The Daily Lectionary Readings for MONDAY, December 3, 2018

The Promise of the Lord’s Coming
2 Peter 3:1-18

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, December 3, 2018

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 90

God’s Eternity and Human Frailty
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn us back to dust,
    and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
    are like yesterday when it is past,
    or like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning;
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are consumed by your anger;
    by your wrath we are overwhelmed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    our years come to an end like a sigh.
10 The days of our life are seventy years,
    or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11 Who considers the power of your anger?
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
12 So teach us to count our days
    that we may gain a wise heart.

13 Turn, O Lord! How long?
    Have compassion on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be manifest to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and prosper for us the work of our hands—
    O prosper the work of our hands!

Numbers 17:1-11

The Budding of Aaron’s Rod
17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the Israelites, and get twelve staffs from them, one for each ancestral house, from all the leaders of their ancestral houses. Write each man’s name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each ancestral house. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout; thus I will put a stop to the complaints of the Israelites that they continually make against you. 6 Moses spoke to the Israelites; and all their leaders gave him staffs, one for each leader, according to their ancestral houses, twelve staffs; and the staff of Aaron was among theirs. 7 So Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant.

8 When Moses went into the tent of the covenant on the next day, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted. It put forth buds, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites; and they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept as a warning to rebels, so that you may make an end of their complaints against me, or else they will die.” 11 Moses did so; just as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

2 Peter 3:1-18

The Promise of the Lord’s Coming
3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you 2 that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. 3 First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!” 5 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, 6 through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.

8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

Final Exhortation and Doxology
14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in square brackets.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, December 3, 2018

Monday morning prayer

Lord,

Sometimes, Monday can be a hard day. Dreaded on Sunday and fled from on a Friday. Yet why Lord as Monday could be the beginning of a work adventure, the new challenge of a week filled with potential? So I pray you would help me to embrace this day.

Let it be a new day and a wonder day. Help me to see not the clouds but the sunrise, not the rain but the ripples of falling drops. Show me the joy of the embrace with loved ones, not the tensions and troubles. Monday need not be the grudge day to be endured but the fun day to be embraced.

This day, help me to turn my eyes towards your Kingdom, of love, hope and new beginnings.

Amen

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, December 3, 2018

John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Read all of John 6

Listen to John 6

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

Un dia a la Vez - Necesitamos cambiar

Necesitamos cambiar

Dichosos los que guardan sus estatutos y de todo corazón lo buscan. Jamás hacen nada malo, sino que siguen los caminos de Dios.

~ Salmo 119:2-3 (NVI)

Estamos viendo en estos días la necesidad que tenemos de rendir a Dios las actitudes, los pensamientos y los comportamientos a fin de tener libertad y bendición.

El Señor tuvo que quebrantarme en muchas esferas de mi vida con el propósito de hacerlas nuevas. Por ejemplo, el espíritu de infidelidad. Esto no significa que fuera una mujer así toda la vida. Sin embargo, mis continuos problemas emocionales y mis malas relaciones con mis ex esposos me llevaron a cometer terribles errores como un intento de aborto en mi juventud antes de conocer a Jesús. Aun conociendo a mi Dios, llegué a perderlo todo un día, y de una relación fuera del matrimonio nació mi tercera princesa.

Han sido muchas mis caídas y las consecuencias terribles. Solo por la misericordia de Dios volví a ganar credibilidad hasta con mis propias hijas, recuperar mi trabajo en la radio y, sobre todo, volver a ser feliz.

Dios me concedió los recursos para forjar una nueva vida que me tomó años de obediencia, de guardarme y dedicarme solo a mis hijas y al ministerio, además de cumplir pactos muy serios y radicales con Él.

Asimismo, tuve que reconocer que estaba enferma emocionalmente, y que si no cambiaba, seguiría perdiendo a las personas que amaba.

Por eso, mi amigo, te invito a que lleves cautiva tu vida a Jesús. Él es el único que te puede ayudar a hacer cambios para siempre y ser feliz.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Estamos viendo en estos días la necesidad que tenemos de rendir a Dios las actitudes, los pensamientos y los comportamientos a fin de tener libertad y bendición.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - MINISTRY FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

MINISTRY FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

…to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

~ Ephesians 4:12 (NIV)

Another function of the church is ministry. As Christians we need to be aware of the spiritual needs of others and sensitively seek to help them at every opportunity—both fellow-believers and non-believers. A word of encouragement or a small act of kindness may be the deciding factor in whether or not a struggling friend is able to stand against the enemy.

In a tribal area of northeast India, the poor Christians of one tribe made great sacrifices and took great risks to aid and encourage the new believers in another tribe after their leader, his wife and ten-year-old daughter were killed for their witness.

Ministry is demonstrating God’s love to others by meeting their needs and healing their hurts in the name of Jesus. Each time you reach out in love to others you are ministering to them. The church is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry.

A co-worker and his family were visiting in the southern part of the Ukraine. As they entered the hotel after a tiring day in the streets, their daughter came sobbing into their room. “I saw a man today begging for money. He had no legs and was sitting on a skateboard. He looked so poor and lonely.” The tears rolled down her cheeks. She truly felt compassion for a sight that they didn’t even notice.

“I think Jesus wants us to give him a Bible when we see him again,” she commented after they prayed together.

The following morning early, as they started their journey through the streets of Odessa, it wasn’t long before she saw him. They knew that there was a certain amount of risk involved in handing out Bibles in the streets and thus didn’t want to make it too obvious. He opened the Bible and slowly started paging through it. He reached down and took all the money in the handkerchief next to him and offered it to them.

They suddenly realized that he must be under the impression that they were selling the Bible on the black market and therefore the offer of all his savings. “Nyet, gift, gift,” and they pushed back his hand with the money. He took the Bible, pressed it against his chest and then tears started rolling down his cheeks. He opened the Bible spending several minutes reading and paging through a book that he had obviously heard about but had never seen. They left him with hearts overflowing with gratitude.

Jesus made ministry so simple. It can be as easy as offering a thirsty person a glass of water in His name!

RESPONSE: Today I will look for opportunities to minister to needy hearts in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I ask You to show me today those to whom I can minister in Your name.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

Women of the Bible - Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene

Her name means: "Bitterness"

Her character: Though mistakenly characterized as a prostitute in many popular writings, the Bible says only that Mary was possessed by seven demons. She probably suffered a serious mental or physical illness from which Jesus delivered her. She is a beautiful example of a woman whose life was poured out in response to God's extravagant grace.
Her sorrow: To watch Jesus' agony at Calvary.
Her joy: To have been the first witness to Jesus' resurrection.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1-19; Luke 8:2; 24:10; John 19:25; 20:1-18

Her Story

She made her way through the shadows to the garden tomb, grateful for the darkness that shrouded her tears. How, she wondered, could the world go on as though nothing at all had happened? How could the mountains keep from crashing down, the sky resist falling? Had everyone but her lost their minds? Had no one noticed that the world had collapsed two days ago?

For the past three years she had followed the rabbi across Galilee and Judea, providing for him out of her own small purse. She had loved his hearty laughter and the smile that flashed across his face whenever he saw her. Wherever they went, she felt privileged to tell her story, grateful to be among his growing band of followers.

She had grown up in Magdala, a prosperous town on the west bank of the Sea of Galilee. But she had not prospered. How could a woman thrive when she was filled with demons who controlled her mind? Though she had begged for mercy, no mercy had been given. Instead, her delusions locked her in a nightmare world, isolating her even from small pleasures and simple kindnesses.

But then Jesus had come. Like no rabbi she had ever encountered, he seemed neither afraid nor repulsed by her illness. "Mary," he had called to her, as though he had known her all her life. Despite the heat, she shivered as he drew near, her stomach suddenly queasy. Though she backed away, she could feel a great light advancing toward her, forcing the darkness away. Suddenly her familiar companions were themselves begging mercy, but no mercy was given.

Mary Magdalene, a woman possessed by seven demons, was restored to her right mind, her bondage a thing of the past. Eyes that had once been holes swallowing the light now shone like pools reflecting the sun.

Since then, everyone in Magdala had marveled at the change in her. How could Mary not love such a man? How could she not want to do everything for him? She thought she was living in heaven—to be close to Jesus; to witness healing after healing; to be stirred, surprised, and refreshed by his teaching. This, indeed, was joy to a woman unaccustomed to joy.

But Jesus had his share of enemies, she knew. Religious leaders in Jerusalem had been stung by his truth-telling, offended by his galling lack of diplomacy. Still, every trap they laid for him had failed … until now.

How suddenly they had struck, even though Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims for Passover. The temple guard had arrested him at night and then turned him over to Roman authorities, who mocked and whipped him nearly to death. The rabbi from Galilee, who had promised the poor in spirit they would surely inherit the kingdom of heaven, was now in chains. His hunger and thirst for righteousness had left him not full, but empty and broken. Unblessed, he had become a curse, his body hanging naked on a Roman cross.

Mary had done her best to fight off the shadows that crowded near again as she waited through the awful hours of his agony, unable to look at the spectacle before her, yet unable to turn away. Whatever his suffering, she needed to be near him.

When it was over, she had watched Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea unfasten his body from the cross. Gently they had wrapped him in myrrh and aloe, enough for a king's burial. Finally, as the stone rolled across the tomb, sealing it shut, she had turned away.

After the Sabbath was over, on the next day, Mary purchased yet more spices. Before the sun came up on Sunday, she approached the tomb. How on earth, she wondered, could she roll away the massive stone? But, to her surprise, the mouth of tomb lay wide open. Strips of linen were lying on the floor and the burial cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head was folded up by itself. What had they done with his body? she wondered. To be cheated of this last chance of touching him and caring for him was more than she could bear.

She stood outside the tomb weeping. Then, bending over, she looked inside. Two creatures in white sat on the stony shelf where the body had been laid. "Woman, why are you crying?" they asked.

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." Then she turned and saw a man studying her.

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Mistaking him for the gardener, she pleaded, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

"Mary," he said.

Startled, she cried out, "Rabboni" (meaning Teacher).

By now the sun had risen. With it fled the darkness that had pursued her ever since she had heard the news of his arrest. Jesus, the one who had raised her from a living death, had himself risen from the dead.

Mary fell to the ground in awe, remembering the words of the prophet Isaiah: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." The garden that had so recently been a place of shadows and gloom now seemed green and bright, as though paradise itself had broken through.

The risen Jesus had appeared, not to rulers and kings, nor even first of all to his male disciples, but to a woman whose love had held her at the cross and led her to the grave. Mary Magdalene, a person who had been afflicted by demons, whose testimony would not have held up in court because she was a woman, was the first witness of the resurrection. Once again, God had revealed himself to the lowly, and it would only be the humble whose hearing was sharp enough to perceive the message of his love.

Her Promise

Jesus not only knew Mary's name, he knew everything about her. He remembered the day he had cast the demons out of her. He remembered her many practical kindnesses. He saw how she suffered with him as she watched him die on the cross.

Just as Jesus knew the intimate details of Mary's life, he knows about you. When you are tempted to lose hope, when life seems too empty to go on, when grief overwhelms you—Jesus cares. When those you love have let you down, when you think you can't go on for another minute, when your problems crush you—Jesus cares. He calls your name, just as he called Mary's. And you, too, can go on like the women who went from the tomb, perhaps still a bit afraid yet "filled with joy" (Matthew 28:8).

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
Though mistakenly characterized as a prostitute in many popular writings, the Bible says only that Mary was possessed by seven demons.

Girlfriends in God - Have You Learned This Lesson Yet?

Have You Learned This Lesson Yet?

Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

~ James 1:19-20 (NIV)

Friend To Friend

“I’m a terrible mom!” Do you ever say these words?

I do.

And I did that day… the day years ago when I was working in my office, minding my own business, when out of now where my son threw a paper airplane at the back of my head… on purpose.

Not one to normally welcome an air attack, I gritted my teeth, gave him the stern “mom voice,” and asked him to stop messing around. I told him I needed some private time so I could get some work done.

He agreed, and turned to leave.

Then he jumped around and threw the paper airplane at me again!

Let me tell you, my grace-o-meter was reading pretty low at this point. I barked like an angry dog. “What in the world do you think you are doing? I just told you that I needed to be left alone so I can get some work done! Stop it, Preston!”

“But mom, there’s a message on the plane,” he tenderly replied. “Read it.”

As I unfolded the orange, construction paper airplane, I saw this message written in pink marker: “Mom, I Love You.” A few X’s and O’s followed his affectionate plane declaration. You know: hug, hug, kiss, kiss. Pure precious.

Nice! I said to myself. Loser-mom strikes again.

I had scolded my son and reacted out of frustration with a harsh tone. All the while, my son was trying to tell me that he loves me.

I felt horrible.

Time stood still as a self-condemning, toxic internal dialog began.

Shame began to fill my heart, but as it did the Spirit of God within me gently nudged – reminding me that condemnation is not from Him. His conviction, however, spurred me on toward choosing a more godly response.

I whispered a quick prayer. And as I moved in the way of grace the Lord changed the tone of my heart. God’s love trumped my anger.

I called Preston back into my office and apologized for my behavior. I invited my tall, lanky pre-teen to sit on my lap and stared a new conversation in a calmer tone. Honey, while I’m not particularly fond of airplane attacks, especially while I’m working, I AM fond of love attacks.

We shared a sweet moment. And as we reconciled, this truth rose in my heart:  when we allow God’s love to trump our anger, we position ourselves to experience restoration in relationships.

The Bible tells us that we are to be slow to anger.

“My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”(James 1:19-20)

It’s a lesson that I am still learning.

Now, that doesn’t mean we should never be angry. Jesus exhibited righteous anger in the Jerusalem temple when he drove out the merchants that were buying and selling there. Righteous anger is biblically permissible. We should be angry about sin and injustice. But when we respond to others in anger, it becomes our sin.

Got any relationships that are in need of restoration?

Is there any anger, unforgiveness, or bitterness in your heart that might be gaining a stronghold in your life and keeping you from God’s best?

Are you quick to listen or quick to speak?

The benefits of allowing the love of God to trump any anger in my heart is tremendous, but the application sure can be challenging. I can’t overcome my natural, sinful tendencies to react, and overreact, in anger alone. I need God’s help. You do too. His grace meet us at our needs when we call on Him, and the Holy Spirit will help us to respond in God’s perfect love - not our own.

I want to be quick to listen to the whispers of God’s love.

Join me in asking God for His love to lead us today.

Let’s Pray

Holy Father, You are perfect in love… and I am not. I confess my anger / bitterness / unforgiveness right now when it comes to _______________ (fill in the blank). Please forgive me and bring restoration to the relationships that have been affected by my anger. Help me recognize when I over-react or when I respond in anger that is ungodly.  Give me the grace to respond in love, to be slow to speak, and quick to listen.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

READ Ephesians 4:26-31. Make a list of what the Bible says we should and should not do. Then use that list to guide you in prayer.

Do you need to trade anger for love? Spend a few moments in prayer.

More From the Girlfriends

Gwen Smith’s book, I Want It ALL, is filled with practical help, Biblical depth, and applicable lessons. And it includes a Bible Study Guide right in the back. No extra purchases required! READY TO PEEK INSIDE THE PAGES? Download a FREE sample chapter at iwantitallbook.com. Or order yours today from Amazon, or your favorite retailer. For a signed copy, click here to order yours from our web store.

Get a FREE downloadable copy of the I WANT IT ALL 7 Day Devotional Ebook here.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

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“I’m a terrible mom!” Do you ever say these words?

LHM Daily Devotions - ENEMIES

"ENEMIES"

Dec. 3, 2018

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

~ Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

Can being enemies ever be a good thing?

Normally my answer would be "No." We learn even as children that it's not good to be enemies with other people. Our parents tell us, "Say you're sorry," and "Be nice and make up with each other. Don't be enemies."

But in the case of humanity and the devil, enmity isn't a bad thing—in fact, it's a gift.

Hear what God says to the devil right after Adam and Eve disobeyed God. He says, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring." Up to this point human beings and the devil haven't been relating to each other as enemies—and that's the problem. When the devil was tempting her, Eve listened to the devil as if he were a friend. Adam and Eve took the devil's suggestion as if he had their best interests at heart—which of course he didn't. Sounds like a little enmity is just what's needed in this situation!

And so God gives it to them. But the enmity didn't come out of nowhere. God says, "I will put enmity ... between your offspring and her offspring." Who is He talking about? Why, about Jesus, the promised Savior who would be the descendant of Eve and overcome all the offspring of the devil—that is, all evil powers that harm humanity.

Because Jesus is God Himself, He knew the devil for what He was—a rebel, a liar, and a murderer. And so Jesus took human flesh in defense of humanity, the people He chose to love as His own. As true man, He overcame our enemy through His own death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. He broke the power of evil over everyone who trusts in Him. And now He shares that same victory over our enemy with everyone who loves Him. Thank You, Lord!

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for saving us from our enemy and making us to be Your friends—better than that, Your own family. We love You, Lord. Amen.

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Can being enemies ever be a good thing?

Devocional del CPTLN de 03 de Diciembre de 2018 - Enemigos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Enemigos

03 de Diciembre de 2018

Yo pondré enemistad entre la mujer y tú, y entre su descendencia y tu descendencia; ella te herirá en la cabeza, y tú le herirás en el talón.

~ Génesis 3:15 (RVC)

¿Puede ser bueno ser enemigos? Normalmente mi respuesta sería "no". Ya lo aprendemos de niños, cuando nuestros padres nos dicen: "Pide perdón, haz las paces y hazte amigo". Pero cuando se trata del diablo, la enemistad no es algo malo sino un regalo.

Escucha lo que Dios le dice al diablo luego que Adán y Eva le desobedecieron: "Pondré enemistad entre la mujer y tú, y entre tu descendencia y su descendencia". Hasta este punto, los seres humanos y el diablo no eran enemigos, y eso fue un problema. Cuando el diablo la tentó, Eva lo escuchó como a un amigo. Adán y Eva aceptaron su sugerencia como si él tuviera sus mejores intereses en el corazón, lo que por supuesto no era cierto. ¡Hubiera venido bien un poco de enemistad!

Y Dios se la da. Pero la enemistad no surgió de la nada. Dios dice: "Pondré enemistad... entre tu descendencia y su descendencia". ¿De quién está hablando? De Jesús, el Salvador prometido que sería descendiente de Eva y vencería a todos los descendientes del diablo, es decir, a todos los poderes malvados que dañan a la humanidad.

Siendo Dios, Jesús conocía al diablo por lo que era: un rebelde, mentiroso y asesino. Y así es que Jesús tomó carne humana en defensa de la humanidad, las personas que eligió amar como propias. Como verdadero hombre, Jesús venció a nuestro enemigo con su muerte en la cruz y su resurrección de entre los muertos. Él rompió el poder del mal sobre todos los que confían en él, y ahora comparte esa misma victoria sobre nuestro enemigo con todos los que lo aman. ¡Gracias, Señor!

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, gracias por salvarnos de nuestro enemigo y hacer que seamos tus amigos; mejor aún, tu propia familia. Te amamos, Señor. Amén.

© Copyright 2018 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Puede ser bueno ser enemigos?

Unser Täglich Brot - Danke, dass du du bist!

Danke, dass du du bist!

Lesung: Psalm 100 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Hesekiel 45–46; 1. Johannes 2

MP3 herunterladen

Geht zu seinen Toren ein mit Danken. Psalm 100,4

Als ich meiner Mutter in einem Krebszentrum pflegte, lernte ich Lori kennen, eine weitere Pflegerin, die mit ihrem Mann Frank auf dem gleichen Flur wohnte. Ich redete, lachte, ließ Frust ab, weinte und betete mit Lori im gemeinsamen Wohnbereich. Wir genossen es, einander zu unterstützen, während wir unsere Lieben versorgten.

Eines Tages verpasste ich den kostenlosen Bus, der die Bewohner zum Supermarkt brachte. Lori bot an, mich später am Abend zum Laden zu fahren. Voll Dank nahm ich mit Tränen ihr Angebot an. „Danke, dass du du bist“, sagte ich. Ich war wirklich dankbar dafür, wer sie als Person war, nicht nur, was sie für mich als Freundin tat.

Psalm 100 demonstriert Gott gegenüber dafür eine Dankbarkeit, wer er ist, nicht nur dafür, was er alles tut. Der Psalmist lädt „alle Welt“ (V. 1) ein, „dem Herrn mit Freude zu dienen“ (V. 2), und zu erkennen, „dass der Herr Gott ist“ (V. 3). Unser Schöpfer lädt uns in seine Gegenwart ein, „ihm zu danken und seinen Namen zu loben“ (V. 4). Ja, der Herr ist unserer anhaltenden Dankbarkeit würdig, weil „er freundlich“ ist, „sein Gnade ewig währt“ und „seine Wahrheit für und für“ (V. 5).

Gott wird immer der Schöpfer und Erhalter des Universums sein und unser innig liebender Vater. Er verdient unsere aufrichtige mit Freude erfüllte Dankbarkeit.

Herr, danke, dass du du bist!

Mit wem kannst du heute Gottes Liebe teilen?

Von Xochitl Dixon

© 2018 Unser Täglich Brot
Als ich meiner Mutter in einem Krebszentrum pflegte, lernte ich Lori kennen, eine weitere Pflegerin, die mit ihrem Mann Frank auf dem gleichen Flur wohnte.