The Daily Readings for FRIDAY, February 9, 2018

Jesus and Abraham
John 8:39-47

Daily Readings

Genesis 27:46-28:22

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women such as these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?" Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, "You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. Go at once to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien-- land that God gave to Abraham." Thus Isaac sent Jacob away; and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he charged him, "You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women," and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please his father Isaac, Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael, and sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had. Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place-- and I did not know it!" And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you."

Romans 13:1-14

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them-- taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet" and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

John 8:33-47

They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father's presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father." They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are indeed doing what your father does." They said to him, "We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God."

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Prayer of the Day for FRIDAY, February 9, 2018

Heavenly Father, I thank you for my life and everything you have bestowed upon me and upon all people, this day and every day. I thank you for the good and bad, the understanding of forgiveness, and your holy power, without which we would have nothing. I thank you this day for all your blessings, your gifts, your never ending love for us. Although we all are sinners, I ask you to forgive me every day for what I might have done wrong, that I might not have noticed. Even though we all come short of the glory of God, I thank you for the sacrifice of your only son Jesus Christ for all our sins. You and only you know us Father and you know if our hearts are true. So once again, I thank you with all my heart and soul. In the name of Christ I pray,

Amen

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, February 9, 2018

Matthew 20:1 (NIV) [The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard] “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

Read all of Matthew 20

Listen to Matthew 20

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Chaplain Kenny - The Parable of the Generous Landowner

The Parable of the Generous Landowner

Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

THINK ABOUT IT
This parable is an extended reflection on Isaiah 5:1–7, which speaks of God planting and caring for the vineyard of Israel. The story questions any entitlement to God’s blessing. The generosity of God is available at any hour and is open to all. From a symbolic point of view, those who feel entitled to work in the vineyard are the ones who refuse to dwell in the transformative power of God’s mercy.

TALK ABOUT IT
What has God done that was generous in your life?

Heavenly Father, I thank you for my life and everything you have bestowed upon me and upon all people, this day and every day. I thank you for the good and bad, the understanding of forgiveness, and your holy power, without which we would have nothing. I thank you this day for all your blessings, your gifts, your never ending love for us. Although we all are sinners, I ask you to forgive me every day for what I might have done wrong, that I might not have noticed. Even though we all come short of the glory of God, I thank you for the sacrifice of your only son Jesus Christ for all our sins. You and only you know us Father and you know if our hearts are true. So once again, I thank you with all my heart and soul. In the name of Christ I pray, Amen

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
What has God done that was generous in your life?

Un dia a la Vez - El primer mandamiento con promesa

El primer mandamiento con promesa

«Honra a tu padre y a tu madre —que es el primer mandamiento con promesa— para que te vaya bien y disfrutes de una larga vida en la tierra».

~ Efesios 6:2-3 (NVI)

¿Sabías que Dios dejó Diez Mandamientos? No obstante, al único que le añadió una promesa fue en el que dijo lo siguiente: «Honra a tu padre y a tu madre, para que disfrutes de una larga vida en la tierra que te da el Señor tu Dios» (Éxodo 20:12).

Sé que los padres no son perfectos. Muchos han cometido graves errores con sus hijos por falta de información o porque les criaron de la misma manera.

Así que nosotros podemos crecer con un resentimiento muy profundo en el corazón, con un rechazo a ese papá que nos abandonó, que nos maltrató, que se emborrachó muchas veces y que golpeaba a nuestra madre. O hacia una madre que insultaba a su hijo o que nos castigaba sin compasión. De modo que esa ira va guardándose por años y, aunque dijéramos que el tiempo lo borra todo, no sucede lo mismo en este caso.

Dios nos recomienda que honremos a nuestros papás y eso significa perdonar y sanar esas heridas del pasado. Es no juzgar lo que hicieron y vivir solamente el principio, pues Dios se encarga de lo demás.

No quiero que pases un día más sin pedirle perdón a tu madre o a tu padre. Si ya no está en este mundo, aprendí una técnica de perdón que da buenos resultados en este caso y es escribirle una carta. Sabemos que no la leerá porque ya no está, pero el efecto es de muchísima sanidad para ti. Allí podrás colocar todas tus frustraciones, iras y resentimientos que necesitas entregar a fin de lograr vivir al pie de la letra este versículo.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Sabías que Dios dejó Diez Mandamientos? No obstante, al único que le añadió una promesa fue en el que dijo lo siguiente...

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE MEANING OF CRISIS

THE MEANING OF CRISIS

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

~ 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Satan delights in causing “panic attacks” in a crisis situation. The Chinese have an interesting lesson in the two characters chosen for their word “crisis.” One character is danger and the other is opportunity. The inference is that in every crisis experience, both elements are present. So a crisis is a dangerous situation presenting an opportunity. When you focus on just the danger, you become paralyzed by fear. Focusing on the opportunity, however, enables you to fly with wings of faith. It is we, ourselves, who choose on which of the two we will focus.

Similar reasons for our personal fears also keep us from being the voice of God in a fallen world on behalf of His church. There is a time for Christians to speak out forcefully against the injustices and sinfulness of our own society and culture. This is especially true in situations where we can help our brothers and sisters who suffer. But fear can keep us tongue-tied. As the church, we must learn to speak out and not be cowed by fear.

As mentioned before, Pastor Simeon Popov was a recognized authority figure among the evangelical Christians of Bulgaria. Although his church was officially registered, the police were constantly watching his activities because he didn't agree with the restrictions imposed by the authorities, in particular those concerning evangelizing.

One day at a secret river baptism early in the morning, the group was all ready in their white gowns when Simeon saw some “shadows” moving behind the bushes. He realized immediately that they were agents of the secret police spying on them. One of them, who was awkwardly hidden, had a camera.

Without hesitating, Simeon called to him, “Hey, you. Come a bit closer!” The man sheepishly approached. “Since you have a camera, why don’t you take a picture of our group?” The police officer was so surprised that he just did it without asking questions. Then the ceremony of baptism took place as planned! A few days later, the secret police agent was even fair enough to give the photograph to Simeon who kept it and made copies.

Remember, when we are fearful, we can claim the promise of Scripture: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

RESPONSE: Today I will not walk in fear but in the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Pray for boldness for pastors today in countries where Satan tries to bind them with fear.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
There is a time for Christians to speak out forcefully against the injustices and sinfulness of our own society and culture.

Men of the Bible - Jacob

Jacob

His name means: "He Grasps the Heel" (Figuratively, "He Deceives")

His work: As an indentured servant of his Uncle Laban for fourteen years, Jacob was a herdsman.
His character: With a mother who encouraged it, Jacob learned the art of cunning and deception. In stealing the paternal blessing from his older brother, Jacob was forced to run, experiencing the consequences of his behavior.
His sorrow: After seven years of hard labor as payment for Rachel, Jacob was deceived by her father, Laban, and was forced to work seven more. During these years he learned firsthand what his own deception had brought on his brother. Later in his life he thought he had lost his son Joseph to an attack by a wild animal.
His triumph: One of the greatest moments in Jacob's life happened when he was reconciled to his brother, Esau. At the end of his life, he recovered another relationship that appeared to have been lost forever—he discovered that his son Joseph was not only alive, but very successful in Egypt.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 27-31

A Look at the Man

Some people's lives seem to glide along with hardly a bump. Like a jockey in parallel cooperation with his horse, they are able to negotiate life's inevitable ups and downs in perfect sequence. No jaw-cracking collisions. No bone-jarring clashes.

And then there are folks like Jacob.

Like a puppy hanging on to someone's pant leg with his teeth, Jacob (meaning "deceiver" or "heel grabber") got dragged and jarred and slammed from one experience to another throughout his life. Of course, he could have let go and lived in relative peace. But that wasn't Jacob.

So what did God do with someone like him? Did he put him in the corner like a naughty child or forever consign him to life's detention hall? No. Instead of putting him away or hiding his adventure-packed story from us, God loved Jacob (Romans 9:13), paid attention to his growth by sending adversaries to challenge him, cared enough to make several personal visits to the man himself, and finally changed his life's course by changing his name.

Another great argument that has plagued intellectuals and laypeople alike is this one: Why does God elect some and not others? Why did God, for example, put his sovereign hand on the Jews in the Old Testament to the obvious exclusion of other peoples? Libraries are filled with volumes dealing with this worrisome question.

However, the real question should not be why God seems to overlook some but, considering our sinfulness and mutinous desires, why he chooses to favor anyone at all?

As we look back at Jacob's life, we see a man whom God loved with a special kind of affection. God saw Jacob as a paradigm of his people, capable of equal amounts of rebellion and repentance, disobedience and confession.

One of the confirmations of God's peculiar love for Jacob was his adversity-filled life. The conflicts within his family were obvious. Forever the younger brother, Jacob must have been slighted by his father's favoritism of his older brother. He may have felt manipulated by his mother's schemes as she used him to fulfill her own plans. He understood frustration in the house of Laban. And he knew the relentless dread of living as a fugitive. In all of these, Jacob was culpable, but God was preparing him for greatness.

For believers, God's presence through the person of the Holy Spirit is constant. But there are only a handful of times when Scripture records a face-to-face encounter between God and people. In his first dream, Jacob sees God standing at the pinnacle of the stairway to heaven. "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go," the Lord said to Jacob. Twenty years later God meets Jacob in the form of a man. As a perfect template of Jacob's spiritual journey, Jacob grapples with a man sent from the Lord. And then, just before the man leaves the crippled Jacob, he gives him a new name and blesses him when he asks for it. At last Jacob learns that the blessing that counts comes from the Father of all.

You may know someone just like Jacob. You may be someone like Jacob. God loves you. Adversity is his gift to you. His presence through his Spirit is real. And he has given you a new name. You're a Christian.

Reflect On: Genesis 28:10-22
Praise God: For being with you even when you didn’t know it.
Offer Thanks: For God’s determination to keep his promises.
Confess: Any tendency to “help” God by using the wrong means.
Ask God: To give you greater confidence in his ability to provide for you as well as for those in your care.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Some people's lives seem to glide along with hardly a bump.

Girlfriends in God - What’s in Your Pocket?

What’s in Your Pocket?

Arlene Pellicane

Today’s Truth

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

~ Proverbs 24:3-4 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

One afternoon, I was going through the laundry, checking all the pockets before loading the washing machine.  I found something I had never found before in one my kid’s pant pockets:  silly putty.  I was very relieved I didn’t find out what that sticky, bouncy, elastic substance would do to the other clothes in the wash!

Another item pulled out of my pocket made me smile.  It was a receipt for puppy toys.  We had just got our first pet, a cute brown dog who was getting bigger by the second.  I pulled play money from my daughter’s pocket from church.  These colorful bucks were earned by bringing a Bible or offering.

In each pocket, I found evidence of where we had been, what we had done, and what we valued enough to keep (or what we forgot to throw away!).  In the hidden, quiet place of the laundry room, I sorted the items.  Silly putty would go back to my child.  Play money and doggie toy receipt went to the trash.

You know, sometimes we need to check the “pockets” of our lives in a quiet place.  What would the evidence found in our purses and homes say about our faith?

Is there anything we’re holding on to that should be thrown away?  Perhaps it’s a grudge or insecurity.

Are there places we are going or activities we’re involved with that aren’t healthy for us?

What do our receipts say about our financial stewardship?

Perhaps we could use a few moments today to de-clutter our pockets, asking God for wisdom for life.  The true way to a beautiful home isn’t found in an interior decorating magazine or purchasing lovely furniture on credit.  Today’s verses from Proverbs 24 tell us that rare and beautiful treasures are results of living with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

King Solomon asked God for wisdom; for a discerning heart to distinguish between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:9).  Likewise, we can ask God for carefulness and shrewdness to manage the daily matters of our lives.

Pay attention to the details of your life because they are shaping your life’s story.  Maybe your phone is taking too much prominence, your treasured possession in your pocket or purse.  We don’t want to build our lives on technology, but on Christ alone.

Take time to empty out your pockets, making sure there isn’t anything hidden in your life which needs to be surrendered to God.  Throw away what ensnares you and extra clutter that weighs you down.  Build your home on wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.  And always remove the silly putty before you do the laundry!

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I need Your wisdom each day to discern between right and wrong.  Help me to spend my time doing things that are good and worthwhile.  May my life be a testimony which brings honor to You.  Forgive me for having a cluttered and divided heart.  Fill my home with rare and beautiful treasures for Your glory.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Proverbs 24:5 (NIV), “The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.”

What is one area in your life where you need more power and strength, God’s wisdom and knowledge?  Talk about this with a spiritual mentor or godly friend in your life.

More from the Girlfriends

If the phone in your pocket is acting as a constant distraction in your life, Arlene’s book Calm, Cool, and Connected: 5 Digital Habits for a More Balanced Life will help.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

One afternoon, I was going through the laundry, checking all the pockets before loading the washing machine.  I found something I had never found before in one my kid’s pant pockets...

LHM Devotion - February 9, 2018 "Two Points About Death (Point Number One)"

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Two Points About Death (Point Number One)"

February 9, 2018

(Jesus said) "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."

~  Revelation 2:10 (ESV)

At 3:05 in the afternoon of March 18, 1937, Lemmie Butler, instructor of manual training at the New London Consolidated School in Texas turned on a sanding machine. The switch from Mr. Butler's sanding machine caused a spark; that spark ignited a mixture of natural gas and air which hovered, unnoticed, in the workroom. That fierce flame raced immediately into a large, enclosed space beneath the school house -- a space into which natural gas had been leaking for an indefinite period of time.
Witnesses say the school seemed to actually lift into the air.

The explosion was heard four miles away; a two-ton concrete slab was thrown 200 feet. There had been 500 students and 40 teachers in the building that day; almost 300 died. Long after the debris had been cleaned away, questions remained. Most of those questions began with the word, "Why?" "Why couldn't the accident have happened ten minutes later. Ten minutes later school would have been dismissed and the students would have been on their way home." "Why? Why did one student survive and the next one die?" "Why did they have to die?"

Ours is a world which is both frightened and fascinated by death. When people come upon an accident, in horror they put their hands over their eyes, and then they open their fingers so they can get a glimpse of the wreckage. In truth, it's difficult to have a devotion about the whys? and how comes? of death.

It's difficult because I know a percentage of you have problems with death, in general. Some of you think that if you ignore death, it will go away. Then there are others who think that there is no point in talking about the questions of death because discussion is just suspicion and speculation. And I dare not forget those who don't want to talk about death because it's simply too close to them.

I can understand. But how about hearing Jesus speak about death? He does that in the 13th chapter of Luke. The Savior had been talking about all kinds of things when the subject of some people who had been murdered in the temple came up. People wanted to know: "Had they been especially bad? Did God have it in for them?"

That day Jesus told them: God hates death as much, even more, than you do.

If you doubt the truth of that statement, even in the least little bit, I encourage you to look at the price God was willing to pay so death -- your death -- might be destroyed. Look into the manger of Bethlehem and see God's Son, Jesus. See your Savior who was willing to leave the glory, beauty, and joy of heaven to enter a world of sorrow and sadness, to be the Sacrifice which needed to be paid for your sins.

Because death is stalking us, Jesus warns, "Don't waste your time pretending to be a coroner who has to do post mortems on the lives of others. Don't be concerned about the desirable or dreadful way somebody else has died." Listen to Jesus who says, "It's not the moment of your death which should concern you; it's being sure of your faith in Him because it is that faith alone which saves and will conquer death -- no matter which way it comes calling."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, death is going to come for me. If not now, then someday. Grant that I may be found firm in the faith, trusting in the Savior who died so I might live. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
At 3:05 in the afternoon of March 18, 1937, Lemmie Butler, instructor of manual training at the New London Consolidated School in Texas turned on a...

Devocional del CPTLN de 09 de Febrero de 2018 "Jesús está a mi favor"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

"Jesús está a mi favor"

9 de Febrero de 2018

Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna.

~ Juan 3:16 (RVC)

Hace unos años, mi esposa y yo construimos la casa de nuestros sueños a orillas de un lago en las afueras de la ciudad. En el piso de arriba hicimos una sala bien grande para acomodar grupos de jóvenes. Hasta ahora, esa casa ha sido de gran bendición.

Dado que la casa mira hacia el oeste, hemos visto algunas puestas de sol increíblemente preciosas. De veras, una puesta de sol sobre el agua es una maravilla.

Pero también tenemos el privilegio de ver la luna reflejada en el agua, lo cual es otra maravilla de Dios. A veces me levanto a las 3:30 o 4:00 de la mañana y me voy al lago en el kayak, a la luz de la luna llena.

¿Qué tiene todo esto que ver con una devoción? Es que más allá de donde uno se encuentre, en la costa o en el kayak en el medio del lago, los rayos de luz siempre le llegan directamente.

¿Cómo puede ser que, si estoy parado en el muelle, los rayos de luz vienen directamente a mis pies? ¿Cómo puede ser que, sea que voy caminando por la costa o remando en medio del lago, los rayos del sol o de la luna siempre me siguen?

¿No es algo maravilloso? ¡Sin lugar a dudas! Es una maravilla que nos recuerda cómo el amor de Dios nos llega en forma directa, personal, y poderosa. Nos llega aun cuando no nos damos cuenta, o no lo apreciamos. ¡Qué consuelo!

Ese rayo de luz me recuerda que Jesucristo, el Salvador, la luz del mundo, es también la luz de mi vida.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, te doy gracias por haber enviado a tu Hijo a salvar al mundo, incluyéndome a mí. En su nombre. Amén.

Biografía del autor: Esta devoción fue escrita por el Dr. Dalane Kitzman, Profesor de Cardiología del Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, y miembro de St. John's Lutheran Church, LCMS, en Winston-Salem, NC.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Hace unos años, mi esposa y yo construimos la casa de nuestros sueños a orillas de un lago en las afueras de la ciudad.

Notre Pain Quotidien - Des amis improbables

Des amis improbables

Lisez : Ésaïe 11.1-10
La Bible en un an : Lévitique 6 – 7 ; Matthieu 25.1-30

Le loup habitera avec l’agneau, et la panthère se couchera avec le chevreau ; le veau, le lionceau, et le bétail qu’on engraisse, seront ensemble. (V. 6)


Mes amis Facebook affichent souvent de charmantes vidéos d’amitiés improbables entre animaux, comme une récente vidéo présentant un chiot et un cochon inséparables, une autre d’un cerf avec un chat et une autre encore d’un orang‑outan femelle donnant la tétée à plusieurs tigreaux.

Or, ces curieuses amitiés si réconfortantes me rappellent la description du jardin d’Éden. Dans ce cadre, Adam et Ève vivaient en harmonie l’un avec l’autre ainsi qu’avec Dieu. Et comme Dieu leur avait donné la végétation pour nourriture, j’imagine que même les animaux y vivaient paisiblement ensemble (GE 1.30). Cependant, par leur péché, Adam et Ève sont venus troubler cette scène idyllique (3.21‑23). Aujourd’hui, tant dans nos relations humaines que dans la création, luttes et conflits sont une constante.

Le prophète Ésaïe nous rassure néanmoins ainsi : « Le loup habitera avec l’agneau, et la panthère se couchera avec le chevreau ; le veau, le lionceau, et le bétail qu’on engraisse, seront ensemble » (11.6). Nombreux sont ceux qui voient en ce jour celui où Jésus reviendra pour régner. À son retour, les divisions cesseront et « la mort ne sera plus […] ni [la] douleur, car les premières choses [auront] disparu » (AP 21.4). Sur cette nouvelle terre, la création retrouvera son harmonie originelle et des gens de toutes les tribus, nations et langues y adoreront Dieu ensemble (7.9,10 ; 22.1‑5).

D’ici là, Dieu peut nous aider à restaurer des relations brisées et à tisser de nouvelles relations improbables.

Un jour, Dieu restaurera la paix parfaite dans le monde.

par Alyson Kieda

© 2018 Ministères NPQ
Mes amis Facebook affichent souvent de charmantes vidéos d’amitiés improbables entre animaux...