The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, February 22, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, February 22, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

Exhortation to Patience and Trust
Of David.
1  Do not fret because of the wicked;
     do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2  for they will soon fade like the grass,
     and wither like the green herb.

3  Trust in the Lord, and do good;
     so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4  Take delight in the Lord,
     and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5  Commit your way to the Lord;
     trust in him, and he will act.
6  He will make your vindication shine like the light,
     and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

7  Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
     do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
     over those who carry out evil devices.

8  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
     Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9  For the wicked shall be cut off,
     but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
     though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land,
     and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
     he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
     he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,
     because they take refuge in him.

Genesis 44:1-17

Joseph Detains Benjamin
44:1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the top of his sack. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the top of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, “Go, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup? 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks? Does he not indeed use it for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’”

6 When he overtook them, he repeated these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Look, the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” 10 He said, “Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be: he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.” 11 Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house while he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one such as I can practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; here we are then, my lord’s slaves, both we and also the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the one in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

1 John 2:12-17

2:12 I am writing to you, little children,
     because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
     because you know him who is from the beginning.
   I am writing to you, young people,
     because you have conquered the evil one.
14 I write to you, children,
     because you know the Father.
   I write to you, fathers,
     because you know him who is from the beginning.
   I write to you, young people,
     because you are strong
     and the word of God abides in you,
         and you have overcome the evil one.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; 16 for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.

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
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, February 22, 2019

1 John 4:18 (NIV) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Read all of 1 John 4

Listen to 1 John 4

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 - La amistad

La amistad

El perfume y el incienso alegran el corazón; la dulzura de la amistad fortalece el ánimo.

~ Proverbios 27:9 (NVI)

Desde que tengo uso de razón, recuerdo a doña Norma, mi madre, diciéndonos a mis hermanos y a mí: «Los verdaderos amigos se cuentan con los dedos de las manos y nos sobran».

¿Por qué será que las madres la mayoría de las veces tienen toda la razón? Y qué bien por eso, pues aunque son nuestras mejores consejeras, no todas las veces obedecemos las advertencias que nos dan.

No sé tú, pero yo si he tenido decepciones con amigas. La amistad es muy hermosa cuando se valora bien. Por eso es espectacular tener un amigo, o una amiga, que sea nuestro confidente. Sin embargo, ¡qué triste es cuando nos fallan o nosotros les fallamos! Ocasionamos mucho daño y nos queda una sensación bien extraña el saber que ese íntimo amigo pasó a ser un conocido.

En el Manual de Instrucciones aprendemos también de la amistad. La Palabra nos dice que «en todo tiempo ama el amigo, y es como un hermano en tiempo de angustia» (Proverbios 17:17, rv-60).

Con todo, hasta en esto debemos tener mucho cuidado. Hay personas que nos pueden ofrecer su amistad y, aun así, quizá no tengan nuestras mismas creencias y nos arrastren a hacer cosas que sabemos que no son buenas. Dios permita que, cuando brindemos amistad, nuestra vida sea un ejemplo a seguir y podamos representar al Señor en la tierra con nuestro testimonio.

Hoy te presento a mi mejor amigo, Jesús. Él nunca cambia, permanece a tu lado en cada momento, está dispuesto a escucharte y ayudarte a cada instante. Y lo tienes siempre a tu alcance.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
«Los verdaderos amigos se cuentan con los dedos de las manos y nos sobran».

Standing Strong Through the Storm - PEACE IN THE FACE OF FEAR

PEACE IN THE FACE OF FEAR

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

~ Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

Twenty-nine-year-old Maryam Rostampour and thirty-two-year old Marzieh Amirizadeh spent 259 days in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison in 2009 in Iran. They had to overcome the fear of life imprisonment and the possibility of execution because they loved and followed Jesus Christ. They had to remain strong through weeks in solitary confinement, and endless hours of interrogation by Iranian officials and religious leaders. They had to endure months of harsh living conditions and debilitating sickness. In their first interview (with Sam Yeghnazar of Elam Ministries), they shared what life was like in prison and how they survived.

When asked about the worst part of the prison experience, Marzieh wept as she explained:

“One of the worst was the execution of two of my fellow prisoners. I had never experienced such a thing. One of those killed was my roommate. We had spent a lot of time together. And one day they took her to be executed. For a week I was in shock that killing a human being was so easy…After these executions the spirit of sorrow and death hung over the prison. There was deadly silence everywhere. We all felt this. There was nothing we could do. Everyone was under pressure. The sadness was overwhelming. We stared at each other but had no power to speak. This was the worst experience. It was horrifying and tangible.”

When asked if she feared execution, Marzieh responded:

“I never thought about execution, I thought we might be sentenced to life imprisonment because that is the punishment for women convicted of apostasy. I just thought this was something we would have to bear.

“Before prison we talked about execution, but when we got to prison and experienced the fear of it—our way of talking changed. The very first night that we were arrested, when they threatened us, we were really frightened. We never imagined we would be so frightened; we had talked about these things before. But the atmosphere there and what happened to us frightened us beyond our expectations. We were confined to a dark and dirty room and paralyzed with fear. We could see the fear in each other’s faces. We prayed and what calmed us was the presence of God and the peace that He gave us.

“It is easy to say that I give my life for the Lord and I will do anything for Him, even die. I always thought it would be a privilege to give my life for the Lord. You say these things. I know for sure that if this would happen to us we would rejoice ultimately. But human fears gripped us. The power the Lord gave us helped us to overcome these fears, just as when we prayed in the police station, God banished our fear and renewed our strength.”

RESPONSE: Today I acknowledge that God can grant His peace in every trying situation I face.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for the promise of Your presence, Your peace and renewing strength.

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

Men of the Bible - Judah

Judah

His name means: "The Praise of the Lord"

His work: A leader among his brothers, he was head of the tribe from which both King David and Jesus would come.
His character: The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, he saved his brother Joseph's life and offered to take his youngest brother Benjamin's place as a slave in Egypt.
His sorrow: To have lived for many years with the knowledge that he and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery.
His triumph: To have received a choice blessing from his father, Jacob, promising that Judah would be the greatest of the tribes of Israel.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 37:26-36; 38; 42-45

A Look at the Man

Though not the firstborn, Judah was a leader among Jacob's unruly sons. His leadership saved Joseph's life, and probably the lives of his extended family as well, because he was able to persuade Jacob that Benjamin needed to come with him to procure more grain in Egypt. His most impressive act of leadership was offering his own life in pledge for Benjamin's freedom, in a way reversing his earlier act of betrayal toward Joseph.

But Judah's leadership was flawed by the act of selling his own flesh and blood into slavery and by lying to his father about what happened to Joseph. It was also marred by what happened between him and his daughter-in-law, Tamar. After Tamar had lost her second husband, Judah's second son, he had promised to arrange a marriage with his youngest son, as the custom prescribed. But Judah failed to keep that promise and then falsely accused Tamar of being a prostitute, threatening her with death. To his credit, as soon as he discovered his error, he admitted that Tamar was more righteous than he.

Like so many of the Bible's best-known characters, and like so many of us, Judah was a man in need of forgiveness. He was a leader who needed mercy, and he found it in the arms of his brother Joseph and in the providence of a God who knew the secret that he and his brothers had kept for so many years.

Reflect On: Genesis 44:14–16
Praise God: Because he knows the state of our hearts.
Offer Thanks: For ways God has strengthened relationships in your family.
Confess: Any sins against brothers or sisters, father or mother.
Ask God: To show you how to make amends for anything you’ve done wrong.

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.
Though not the firstborn, Judah was a leader among Jacob's unruly sons.

Girlfriends in God - The Lord Really is My Shepherd (Part 1)

The Lord Really is My Shepherd

Part 1

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

~ Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

Friend to Friend

The greenest grass is always found in the valley. Shepherds and sheep are well acquainted with the fact that both mountains and valleys are an inevitable part of life.

Remember – the shepherd has to figure out a way over the mountain and through the valley. If a sheep is injured, the shepherd must carry his sheep and tend to its wounds until they are healed and the sheep is ready to return to the fold. The shepherd’s whole world revolves around the safety and comfort of his sheep, even in the deepest valley.

Valleys are a certainty of life. Your job is eliminated. Your husband is having an affair, or your teenage daughter is pregnant. Financial pressure suffocates dreams, or the betrayal of a trusted friend inflicts a wound so deep and painful that you long for that valley of death. Each day is thick with fear, and your heart is filled with disbelief. The valley may suddenly be before you in a time of loneliness or in the shock of a dire medical diagnosis.

The death of a loved one can derail a life. The death of a long-held hope can plunge us into a slimy pit of despair and darkness. Dreams that have slowly died or relationships that have abruptly ended can leave us stranded and alone in our own personal valley of death.

While valleys may come in all shapes and sizes, one thing is certain—valleys will come. That being said, we must ask and answer the question, “How can we deal with the valleys in life?” We must respond with faith.

Don’t let that word – faith – frighten you. You have faith. You walk into a dark room and flip a switch, knowing that the light will come on. You sit in a chair, knowing it will support your weight. You buy a ticket and board a plane, trusting that aircraft to get you to your desired destination. Yes, you have faith. It is just a matter of where you place that faith that makes all the difference in the world. When you place your faith in God, a world of possibilities and impossibilities opens up. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

It was advertised that the devil was putting his tools up for sale. When the day of the sale came, each tool was priced and laid out for public inspection. And what a collection it was. Hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit or pride…the inventory was treacherous. Off to one side was a harmless-looking tool priced higher than all the rest, even though it was obviously more worn than any other tool the devil owned. “What’s the name of this tool?” asked one of the customers. “That,” the devil replied, “is discouragement.” The customer asked, “But why have you priced it so high?” The devil smiled and explained, “Because discouragement is more useful to me than all the others. I can pry open and get inside a man’s heart with that tool when I can’t get near him with any other. It’s badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since so few people know it belongs to me.”

Are you discouraged…afraid…desperately trying to find enough energy to simply breathe? God knows. And He really is your shepherd. He understands that you may only be able to take one tiny, almost imperceptible step of faith. But He sees you, and just like a parent applauding their child’s first stumbling step, God will applaud will honor your choice to take it.

(And be sure to join me in my next devotion for the rest of the story on faith!)

Let’s Pray

Father, I want to thank You for being my Shepherd. Please teach me how to rest in Your care and trust You no matter how high the mountains or how deep the valleys in my life may be.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

By faith, accept the truth that God is always at work in your life and thank Him for His steadfast provision. Look back over the past few days, weeks and months of your life. Now praise Him for the things He has done.

Read Proverbs 3:5-6. What are the steps listed in this passage that – when taken – will help you walk by faith?

More from the Girlfriends

Our faith is tested when the storms of life hit. Are you sitting in a rocking boat that you fear is about to capsize? Mary has a message of hope for you! Check out her book, Hope in the Midst of Depression and discover how to find strength and the courage to face the trials in your life.

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

The greenest grass is always found in the valley.

LHM Daily Devotions - The Treasure We Possess

"The Treasure We Possess"

Feb. 22, 2019

For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever." And this Word is the good news that was preached to you.

~ 1 Peter 1:24-24 (ESV)

The words "Scripture alone" mean that the Bible, the inspired (God-breathed) Word of God, is the only source and authority for Christian teaching. The Lutherans wrote in The Book of Concord that "Holy Scripture alone remains the only judge, rule, and guiding principle, according to which, as the only touchstone, all teachings should and must be recognized and judged, whether they are evil, correct or incorrect." Luther said: "People are not to believe me, the church, the fathers (teachers from the earliest days of Christianity), the apostles, or even an angel from heaven if we teach anything contrary to the Word of God. But the Word of the Lord should stand forever."

Luther had hoped to find a merciful God, but in his study of the Bible he learned that this merciful God had found him! In Scripture we learn that Jesus is the Savior who "came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10b). Jesus' disciple John, using words breathed into him by God, explained why he wrote down the events in Jesus' life: "These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name" (John 20:31).

The Bible describes its words and purpose: "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

(Jesus said) "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me" (John 5:39).

"For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

"Sola"—only or alone—is a good word to use when we talk about the gift of God's righteousness for sinners. We are beggars. We have nothing to offer in exchange for such a treasure. It is given to us only as a gift of God's grace, His goodwill, or favor, toward us. It is a gift received only through faith in Jesus. As Martin Luther discovered, the truth about this treasure is revealed only in the teachings of God's Word, in the good news that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to win forgiveness and eternal life for us. The rich treasure of peace with God is ours as a free gift because the price was paid by Jesus Christ alone.

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, lead us to Your Word and let us remain there, believing it and acting upon it. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

From the Project Connect booklet, A Treasure Revealed: Martin Luther and the Events of the Reformation, by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
The words "Scripture alone" mean that the Bible, the inspired (God-breathed) Word of God, is the only source and authority for Christian teaching.

Devocional de la CPTLN del 22 de Febrero de 2019 - El tesoro que poseemos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

El tesoro que poseemos

22 de Febrero de 2019

Porque: "Todo hombre es como la hierba, y toda su gloria es como una flor. La hierba se seca, y la flor se marchita, pero la palabra del Señor permanece para siempre." Y éstas son las buenas noticias que se les han anunciado.

~ 1 Pedro 1:24-25 (RVC)

Las palabras "solo las Escrituras" significan que la Biblia, la inspirada palabra de Dios, es la única fuente y autoridad para la enseñanza cristiana. En el Libro de Concordia, los luteranos escribieron que "solo la Sagrada Escritura sigue siendo el único juez, regla, y principio rector, según la cual, como única piedra angular, todas las enseñanzas deben reconocerse y juzgarse, sean malas, correctas o incorrectas". Lutero dijo: "La gente no debe creerme a mí, ni a la iglesia, ni a los padres (maestros de los primeros días del cristianismo), ni a los apóstoles, ni siquiera a un ángel del cielo si enseñamos algo contrario a la palabra de Dios. Pero la palabra del Señor debe permanecer para siempre".

Lutero esperaba encontrar un Dios misericordioso, ¡pero al estudiar la Biblia descubrió que ese Dios misericordioso lo había encontrado a él! En las Escrituras aprendemos que Jesús es el Salvador que "vino a buscar y a salvar lo que se había perdido" (Lucas 19:10b). Juan, el discípulo de Jesús inspirado por Dios, explicó por qué escribió los eventos en la vida de Jesús: "Pero éstas [cosas] se han escrito para que ustedes crean que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que al creer, tengan vida en su nombre" (Juan 20:31).

La Biblia describe sus palabras y su propósito: "Tú, por tu parte, persiste en lo que has aprendido y en lo que te persuadiste, pues sabes de quién has aprendido; tú desde la niñez has conocido las Sagradas Escrituras, las cuales te pueden hacer sabio para la salvación por la fe que es en Cristo Jesús" (2 Timoteo 3:14-15).

"En primer lugar, les he enseñado lo mismo que yo recibí: Que, conforme a las Escrituras, Cristo murió por nuestros pecados; que también, conforme a las Escrituras, fue sepultado y resucitó al tercer día" (1 Corintios 15:3-4).

[Jesús dijo] "Ustedes escudriñan las Escrituras, porque les parece que en ellas tienen la vida eterna; ¡y son ellas las que dan testimonio de mí!" (Juan 5:39).

"Porque la profecía nunca estuvo bajo el control de la voluntad humana, sino que los santos hombres de Dios hablaron bajo el control del Espíritu Santo" (2 Pedro 1:21).

"Así que la fe proviene del oír, y el oír proviene de la palabra de Dios" (Romanos 10:17).

"Sola" es una buena palabra para usar cuando hablamos del don de la justicia de Dios para los pecadores. Somos mendigos. No tenemos nada que ofrecer a cambio de tal tesoro. Se nos otorga solo como un regalo de la gracia de Dios, de su buena voluntad o favor hacia nosotros. Es un don recibido solo a través de la fe en Jesús. Como descubrió Martín Lutero, la verdad sobre este tesoro se revela solo en las enseñanzas de la palabra de Dios, en la buena noticia de que Jesús murió en la cruz y se levantó de entre los muertos para ganarnos el perdón y la vida eterna. El rico tesoro de la paz con Dios es nuestro como un regalo gratuito porque Jesucristo pagó el precio.

ORACIÓN: Querido Padre celestial, guíanos a tu Palabra y permite que permanezcamos en ella, creyéndola y obrando de acuerdo con ella. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Del folleto Un tesoro revelado, por la Dra. Carol Geisler

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Las palabras "solo las Escrituras" significan que la Biblia, la inspirada palabra de Dios, es la única fuente y autoridad para la enseñanza cristiana.

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Chúa Nắm Tay Chúng Ta

Chúa Nắm Tay Chúng Ta

Đọc: Ê-sai 41:8-13 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Dân số ký 4-6; Mác 4:1-20

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Ta sẽ làm cho con mạnh mẽ; phải, Ta sẽ giúp đỡ con, dùng tay phải công chính của Ta mà nắm giữ con. Ê-sai 41:10

Cô bé men theo cầu thang nhà thờ vào một Chúa nhật nọ thật đáng yêu, can đảm và tự lập. Từng bước một, cô bé chừng khoảng hai tuổi bước xuống những bậc thang để đi xuống lầu. Bước xuống cầu thang là nhiệm vụ và cô bé đã hoàn thành. Tôi tự cười với mình khi suy ngẫm về sự tự lập và can đảm của đứa trẻ dũng cảm này. Cô bé không sợ bởi vì biết rằng mẹ luôn quan tâm và dõi theo và bàn tay của mẹ đã dang ra sẵn để giúp đỡ mình. Điều này khắc họa sự sẵn sàng giúp đỡ của Chúa đối với con cái Ngài khi họ bước đi trong cuộc đời với vô số những bấp bênh.

Phần Kinh Thánh hôm nay bao gồm hai lần nhắc đến hình ảnh “bàn tay.” Sau khi cảnh báo dân sự của Chúa chớ sợ hãi hay kinh khiếp, Chúa phán với họ rằng: “Ta sẽ… dùng tay phải công chính của Ta mà nắm giữ con” (Ês. 41:10). Nhiều đứa con sợ hãi và bất an đã được vững lòng bởi sức mạnh của cha mẹ. Đây chính là hình ảnh về quyền năng của Chúa. Trong lần thứ hai nhắc đến hình ảnh “bàn tay”, một lần nữa Chúa đã hành động để bảo đảm sự an toàn cho con cái Ngài. “Vì Ta là Giê-hô-va Đức Chúa Trời của con, Đấng nắm giữ tay phải con” (c.13). Hoàn cảnh đời sống và thời cuộc thay đổi, nhưng Chúa vẫn y nguyên. Chúng ta không cần phải tuyệt vọng (c.10) bởi vì Chúa vẫn bảo đảm với chúng ta về lời hứa cứu giúp của Ngài và Ngài đã phán những lời mà chúng ta rất cần nghe: “Đừng sợ” (c.10, 13).

Lạy Cha, cảm ơn Ngài đã luôn dõi theo con.

Tôi được an ninh vì Chúa nắm tay tôi.

bởi Arthur Jackson

© 2019 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Cô bé men theo cầu thang nhà thờ vào một Chúa nhật nọ thật đáng yêu, can đảm và tự lập. Từng bước một, cô bé chừng khoảng hai tuổi bước xuống những bậc thang để đi xuống lầu. Bước xuống cầu thang là nhiệm vụ và cô bé đã hoàn thành. Tôi tự cười với mình khi suy ngẫm về sự tự lập và can đảm của đứa trẻ dũng cảm này. Cô bé không sợ bởi vì biết rằng mẹ luôn quan tâm và dõi theo và bàn tay của mẹ đã dang ra sẵn để giúp đỡ mình. Điều này khắc họa sự sẵn sàng giúp đỡ của Chúa đối với con cái Ngài khi họ bước đi trong cuộc đời với vô số những bấp bênh.