The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, October 15, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, October 15, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 102:1-17

(Like a lonely bird on a housetop)

Prayer to the Eternal King for Help
A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.
1  Hear my prayer, O Lord;
     let my cry come to you.
2  Do not hide your face from me
     in the day of my distress.
   Incline your ear to me;
     answer me speedily in the day when I call.

3  For my days pass away like smoke,
     and my bones burn like a furnace.
4  My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
     I am too wasted to eat my bread.
5  Because of my loud groaning
     my bones cling to my skin.
6  I am like an owl of the wilderness,
     like a little owl of the waste places.
7  I lie awake;
     I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8  All day long my enemies taunt me;
     those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9  For I eat ashes like bread,
     and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
     for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like an evening shadow;
     I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
     your name endures to all generations.
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
     for it is time to favor it;
     the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold its stones dear,
     and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
     and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the Lord will build up Zion;
     he will appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
     and will not despise their prayer.

Jeremiah 29:24-32

(Jeremiah exposes a false prophet)

The Letter of Shemaiah
29:24 To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: 25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: In your own name you sent a letter to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, 26 The Lord himself has made you priest instead of the priest Jehoiada, so that there may be officers in the house of the Lord to control any madman who plays the prophet, to put him in the stocks and the collar. 27 So now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who plays the prophet for you? 28 For he has actually sent to us in Babylon, saying, “It will be a long time; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat what they produce.”

29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 Send to all the exiles, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and has led you to trust in a lie, 32 therefore thus says the Lord: I am going to punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants; he shall not have anyone living among this people to see the good that I am going to do to my people, says the Lord, for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.

Ephesians 6:10-20

(An ambassador in chains)

The Whole Armor of God
6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

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 Daily Lectionary
Psalm 102:1-17; Jeremiah 29:24-32; Ephesians 6:10-20

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, October 15, 2019

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, October 15, 2019

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

In sixteenth-century Spain, where women had little voice, Teresa of Avila stood out as a spiritual giant, reforming her Carmelite order, founding seventeen new communities, writing four books, and challenging countless men and women to grow in the life of prayer. As attested to by her writings and by her friends and disciples (including John of the Cross), Teresa’s own prayer life was perhaps her most important gift to the church. “Prayer,” she wrote, “is nothing but friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with Him who we know loves us.”

Teresa of Avila said, “Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and that there is only one glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.”

Purify our hearts, O Lord, to long for the one true thing and be distracted by nothing. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, October 15, 2019

2 Samuel 7:22 (NIV) “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

Read all of 2 Samuel 7

Listen to 2 Samuel 7

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 - Martes 15 de Octubre de 2019

Las cosas fluyen de Dios

Que el Señor, Dios de Israel, bajo cuyas alas has venido a refugiarte, te lo pague con creces.

— Rut 2:12 (NIV)

Amigos, ¡qué hermoso e importante es que Dios se involucre en nuestra vida! Aunque no lo veamos, Él se preocupa de nuestras cosas y le interesa favorecernos, guiarnos y ayudarnos.

De seguro has vivido situaciones en las que crees que Dios está en el asunto. Entonces, las cosas no se dan como esperabas y todo cambia de repente. Así que te sientes triste, derrotado y desconsolado. Lo que es peor, muchas veces ponemos nuestra confianza en nosotros mismos o en otra persona y nos frustramos.

Algo que he aplicado para mi propia tranquilidad es que todo lo que anhele y lo que quiera emprender debe llevar el sello de respaldo de mi Jesús. He comprobado que cuando las cosas son de Dios, fluyen con facilidad y se abren puertas. Es más, hay respaldo y bendición en medio de lo que hacemos.

Esto también se ajusta a nuestra vida espiritual, emocional y laboral. Por eso debemos entender que cuando las cosas se hacen realidad, son de Dios y serán duraderas. Las cosas de Dios son eternas…

Todo lo que emprendas y todas las decisiones que tengas que tomar ponlas en manos del Señor.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Amigos, ¡qué hermoso e importante es que Dios se involucre en nuestra vida!

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, October 15, 2019

REJOICING IN PERSECUTION

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”

— Luke 6:23 (NIV)

This scripture verse follows Jesus’ statement about the blessings of persecution: hatred, exclusion, insult and rejection in Luke 6:22. This description is of persecution that is like Indian curry. It can be mild, medium or hot! And this verse parallels Jesus teaching in Matthew (5:12) about how we should respond when persecution comes our way.

Jesus does not just say accept it or receive it gracefully. He seems to almost go overboard in indicating that we should be glad and rejoice by leaping for joy when we receive this kind of treatment. Some would say Jesus goes over the top here.

The reason for rejoicing is because the persecuted disciple of Jesus is going to receive a great reward in heaven and is in the company of the prophets of old who also received this kind of treatment.

Can we realistically “jump for joy” in the face of persecution?

Pastor Richard Wurmbrandt was languishing in a Romanian prison cell after months of torture and now isolation. He was meditating on this scripture and decided to make a literal application. So Richard danced —as much as anyone could dance in a cell three paces square— leaping about the room like a madman. The first time he did it, the guard really did think he had gone mad. It was one of the guard’s duties to watch for signs that a prisoner’s mind was beginning to crack under the strain of imprisonment, for if he went to pieces a prisoner would be of no more use for questioning. So the guard rushed off to his canteen and came back with a hunk of bread and some cheese and sugar, and broke the rule of silence as he tried to soothe this strange, laughing, capering figure. Richard ate the food gratefully. It was a very large hunk of bread, far more than he usually had in a whole week!

In his book, In God’s Underground, Richard Wurmbrandt shares how encouraged he was at responding literally to Jesus’ direction to react to persecution with great joy and rejoicing! He had received a reward on earth as well as in heaven.

RESPONSE: Today I will respond to even mild persecution because of Jesus with great rejoicing realizing I will receive a wonderful reward in heaven.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that You expect me to take Your word literally. Help me to be joyful in the face of any persecution for You.

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

LHM Daily Devotions - October 15, 2019 - Wrestling with God

"Wrestling with God"

Oct. 15, 2019

The same night he (Jacob) arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face-to-face, and yet my life has been delivered."

— Genesis 32:22-30 (ESV)

I love this story of Jacob wrestling with God. That is who Jacob was wrestling with, you know—this is one of the Old Testament appearances of Christ before His incarnation, one of the mysterious times when God showed up bodily to talk with one of His people—or in this case, to fight with him.

Why would God wrestle with Jacob? I don't know, but in a sense I think it was a kindness. That night Jacob was desperately worried. Long ago, Jacob had cheated his brother Esau, and he had good reason to think Esau might want to kill him out of revenge. And now here Jacob was, about to meet his brother again for the first time in years, out in the wilderness with a family full of women and children to protect. Jacob sent his family across the stream for whatever protection that might provide, and sat up by himself in the darkness, waiting. And God showed up to fight with him.

There was no more worrying then! There is no time for worrying when a stranger is at your throat. Jacob gave it everything he had, but he could not win. The stranger didn't seem to be winning, either. And then something strange happened. As the sun was coming up, the stranger reached out and touched Jacob's hip—just touched it, nothing more forceful—and put it out of joint. But more to the point, who was this man, who could do something like that with just a touch? If Jacob didn't know the man before, he probably figured it out then.

And God said, "Let Me go, for the day has broken." What?! Jacob is in no shape to stop a kitten from escaping, let alone God. But nevertheless God asks. Jacob refuses, until God blesses him—and declares him the winner.

No doubt you have had your own wrestling matches with God, during the darkest nights of your life. And you probably carry the scars, just as Jacob did. That's okay. Our apparent enemy is actually our Savior, as we find out when dawn breaks. His wrestling with us turns out to be our blessing. And because He loves us, and has named us His own, we don't need to worry about Him escaping us. He who saved us through His own death and resurrection will keep us safely as His own forever.

THE PRAYER: Lord, bring me safely through the dark times when I wrestle with You, until dawn breaks and I see Your face. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever wrestled or boxed with someone?
• When was a dark time in your life when you were wrestling with God?
• How did God end that dark time?

This Daily Devotion was 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).
Have you ever wrestled or boxed with someone?

CPTLN devocional del 15 de Octubre de 2019 - Luchando con Dios

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Luchando con Dios

15 de Octubre de 2019

Pero esa misma noche se levantó, tomó a sus dos mujeres, sus dos siervas y sus once hijos, y cruzó el vado de Jaboc. Los tomó, y los hizo cruzar el arroyo, con todas sus posesiones. De modo que Jacob se quedó solo, y un hombre luchó con él hasta la salida del sol. Pero cuando ese hombre vio que no podía vencerlo, lo golpeó en la coyuntura de su muslo, y en la lucha el muslo de Jacob se descoyuntó. El hombre dijo: «Déjame ir, porque ya está saliendo el sol.» Pero Jacob le respondió: «No te dejaré ir, si no me bendices.» Aquel hombre le dijo: «¿Cuál es tu nombre?» Y él respondió: «Jacob». Y el hombre dijo: «Tu nombre ya no será Jacob, sino Israel; porque has luchado con Dios y con los hombres, y has vencido.» Entonces Jacob le preguntó: «Ahora hazme saber tu nombre.» Y aquel hombre respondió: «¿Para qué quieres saber mi nombre?» Y lo bendijo allí. A ese lugar Jacob le puso por nombre «Peniel» porque dijo: «He visto a Dios cara a cara, y sigo con vida.»

— Génesis 32:22-30 (RVC)

Me encanta esta historia de Jacob luchando con Dios. Esta es una de las veces en que Cristo aparece en el Antiguo Testamento antes de su encarnación. Es uno de esos momentos misteriosos en que Dios aparece corporalmente para hablar con su pueblo y, en este caso, Jacob luchó con él.

¿Por qué querría Dios luchar con Jacob? No lo sé, pero en cierto sentido creo que le hizo un favor. Esa noche Jacob estaba desesperado y preocupado. Había engañado a su hermano Esaú mucho tiempo atrás, y tenía razones para pensar que Esaú querría matarlo por venganza. Jacob estaba en el desierto, con muchas mujeres y niños de su familia a quienes tenía que proteger y a punto de encontrarse con su hermano por primera vez después de muchos años. Jacob envió a su familia al otro lado para protegerlos y se sentó solo en la oscuridad, a esperar. Entonces se le apareció Dios para luchar con él.

¡Y se le olvidó su preocupación! Nadie tiene tiempo de preocuparse cuando alguien le aprieta el cuello. Jacob hizo su mayor esfuerzo, pero no pudo ganar. Su contrincante tampoco parecía estar ganando. Y entonces sucedió algo extraño. Cuando salía el sol, el hombre extendió su mano y tocó la cadera de Jacob, solo la tocó, y se la dislocó. ¡Ay! Pero, ¿quién era este hombre, que podía hacer algo así con solo tocarlo? Si Jacob no sabía quién era ese hombre, con esto lo supo.

Entonces Dios le dijo: «Déjame ir, porque ya está saliendo el sol». ¿Qué? Jacob no estaba en condiciones de evitar que se le escapara, ¡y mucho menos Dios! Pero, aun así, Dios se lo pide. Jacob se niega hasta que Dios lo bendice, y lo declara "ganador".

Sin duda, en las noches más oscuras de tu vida, has tenido tus propias luchas con Dios. Y probablemente llevas las cicatrices, igual que Jacob. Está bien. Nuestro aparente enemigo es en realidad nuestro Salvador; nos damos cuenta cuando amanece. Su lucha con nosotros resulta ser nuestra bendición. Y porque Él nos ama y nos ha llamado suyos, no tenemos que preocuparnos de que se nos escape. Aquel que nos salvó con su propia muerte y resurrección nos mantendrá a salvo, porque somos suyos para siempre.

ORACIÓN: Señor, mantenme a salvo en los momentos oscuros en que lucho contigo, hasta que amanezca y vea tu rostro. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Recuerdas algún momento oscuro de tu vida en que luchaste con Dios?
• ¿Cómo terminó Dios ese momento oscuro?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Recuerdas algún momento oscuro de tu vida en que luchaste con Dios?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Oraciones del granero

Oraciones del granero

La escritura de hoy: 2 Corintios 1:8-11

La Biblia en un año: Isaías 45–46; 1 Tesalonicenses 3

Cooperando también vosotros a favor nuestro con la oración… (v. 11).

Samuel Mills y cuatro amigos solían reunirse para orar y pedirle a Dios que enviara más personas a compartir la buena noticia de Jesús. Un día, en 1806, después de reunirse, los sorprendió una tormenta y se refugiaron en un granero. Desde entonces, su encuentro semanal pasó a llamarse Reunión de oración del granero, la cual se convirtió en un movimiento misionero global. Actualmente, el monumento a aquella reunión se encuentra en Williams College, en Estados Unidos, como un recuerdo de lo que Dios puede hacer a través de la oración.

A nuestro Padre celestial le encanta cuando sus hijos acuden a Él con una petición conjunta. Es como una reunión familiar donde los une un propósito, para compartir una carga en común.

El apóstol Pablo reconoce cómo lo ayudó Dios por las oraciones de otros durante momentos de gran sufrimiento: «aún nos librará […]; cooperando también vosotros a favor nuestro con la oración» (2 Corintios 1:10-11). Dios escogió usar nuestras oraciones —en especial, las hechas juntos— para realizar su obra en el mundo. Con razón el versículo sigue diciendo: «para que por muchas personas sean dadas gracias […] por el don concedido».

Nuestro amante Padre está esperando que acudamos a Él para poder obrar a través de nosotros de maneras inimaginables.

De:  Poh Fang Chia

Reflexiona y ora

¿Por qué cosas pueden orar juntos tú y otras personas?

Cuando oramos juntos, trabajamos juntos.

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Samuel Mills y cuatro amigos solían reunirse para orar y pedirle a Dios que enviara más personas a compartir la buena noticia de Jesús. Un día, en 1806, después de reunirse, los sorprendió una tormenta y se refugiaron en un granero. Desde entonces, su encuentro semanal pasó a llamarse Reunión de oración del granero, la cual se convirtió en un movimiento misionero global.