we discover why when God keeps you waiting, your best response is to keep waiting.

Timestamps

• 02:05 How to Wait for God
• 20:25 How NOT to Wait for God
• 35:44 What to Do While You Wait (Practical tips to draw near to God)

Make sure to stay with me until the end when we will discuss what to do while you wait. I want to share some practical tips from my own experience showing how we can draw closer to God through these waiting seasons.

Resources

Psalms to pray to God while you wait

• Psalms that ask, “How Long?” Psalm 6, 13, 74, 79, 89
• Psalms that encourage you to wait for the LORD. Psalm 27, 33, 37, 40, 46, 62, 130

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

Musical excerpts from "Pour le Piano" by Claude Debussy (Public Domain) performed by your host.

What does it take to live a life that truly matters?

In this special release, we examine this question as we take a metaphorical mountain climb through Psalm 90, a remarkable ancient prayer of Moses. As we reach the summit of our journey we confront the cold, hard truth: life is brief, and then we die. The Journey doesn’t end at the summit, however, On the way down the mountain we discover that God’s endless nature and our fleeting days is the exact wisdom we need to live a deeply meaningful, worthy life.

Timestamps
01:21 Introduction
05:20 Safe Home of Our Endless God
08:51 The Restricted Path of Our Absolute God
10:52 Exposed Slopes of Our Angry God
13:19 The Cold Summit: Life Is Brief, Then We Die
15:24 Exposed Slopes of Our Angry God (2)
17:53 The Restricted Path of Our Absolute God (2)
25:03 Safe Home of Our Endless God (2)
28:35 Final Comments

Listen and discover how your brief life can become a lasting legacy when lived in union with our endless God.

Send me your comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

For a complete listing of episodes, visit: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/episodes/

Episodes released every two weeks on Monday

Musical excerpts from "Pour le Piano" by Claude Debussy (Public Domain) performed by your host.