The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, Sept 9, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, September 9, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 2

God’s Promise to His Anointed
2:1 Why do the nations conspire,
     and the peoples plot in vain?
2  The kings of the earth set themselves,
     and the rulers take counsel together,
     against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3  “Let us burst their bonds asunder,
     and cast their cords from us.”

4  He who sits in the heavens laughs;
     the Lord has them in derision.
5  Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
     and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6  “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”

7  I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
   He said to me, “You are my son;
     today I have begotten you.
8  Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
     and the ends of the earth your possession.
9  You shall break them with a rod of iron,
     and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
     be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
     with trembling 12 kiss his feet,
   or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
     for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.

Jeremiah 18:12-23

Israel’s Stubborn Idolatry
18:12 But they say, “It is no use! We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of our evil will.”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord:
   Ask among the nations:
     Who has heard the like of this?
   The virgin Israel has done
     a most horrible thing.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon leave
     the crags of Sirion?
   Do the mountain waters run dry,
     the cold flowing streams?
15 But my people have forgotten me,
     they burn offerings to a delusion;
   they have stumbled in their ways,
     in the ancient roads,
   and have gone into bypaths,
     not the highway,
16 making their land a horror,
     a thing to be hissed at forever.
   All who pass by it are horrified
     and shake their heads.
17 Like the wind from the east,
     I will scatter them before the enemy.
   I will show them my back, not my face,
     in the day of their calamity.

A Plot against Jeremiah
18 Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah—for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us bring charges against him, and let us not heed any of his words.”

19 Give heed to me, O Lord,
     and listen to what my adversaries say!
20 Is evil a recompense for good?
     Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
   Remember how I stood before you
     to speak good for them,
     to turn away your wrath from them.
21 Therefore give their children over to famine;
     hurl them out to the power of the sword,
   let their wives become childless and widowed.
     May their men meet death by pestilence,
     their youths be slain by the sword in battle.
22 May a cry be heard from their houses,
     when you bring the marauder suddenly upon them!
   For they have dug a pit to catch me,
     and laid snares for my feet.
23 Yet you, O Lord, know
     all their plotting to kill me.
   Do not forgive their iniquity,
     do not blot out their sin from your sight.
   Let them be tripped up before you;
     deal with them while you are angry.

1 Timothy 3:14—4:5

The Mystery of Our Religion
3:14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, 15 if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. 16 Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:

   He was revealed in flesh,
     vindicated in spirit,
         seen by angels,
   proclaimed among Gentiles,
     believed in throughout the world,
         taken up in glory.

False Asceticism
4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3 They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

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
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, Sept 9, 2019

The Daily Prayer

for MONDAY, September 9, 2019

Peter Claver (1580 – 1654)

The patron saint of slaves and African-Americans, Peter Claver was a Jesuit priest who served the church in seventeenth-century Cartagena, Colombia. During his ministry, as many as ten thousand African slaves came through the port of Cartagena each year. Recognizing the blasphemy of human slavery, Claver worked tirelessly in ministry among the slaves, baptizing and preaching to as many as three hundred thousand in his lifetime. After welcoming them into the church in a society that considered itself Christian, Claver advocated for slaves’ legal rights as fellow Christians.

Peter Claver liked to say, “Deeds come first, then the words.”

Lord, open our eyes to see that the fruit of life comes when we plant seeds of hope among those whom the world rejects. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, Sept 9, 2019

Titus 2:2 (NIV) Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Read all of Titus 2

Listen to Titus 2

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 - Monday, Sept 9, 2019

Temor en medio de la enfermedad: Testimonio de sanidad (tercera parte)

Busqué al Señor, y él me respondió; me libró de todos mis temores.

~ Salmo 34:4 (NVI)

Fueron varios los momentos que sentí temor, eso es normal. Aunque recordaba que el temor no era de Dios, era una lucha no sentirlo, en especial cuando los médicos no veían mi recuperación de manera positiva.

Hubo situaciones que nunca olvidaré, como el día que me dijeron que me desangraba y tenían que volver a operarme a solo dos días de la primera operación. O cuando me dijeron que necesitaba mucha sangre y empecé a recibir las transfusiones… trece en total.

En ese mes y medio hospitalizada era tan crítica la condición que, como les dije, el temor lo viví en diferentes momentos. Uno de los más difíciles fue cuando en mi recuperación me encontraron una bacteria que me podía quitar la vida en días. Fue tan grave la situación, que decidieron sacarme del hospital con todo un equipo médico y enfermera, pues mis defensas estaban tan bajas que mi vida corría más peligro si me dejaban hospitalizada.

Amigos, no fue fácil, pues padecí una verdadera batalla contra la muerte, una guerra espiritual.

En medio de mi condición, mi refugio era Dios y mi única terapia y consuelo era escuchar a mi madre leerme promesas de la Biblia diariamente y contarme historias de personas sanadas por Dios. Sin cesar me repetía: «Si Dios lo hizo con ellos, lo hará conmigo».

Aunque era consciente de mi salvación, temía morir y no ver más a mis hijitas. Sin embargo, Dios fue más que bueno, pues prolongó mi vida en esta tierra.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Fueron varios los momentos que sentí temor, eso es normal.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, Sept 9, 2019

GRACE

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

~ John 1:16 (NIV)

We now consider the most important characteristic in the training of the disciple of Jesus Christ. That is the quality of living the Christian life with grace.

We use the word “grace” to describe many things in life:

· A well-coordinated athlete or dancer

· Good manners and being considerate of others

· Beautiful, well-chosen words

· Consideration and care of other people

· Various expressions of kindness and mercy

To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.

Also, grace is absolutely and totally free. You will never be asked to pay it back. You couldn’t even if you tried. Grace comes to us free and clear with no strings attached. It is the act of unmerited favor – most often to the down and out.

Christ came down from heaven and he reminds us that the greatest in the kingdom is the one who serves. The ladder of power reaches up, the ladder of grace reaches down.

Dr. Donald Barnhouse said it best: “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.”

Jesus never used the word itself. He just taught it and lived it. And it was written as a description of how He lived His life. The Apostle John describes Jesus’ glory as “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). In a world of darkness and demands, rules and regulations, requirements and expectations demanded by the hypocritical religious leaders, Jesus came and ministered in a new and different way.

After commenting on His glory, John goes on to add, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16). John and the other disciples became marked men. His style became theirs. They absorbed his tolerance, acceptance, love, warmth and compassion so that it ultimately transformed their lives. They too lived their lives demonstrating grace!

Thus grace is Christianity’s best gift to the world. It’s a force stronger than vengeance, stronger than racism, stronger than hate.

RESPONSE: Today I desire to be a person like Jesus – full of grace and truth.

PRAYER: Pray that God would fill your life with the ability to live with the grace of our Lord Jesus.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it.

Women of the Bible - Monday, Sept 9, 2019

Mary, The Mother of Jesus

Her name means: "Bitterness" 

Her character: She was a virgin from a poor family in an obscure village in Galilee. Her response to Gabriel reveals a young woman of unusual faith and humility. Her unqualified yes to God's plan for her life entailed great personal risk and suffering. She must have endured seasons of confusion, fear, and darkness as the events of her life unfolded. She is honored, not only as the mother of Jesus, but as his first disciple.
Her sorrow: To see the son she loved shamed and tortured, left to die like the worst kind of criminal.
Her joy: To see her child raised from the dead; to have received the Holy Spirit along with Christ's other disciples.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-25; 2; Luke 1:26-80; 2:1-52; John 19:25-27

Her Story

She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, an old woman silhouetted against the blue Jerusalem sky. Even the wood beneath her conjured images. Though she could no longer recall the exact curl of his smile or the shape of his sleeping face resting next to hers, she could still see the rough brown hands, expertly molding the wood to his purposes. Joseph had been a good carpenter and an even better husband.

These days the memories came unbidden, like a gusty wind carrying her away to other times and places. Some said drowning people see their lives unfold in incredible detail just before they die. Age had a similar effect, she thought, except that you could relive your memories with a great deal more leisure …

A cool breeze teased at her skirts as she balanced the jug on her head, making her way toward the well. A stranger, she noticed, was approaching from the opposite direction. Even in the dusky light, his clothes shone, as though bleached bright by the strongest of fuller's soap.

"Greetings," he shouted, "you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

No Nazarene, she was sure, would ever dare greet a maiden like that. But with each step his words grew bolder, not softer, rushing toward her like water cascading over a cliff:

"Do not be afraid, Mary….
You have found favor with God….
You will give birth to a son….
He will be called the Son of the Most High….
The Holy Spirit will come upon you….
Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in
her old age."

Wave after wave broke over her as she listened to the angel's words—first confusion and fear, then awe and gratitude, and finally a rush of joy and peace. Her whole being drenched in light. Then she heard more words, this time cascading from her lips, not his:

"I am the Lord's servant.
May it be to me as you have said."

Though the angel departed, Mary's peace remained. The Most High had visited the lowliest of his servants and spoken the promise every Jewish woman longed to hear: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." The moon hung like a smile in the night sky as Mary lifted the brimming buckets and began walking across the fields. As the water swayed and splashed to the rhythm of her movements, she realized that she too felt full and satisfied—as though she had just finished a favorite meal. Questions, she knew, would come with the morning. For now, it was enough to look up at the stars and know that God was at work shaping her future.

...

"Mama, Mama," he yelled, running toward her, chubby arms flung out beseechingly.

"Jesus, what is it now, child?" she smiled, scooping the chunky boy into her arms before he could topple over in the usual tangle of arms and legs. But he was all kisses, squealing and nuzzling his curly head against her breast, as though to bury himself in her soft, warm flesh. She sighed contentedly. How many mothers had she known? But none had adequately described the sheer wonder of a child—the laughter, the constant surprise, the tenderness. Not to mention the fear and worry that were also part of the bargain.

But this was no time to entertain such thoughts. The men from the East had recently left. How strange these Magi seemed, with their tales of a star that had led them all the way to Bethlehem in search of a new king. They had bowed before her dark-eyed child, laying out their treasures of gold, incense, and myrrh—as though paying homage to royalty. One morning, however, they had packed in haste, saying only that a dream had warned them to return home without reporting news of their successful search to King Herod. Even the mention of that king's name had filled her with dread. Bethlehem lay just six miles south of Jerusalem—dangerously close to the man who had murdered his own children out of jealousy for his throne. How would such a ruler respond to rumors of a child-king in Bethlehem?

Two nights ago Joseph had shaken her awake, shushing her with details of the dream he had just had: "Mary, an angel appeared to me. We must leave before sunrise. Herod plans to search for our child and kill him!"

Now they were on their way to Egypt, reversing the steps of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who had led her ancestors to freedom so long ago. Mary wondered, as they rested, if they would ever see their homeland again.

...

"Woman," he breathed the word softly, painfully, through lips encrusted with blood, his lean arms flung out on either side of him, as though imploringly. The palms of his hands were pinned with spikes. He looked at her first and then at the young man standing beside her. "Here is your son." The words came haltingly.

Then to the man, he sighed: "Here is your mother."

She wanted to reach for him with all the might of her love, to bury his sorrow in her breasts, to tell him he was the son she needed most. Would not the God who pitied Abraham also pity her? Would he allow her to suffer what even the patriarch had been spared—the sacrifice of a child? All her life she had loved the God whose angel had spoken to her, calling her "highly favored." But how could a woman whose son was dying on a Roman cross ever consider herself "favored"?

Suddenly her own words came back to her, as though a younger version of herself was whispering them in her ear: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

The midday sky had blackened, but she could still see her son's twisted form on the cross, his eyes searching hers. Thorns circled his forehead in the shape of a crown, a crude reminder of the sign the Roman governor had fastened to the wood: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

She thought of the Magi and their priceless gifts. The gold and incense, royal treasures that had helped them survive their stay in Egypt. She had always wondered about the myrrh. Now she knew—it was embalming oil for the king the wise men had come to worship.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" His cry pierced her. The earth shook violently and she fell to her knees, barely able to complete the words of the psalm for the man who hung dead on the cross:

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent….
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads….
Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God….
They have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
But you, O Lord, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me….
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! …
Future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it. — Psalm 22

By the time Mary opened her eyes, the setting sun had turned the city into a golden land. She smiled, wiping the tears from her wrinkled face. How true the angel's words had been. No woman from Eve onward had ever been blessed as she, the mother of the Messiah, had been. Yes, the past was alive inside her, but it was the future that filled her with joy. Soon, she would see her son again and this time it would be his hands that would wipe away the last of her tears.

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 she could no longer recall the exact curl of his smile or the shape of his sleeping face resting next to hers, she could still see the rough brown hands, expertly molding the wood to his purposes.

LHM Daily Devotions - Sept 9, 2019 - Before They Call

"Before They Call"

Sep. 9, 2019

Let my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your Word! Let my plea come before You; deliver me according to Your Word.

~ Psalm 119:169-170 (ESV)

What cries do you bring before the Lord? Our petitions may be offered up on behalf of family or friends or for our own personal needs. Our prayers so often cover every aspect of our lives: faith, relationships, work, home, and finances. Will the Lord hear our cries? How and when will He answer? We join the psalmist in praying for an answer to those questions: "Give me understanding according to Your Word!"

It is a prayer that God has answered. He addresses our questions about prayer and gives us understanding according to His Word. In His Word, God promises, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15). Jesus said, "Pray then like this" (Matthew 6:9a) and then taught us the words we call the Lord's Prayer, precious words that provide a pattern for all of our prayers. The Word of God teaches us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), something we also learn from the psalmist, whose Spirit-inspired words so often provide us with words we borrow and make our own. And even when we stumble through our petitions, uncertain of the words to say, "the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26b). The teachings of the Word are illustrated by the example of our Lord and His disciples. Jesus would withdraw alone to pray or spend all night in prayer. On the night He was betrayed, He brought His anguished petition before His Heavenly Father's throne. Jesus' followers followed the example of their Lord, praying often for strength through mission and martyrdom.

Even as he prays for understanding, the psalmist also asks, "Let my plea come before You; deliver me according to Your Word." That plea was answered according to another promise of the Word: "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). Before we called on Him, even before the foundation of the world, God chose us in Christ to be His own (see Ephesians 1:4). Before we ever knew or acknowledged our need, before we were born, He sent His Son to save us. As the psalmist begs of God, we were delivered according to the Word—according to the Word of God's promise, according to the Word made flesh, through the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For God showed His love for us "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, through Your love for us in Christ Jesus, hear and answer our prayers. When we have doubts or when do not know the words to say, give us understanding according to Your Word. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you ever get emotional when you pray?
• Could we become better at getting an understanding according to God's Word? How might we do that?
• Are you able to persist in prayer when things are difficult for you? When prayer seems futile, what do you do to center yourself back on God and His Word?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you ever get emotional when you pray?

Devocional del CPTLN del 09 de Septiembre de 2019 - Escucha mi clamor

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Escucha mi clamor

09 de Septiembre de 2019

Señor, ¡escucha mi clamor! ¡Dame entendimiento, conforme a tu palabra! ¡Que llegue mi oración a tu presencia! ¡Líbrame, como lo has prometido!

~ Salmo 119:169-170 (RVC)

¿Qué lamentos le llevas al Señor? Podemos pedirle por nuestros familiares o amigos o por nuestras necesidades personales. Nuestras oraciones a menudo cubren todos los aspectos de nuestra vida: fe, relaciones, trabajo, hogar y finanzas. ¿Escuchará el Señor nuestros lamentos? ¿Cómo y cuándo responderá? Nos unimos al salmista para orar por una respuesta a esas preguntas: "¡Dame entendimiento conforme a tu palabra!"

Esta es una oración que Dios ha respondido. Él aborda nuestras preguntas sobre la oración y nos da entendimiento de acuerdo con su Palabra. En ella Dios promete: "Invócame en el día de la angustia; yo te libraré, y tú me honrarás" (Salmo 50:15). Jesús dijo: "Ustedes deben orar así" (Mateo 6:9a) y luego nos enseñó las palabras que conocemos como el Padrenuestro, palabras preciosas que proporcionan un patrón para todas nuestras oraciones.

La Palabra de Dios nos enseña a "orar sin cesar" (1 Tesalonicenses 5:17), algo que también aprendemos del salmista, cuyas palabras inspiradas por el Espíritu a menudo hacemos propias. Y cuando no sabemos qué palabras usar: "el Espíritu mismo intercede por nosotros con gemidos indecibles" (Romanos 8:26b). Las enseñanzas de la Palabra se ilustran con el ejemplo de nuestro Señor y sus discípulos. Jesús se retiraba para rezar o pasaba toda la noche en oración. Cuando fue traicionado, llevó su angustiada petición al trono de su Padre Celestial. Los seguidores de Jesús siguieron el ejemplo de su Señor, orando a menudo por fortaleza en medio de la misión y el martirio.

Mientras ora por comprensión, el salmista también suplica: "¡Que llegue mi oración a tu presencia! ¡Líbrame, como lo has prometido!". Esa súplica fue respondida de acuerdo con otra promesa de la Palabra: "Antes de que me pidan ayuda, yo les responderé; no habrán terminado de hablar cuando ya los habré escuchado" (Isaías 65:24). Antes de invocarlo, incluso antes de la fundación del mundo, Dios nos eligió en Cristo para ser suyos (ver Efesios 1:4). Antes de que supiéramos o reconociéramos nuestra necesidad, antes de que naciéramos, Dios envió a su Hijo para salvarnos. Fuimos liberados de acuerdo con la promesa de la Palabra de Dios, con la Palabra hecha carne a través de la vida, muerte y resurrección de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Porque Dios mostró su amor por nosotros en que "cuando aún éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros" (Romanos 5:8).

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, a través de tu amor por nosotros en Cristo Jesús, escucha y contesta nuestras oraciones. Cuando tengamos dudas o cuando no sepamos qué decir, danos entendimiento de acuerdo a tu Palabra. En Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo podríamos mejorar nuestro entendimiento de la Palabra de Dios?
• Cuando la oración parece inútil, ¿qué haces para centrarte en Dios y en su Palabra?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo podríamos mejorar nuestro entendimiento de la Palabra de Dios?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Sachant qui est le vainqueur

Sachant qui est le vainqueur

Lisez : Apocalypse 21.1-5

La Bible en un an : Proverbes 6 – 7 ; 2 Corinthiens 2

Il essuiera toute larme de leurs yeux. V. 4

Mon superviseur est un grand partisan d’une certaine équipe de basketball collégiale. Une année, elle a remporté le championnat national et un collègue lui a envoyé un SMS de félicitations. L’ennui, c’est que mon patron n’avait pas encore eu la chance de regarder la finale ! Il était contrarié, a-t-il dit, de connaître le pointage d’avance. Par contre, il a reconnu qu’au moins en regardant le match, il n’était pas devenu nerveux de voir le pointage rester serré jusqu’à la fin. Il savait qui avait gagné !

Nous ne savons jamais vraiment ce que le lendemain nous réserve. Certains jours sont pénibles alors que d’autres sont festifs. La vie peut même s’avérer éprouvante, voire insoutenable, pendant de longues périodes. Malgré les hauts et les bas imprévisibles de la vie, nous pouvons néanmoins rester solidement ancrés dans la paix de Dieu, car – comme mon superviseur – nous connaissons la fin de l’histoire… qui « gagne ».

Le dernier livre de la Bible, celui de l’Apocalypse, lève le voile sur cette finale spectaculaire. Après la défaite définitive de la mort et du mal (20.10,14), Jean décrit une superbe scène victorieuse (21.1-3) : Dieu établit sa demeure en compagnie de ses élus (V. 3) et « [essuie] toute larme de leurs yeux » dans un monde où « il n’y aura plus ni deuil, ni cri, ni douleur » (V. 4). 

En situation pénible, rappelons-nous la fin prochaine des deuils, des larmes, des doutes et des souffrances… et que nous passerons l’éternité avec notre Sauveur. Quelle glorieuse célébration nous attend !

Un jour, souffrances, blessures et larmes ne seront plus.

par Adam Holz

© 2019 Ministères NPQ
Mon superviseur est un grand partisan d’une certaine équipe de basketball collégiale.