The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, February 4, 2019

The True Wisdom of God
1 Corinthians 2:6-16

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, February 4, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 56

Trust in God under Persecution
To the leader: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. Of David. A Miktam, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
1  Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;
     all day long foes oppress me;
2  my enemies trample on me all day long,
     for many fight against me.
   O Most High, 3 when I am afraid,
     I put my trust in you.
4  In God, whose word I praise,
     in God I trust; I am not afraid;
     what can flesh do to me?

5  All day long they seek to injure my cause;
     all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6  They stir up strife, they lurk,
     they watch my steps.
   As they hoped to have my life,
7      so repay them for their crime;
     in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8  You have kept count of my tossings;
     put my tears in your bottle.
     Are they not in your record?
9  Then my enemies will retreat
     in the day when I call.
     This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
     in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I am not afraid.
     What can a mere mortal do to me?

12 My vows to you I must perform, O God;
     I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
     and my feet from falling,
   so that I may walk before God
     in the light of life.

1 Kings 17:8-16

The Widow of Zarephath
17:8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

The True Wisdom of God
2:6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

   “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
     nor the human heart conceived,
   what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.

14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.

16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord
     so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

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
Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them.

The Morning Prayer for MONDAY, February 4, 2019

Monday morning prayer

Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913. When she was forty-two, Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, to a white passenger, which at the time, the law required of African-Americans. She was arrested for her act of civil disobedience and worked with others from the NAACP to start the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The resulting integration of city buses in Montgomery ignited the civil rights movement in the United States and inspired nonviolent movements for social change around the world.

Rosa Parks commented, “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

Lord, we have only to look at your life to know that reconciliation always costs something. Whether we are old or young, strong or weary, rich or poor, supply us with the conviction that reconciliation is always worth the price.

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, February 4, 2019

Psalm 18:1-2 (NIV) I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Read all of Psalm 18

Listen to Psalm 18

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 - Oración por mi carácter

Oración por mi carácter

Pero yo, Señor, en ti confío, y digo: «Tú eres mi Dios». Mi vida entera está en tus manos.

~ Salmo 31:14-15 (NVI)

Querido Jesús: Reconozco que muchas veces no he sido un buen ejemplo para mi familia y mucho menos para las personas que me rodean. Sé que muchas veces mis actitudes no han dado buen testimonio de tu nombre.

Te suplico que me ayudes a retener mi boca y no hablar cosas de las cuales me pueda arrepentir.

Aunque sé que te amo, mi Dios, reconozco que he usado tu nombre en vano y he dudado de tu poder, de tu amor y de tu misericordia.

Te pido perdón con todo mi corazón.

Quiero que formes el carácter de tu Hijo en mí y que yo pueda, Señor, ser un instrumento tuyo en esta tierra.

Guíame para que mi vida llegue a ser ejemplo y tú puedas reinar siempre en mí.

Aléjame, Padre, de personas que no aportan nada bueno a mi vida y, por favor, no me sueltes de tu mano. Te necesito, mi Señor.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Reconozco que muchas veces no he sido un buen ejemplo para mi familia y mucho menos para las personas que me rodean.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - SHUN FEAR AND COURAGEOUSLY PRESS ON

SHUN FEAR AND COURAGEOUSLY PRESS ON

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

~ 1 Peter 3:14 (NIV)

One of the major tactics of Satan is to use difficult situations to create fear in us and thus immobilize our witness. For example, during the 9/11 attack in USA, Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry were being held in a prison in Afghanistan. In an interview with Christianity Today magazine on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Heather Mercer said, “There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about it. God sent me to prison to set me free. I don’t think I realized how much fear I actually had in my life until I had to confront some of my deepest, darkest fears. When I first set out to go to Afghanistan, I knew it might cost me my life to reach Muslims with the love of Jesus. Then I had this opportunity to face that fear of, ‘What would I do if someone tried to kill me for sharing the gospel?’ God made Himself known in such a profound way that now, what do I have to fear?”[1]

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), Wycliffe’s Sue Ambrose was out for a walk on February 4th, 2009. She was talking to the Lord about people, issues and life. As she continued her walk, she read memory verses from three Gospels that say, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

The slapping sound of bare feet running on packed earth causes her to turn around to see a crazed PNG man charge her with a large machete-like knife raised murderously above his head. After a quick altercation and feeling as though she was dying, Sue was rushed to the medical clinic where friends and co-workers were shocked to see her in such grave condition: many abrasions; a damaged hand; a puncture wound near the sternum just below the diaphragm and lungs; and the knife still stuck fast in her hip.

Sue was remarkably calm through the process and felt no pain. Once stabilized, she was transferred to medical facilities in Australia. While in hospital, God gave Sue a clear vision of an angel, “A big warrior kind of guy that was eight or ten feet tall with his sword raised, saying, ‘No, that is enough! I am not going to let you kill her.’” Sue says, “That really opened my eyes to the whole spiritual realm; that this man was part of Satan’s attacks on us, on the training center and on the work of SIL.”

Two and a half weeks after being air-lifted out of the country, Sue returned to her ministry in PNG. The Wycliffe magazine, Word Alive reported: That seemingly simple act proves to be a strong counterstrike to the enemy—a living sermon calling others to shun fear and courageously press on in their respective callings. “I don’t think that I ever considered not going back,” says Sue. “God has given us the strength to return and it has spoken volumes to people.” Sue models an attitude that we all must grasp, the article concluded. Let fear not rule![2]

RESPONSE: Today I will not allow the enemy to use the tactic of fear against me.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for the wonderful examples of fearlessness shown by Your people today.

1. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/septemberweb-only/heather-mercer-interview.html
2. Craig Pulsifer, “Let Fear Not Rule,” Word Alive (Wycliffe Bible Translators, Fall 2011), pp. 33-37.

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 - Rachel

Rachel

Her name means: "Ewe"

Her character: Manipulated by her father, she had little say over her own life circumstances and relationships. But rather than dealing creatively with a difficult situation, Rachel behaved like a perpetual victim, responding to sin with yet more sin, making things worse by competing with her sister, and deceiving her father in return.
Her sorrow: That her longing for children ultimately led to her death in childbirth.
Her joy: That her husband cherished her and would do whatever was in his power to make her happy.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 29-35; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18

Her Story

Was it better to have love but no children or to be unloved and yet mother to a house full of sons? The question battered Rachel like a strong wind slamming the same door over and over.

Leah had just given birth to her fourth son, Judah. In her joy she had shouted, "I will praise the Lord!" Her firstborn, Reuben, meant "See, a Son"; Simeon, "One Who Hears"; and Levi, "Attached," as though Jacob could ever be attached to his plain wife! Rachel was sick to death of this habit her sister had of naming her sons in ways that emphasized Rachel's own barrenness.

Leah had become Jacob's wife through her father's treachery, but Rachel had captured his love from their first meeting at the well outside Haran. Every touch communicated his favor. Yet favor could not make children any more than wishing could make wealth. Rachel should have been his first, his only wife, just as Aunt Rebekah was Uncle Isaac's only wife.

Rachel's father, Laban, had promised her to his nephew, Jacob, provided he work for him for seven years. Seven years was a long time to wait for a wife, yet Jacob had thought it a good bargain. And that made Rachel love him all the more.

But as the wedding day approached, Laban hatched a scheme to trick seven more years of labor out of Jacob. Rachel's day of happiness dissolved the moment Laban instructed her older sister, Leah, to disguise herself in Rachel's wedding garments.

After dark he led Leah, veiled, to Jacob's tent, and the two slept together as man and wife. As the first light crept across the tent floor, Jacob reached again for Rachel only to find Leah at his side. Laban's treachery stung him. It was beyond belief. Even so, despite the recriminations and the tears, the marriage could not be undone.

But Rachel felt undone, her blessing seized by stealth. Laban's convoluted plan, however, was still unfolding. He struck another bargain, giving Rachel to Jacob the very next week in exchange for seven more years of labor. So now the two sisters lived uneasily together, Leah's sons a grating reminder that Rachel, the second wife, was cheated still.

"Give me children, or I'll die," Rachel screamed at Jacob one day—as though he could take the place of God and open her womb. So she gave him Bilhah, her maid, who conceived and bore her two sons. When Napthali, the second son, was born, Rachel proclaimed to anyone who would listen, "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won." But the wrestling match between Rachel and Leah was far from over.

Rachel's bitterness again eased when she herself gave birth to a son, naming him Joseph, meaning "May He Add"—a prophetic prayer that God would add yet another child to her line.

Then one day God spoke to Jacob, telling him to return to the land of Isaac, his father. More than twenty years earlier, Jacob had wrestled the blessing from Esau and then had fled his murderous wrath. Had the long years paid him back twofold? Had Laban's treachery and the wrestling match between Rachel and Leah reminded him of his own struggles with his brother? Would God—and Esau—call it even? Only the Lord could protect him in this matter with his brother.

As Jacob gathered his flocks, his servants, and his children, preparing to leave, Rachel stole her father's household gods, small idols thought to ensure prosperity. After ten days on the road, Laban overtook them in the hill country of Gilead, accusing his son-in-law of theft. Unaware of Rachel's deceit, Jacob invited Laban to search the camp, promising to put to death anyone discovered with the idols.

Having learned a trick or two from her crafty father, Rachel tucked the idols into a saddle and then sat on it. When Laban entered her tent, she greeted him with a woman's ruse, saying, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." Her trick worked, much as Jacob's had when he deceived his own father, and Laban finally gave up the search. Later, Jacob made sure that all the old idols were purged from his household.

As they made their way across the desert, Jacob faced his brother Esau, and the two reconciled. But tragedy soon overtook them as Rachel struggled to give birth to a second son, the answer to her many prayers. Ironically, the woman who once said she would die unless she had children was now dying because of a child. Rachel's last words, "He is Ben-Oni, the son of my trouble," capture her anguish at the birth of this son.

But Jacob gathered the infant in his arms and with a father's tenderness renamed him Benjamin, "Son of My Right Hand."

Like her husband, the beautiful Rachel had been both a schemer and the victim of schemes. Tricked by her own father, she viewed her children as weapons in the struggle with her sister. As so often happens, the lessons of treachery and competition were passed from generation to generation. Rachel's own son, Joseph, would suffer grievously as a result, being sold into slavery by his half brothers, Leah's sons.

Yet God would remain faithful. Through a remarkable set of twists and turns, Rachel's Joseph would one day rule Egypt, providing a refuge for his father and brothers in the midst of famine. Step by step, in ways impossible to foresee, God's plan was unfolding—a plan to heal divisions, put an end to striving, and restore hope. Using people with mixed motives and confused desires (the only kind of people there are), he was revealing his grace and mercy, never once forsaking his promise.

Her Promise

Genesis 30:22 says, "God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive." God remembered Rachel, but he had never really forgotten her. When the Bible uses the word remember, it doesn't mean that God forgets and then suddenly recalls—as if the all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe suddenly hits his forehead with the heel of his hand and says, "Oops! I forgot all about Rachel. I'd better do something quickly!"

No, when the Bible says God remembers something, it expresses God's love and compassion for his people. It reminds us of God's promise never to abandon us or leave us without support or relief. He will never forsake us. He will never forget us. He will always remember us.

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.
Manipulated by her father, she had little say over her own life circumstances and relationships. But rather than dealing creatively with a difficult situation, Rachel behaved like a perpetual victim.

Girlfriends in God - I Surrender (Part 2)

I Surrender

Part 2

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

~ Psalm 23 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

In my last devotion, I described a special Saturday evening revival service at our small country church. I sat in my usual spot, desperately clutching the back of the pew in front of me while wrestling with God over the condition of my soul and my eternal security. After all, I was a very active church member, a soloist and pianist for our worship services, and even directed a children’s choir. I never missed a service unless I was deathly ill. I was a leader in our youth group, rarely failed to attend a youth activity and often brought friends who were lost, unlike me, of course, and needed to know God. How embarrassing to walk down that aisle, admitting to everyone that I had been living a lie. I clung to that pew in sheer arrogance and argued that I was a Christian. I must be. Look at all of the good things I had done. I looked liked a believer, talked like a believer and even acted like I was fully devoted to God … but was I really a follower of God?

As I contemplated the answer to that question, a startling certainty hit me like a ton of bricks! I knew all about God – and then the deeper truth of that reality followed closely behind. Yes, I had certainly accumulated a lot of knowledge about God, but I did not know Him. It wasn’t enough for me or for God.

I have come to realize that God’s perfect love settles for nothing less than an intimate and loving relationship with His children. That night, I stood in the darkness, gazing at the star-filled heavens and cried out, “God, if You are who You really say You are, I give everything I know about me to everything I know about You. I surrender.” I met Jesus Christ that night.

While the course of my life was changed forever, I quickly discovered that I still had to deal with life on a daily basis, and I still had to face stressful situations. However, I also discovered who I really was - a sheep - and being a sheep is awesome!

When I am afraid, Jesus Christ is there to bring peace.

When my heart is broken, the Holy Spirit comforts and restores me.

Even when I found myself in a deep, dark pit of clinical depression, Jesus Christ, my Shepherd, led me from the darkness into the light.

I began to understand the incredible truth that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, had planned my very existence, prepared a plan in response to his love for me, and even made provision for the payment of my past, present and future sin.

I was wanted, chosen and marked for God.

I no longer had to live life on my own because I now had a Shepherd.

God's love precedes me, goes before me and surrounds me as I live each day. Knowing that we are loved fosters peace in our hearts, and when our hearts are filled with peace, there is little room for stress.

Actually, when you think about it, sheep don’t come across as stressed-out creatures. In fact, they seem almost oblivious to the dangers of being a sheep. Sheep don’t seem to worry about where their next meal is coming from, if they will have a place to sleep each night, when the next enemy or thief will attack, or even what the next day holds. When sheep are sick, they simply turn to their Shepherd, instinctively knowing that He will take care of them and comfort them until healing comes.

We need to remember and even revisit the fact that we are all sheep; that Jesus Christ really is our Shepherd and that nothing else really matters.

Let’s Pray

I am so needy, Lord. Everywhere I turn, I am inadequate in my own strength, power and abilities. I waste so much time and energy trying to be everything You already are. Help me remember that I don’t have to depend upon my sufficiency. I can always and forever depend on Yours alone. I am Your sheep. And You are my Shepherd. Praise God!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

I encourage you to read Psalm 23 every day for one week. At the end of that week, examine your stress level.  Has it changed? How has your stress level changed?

More from the Girlfriends

What does it mean to trust God? What would your life look like if you were walking by faith and trusting God with your whole heart? The 10-Day Trust Adventure addresses every decision you make in every area of your life - including your past and future, your family and friendships, your finances and work - and how to make those decisions as you step out in faith and really trust God.

Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through E-mail, Twitter, Instagram, Shopify, or on Facebook.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God

www.girlfriendsingod.com

In my last devotion, I described a special Saturday evening revival service at our small country church.

LHM Daily Devotions - Unfinished Business

"Unfinished Business"

Feb. 4, 2019

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. ~ Psalm 138:8a (ESV)

Christians are a work in progress, specifically, a work created, maintained, supervised, and completed by the hand of the Lord. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 that our life is the workmanship of God, workmanship created in Christ for good works already prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them. Wouldn't it be nice to know specifically which good works the Lord has already laid out for you? With such foreknowledge you could then proceed accordingly to map out your best course of action. Everything would fall neatly into place. Your whole future would be secure, predictable, and comfortable. That may sound appealing for any Christian who ranks security as a top priority, but such a life would be exceedingly boring, not to mention there's no need for faith in the promises of God to sustain you. God knows your future and all the good things He wants you to do in His kingdom. Such knowledge is the "unfinished business" of our life, but it will be revealed piecemeal, day by day, hour by hour, even minute to minute, as we walk in faith trusting the Lord.

Now David cries out in this psalm for God's deliverance from all his enemies. David knows that his victory in the battle comes from the grace of God alone—grace that turns the tide of battle in his favor. Why such preferential treatment for King David? Because the Lord will not leave the house of David alone until God has finished His messianic "business" through him. David says in Psalm 138:7, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand delivers me."

Hooray for King David, but what about you? What is the unfinished business of your life?

Now the invisible powers of this world far exceed the visible threats we see. Jesus warned, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). God stands in judgment over the whole human race—judgment measured by the cross of Christ. The eyes of faith see this reality. In that history of the world your Christian life meanders from birth to death. Against your life are arrayed the forces of hell to divert you from your God-given purpose in Christ; they seek to destroy the life of good works foreordained for you in Christ. The mission of the devil is to tempt you incessantly, seducing you to waste your life so that on the Day of Judgment all the good you could have done in Christ is found negligent and lacking. Against this ugly outcome stands the promise of God through the mouth of David: "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me!" So, believe it! Trust the word that the fog of temptation will evaporate; the despair of life wasted by sin will dry up. Clarity will be restored, and strength of character renewed until the unfinished business of your life is finished to the glory of God in Christ Jesus!

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I am trusting You alone to finish the unfinished business of my life in Christ and fulfill Your purpose for me. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Mark Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Christians are a work in progress, specifically, a work created, maintained, supervised, and completed by the hand of the Lord.

Devocional de la CPTLN del 04 de Febrero de 2019 - Temas inconclusos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Temas inconclusos

04 de Febrero de 2019

Tú, Señor, cumplirás en mí tus planes. (Salmo 138:8a, RVC)

Los cristianos somos una obra en progreso, específicamente, una obra creada, mantenida, supervisada y completada por la mano del Señor. Pablo escribe en Efesios 2:10 que nuestra vida es obra de Dios, creada en Cristo para buenas obras ya preparadas y preordenadas para que podamos andar en ellas. ¿No sería bueno saber específicamente cuáles son las buenas obras que el Señor nos ha preparado de antemano? Con ese conocimiento previo podríamos trazar un mejor curso de acción. Todo encajaría perfectamente en su lugar. Nuestro futuro sería seguro, predecible, cómodo y predeterminado.

Esto puede sonar atractivo para cualquier cristiano que clasifique la seguridad como una prioridad, pero sería una vida sumamente aburrida, sin mencionar que no habría necesidad de tener fe en las promesas de Dios para sostenernos. Dios conoce nuestro futuro y todas las cosas buenas que él quiere que hagamos en su reino. Ese conocimiento es "el tema inconcluso" de nuestra vida, pero se revelará poco a poco, día a día, hora a hora, incluso minuto a minuto, mientras caminamos en fe confiando en el Señor.

En gran alabanza David clama en este salmo para que Dios lo libere de todos sus enemigos. David sabe que su victoria en el día de la batalla viene solo de la gracia de Dios, quien cambia el curso de la batalla en su favor. ¿Por qué ese trato preferencial para el rey David? Porque el Señor no dejará sola la casa de David hasta que no haya terminado todos sus "asuntos" mesiánicos a través de él. "Cuando me encuentre angustiado, tú me infundirás nueva vida; me defenderás de la ira de mis enemigos, y con tu diestra me levantarás victorioso" (Salmo 138:7).

Bien por el rey David, pero ¿y tú? ¿Cuál es el tema inconcluso de tu vida?

Los poderes invisibles de este mundo superan con creces las amenazas visibles que vemos. Jesús advirtió: "No teman a los que matan el cuerpo, pero no pueden matar el alma. Más bien, teman a aquel que puede destruir alma y cuerpo en el infierno" (Mateo 10:28). Dios juzga con la cruz de Cristo a toda la raza humana a lo largo de toda su historia. Los ojos de la fe ven esta realidad. En esa historia del mundo, tu vida cristiana deambula desde tu nacimiento hasta tu muerte. Las fuerzas del mal luchan contra tu vida para desviarte del propósito que Dios te dio en Cristo y buscan destruir la vida de buenas obras preordenadas para ti en Cristo. La misión del diablo es tentarte incesantemente, seduciéndote para que desperdicies tu vida en trivialidades mientras te especializas en cosas insignificantes para que, en el día del juicio, todo el bien que podrías haber hecho en Cristo se vea negligente y flaco.

Contra tal horrible resultado se encuentra la promesa de Dios a través de la boca de David: "Tú, Señor, cumplirás en mí tus planes." ¡Entonces cree! La niebla de la tentación se evaporará. La desesperación de una vida desperdiciada por el pecado se secará. ¡Se restaurará la claridad y se renovará la fuerza de carácter hasta que el tema inconcluso de tu vida concluya para la gloria de Dios en Cristo Jesús!

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, confío solo en ti para terminar el tema inconcluso de mi vida en Cristo y cumplir tu propósito para mí. Amén.

Dr. Mark Schreiber

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Los cristianos somos una obra en progreso, específicamente, una obra creada, mantenida, supervisada y completada por la mano del Señor.

Notre Pain Quotidien - Tout ce que je peux voir

Tout ce que je peux voir

Lisez : Jean 3.22-35

La Bible en un an : Exode 34 – 35 ; Matthieu 22.23-46

Il faut qu’il croisse, et que je diminue. V. 30

Par une journée d’hiver, Krista est restée dans le froid glacial à regarder le magnifique phare enneigé au bord du lac. Quand elle a sorti son téléphone pour prendre des photos, ses lunettes se sont embuées. Comme elle n’y voyait plus rien, elle a décidé de diriger son appareil-photo vers le phare et de prendre trois photos sous différents angles. En les regardant par la suite, elle s’est rendu compte que l’appareil était réglé en mode « selfie ». En riant, elle a alors déclaré : « J’étais centrée sur moi, moi et moi. Tout ce que j’ai vu, c’est moi. »

Or, les photos de Krista m’ont fait penser à une erreur similaire : Il nous arrive d’être centrés sur nous-mêmes au point de perdre de vue l’image d’ensemble du plan de Dieu.

Jean-Baptiste, le cousin de Jésus, savait pertinemment qu’il n’était pas le centre d’intérêt. Dès le début, il a reconnu que sa mission ou son appel consistait à diriger les gens vers Jésus, le Fils de Dieu : « Voici l’Agneau de Dieu » (JN 1.29). Puis il a ajouté : « [C’est] afin qu’il soit manifesté à Israël que je suis venu baptiser d’eau » (V. 31). Lorsque ses disciples sont venus lui dire que Jésus se faisait de plus en plus de disciples, Jean-Baptiste a déclaré : « Vous-mêmes m’êtes témoins que j’ai dit : Je ne suis pas le Christ, mais j’ai été envoyé devant lui. […] Il faut qu’il croisse, et que je diminue » (JN 3.28-30).

Que notre vie soit centrée sur Jésus et que nous l’aimions de tout notre cœur.

Comment m’y prendre pour mieux aimer Jésus?

Qui se pourrait-il qu’il me demande d’aimer?

par Anne Cetas

© 2019 Ministères NPQ
Par une journée d’hiver, Krista est restée dans le froid glacial à regarder le magnifique phare enneigé au bord du lac.