The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, December 31, 2019 — 7th Day of Christmas

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, December 31, 2019 — 7th Day of Christmas

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 20

(Answer us when we call)

Prayer for Victory
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1  The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
     The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2  May he send you help from the sanctuary,
     and give you support from Zion.
3  May he remember all your offerings,
     and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.   Selah

4  May he grant you your heart’s desire,
     and fulfill all your plans.
5  May we shout for joy over your victory,
     and in the name of our God set up our banners.
   May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6  Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
     he will answer him from his holy heaven
     with mighty victories by his right hand.
7  Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
     but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
8  They will collapse and fall,
     but we shall rise and stand upright.

9  Give victory to the king, O Lord;
     answer us when we call.

1 Kings 3:5-14

(God grants a discerning mind)

3:5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

John 8:12-19

(I am the light)

Jesus the Light of the World
8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 13 Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” 19 Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

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 A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. 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 for TUESDAY, December 31, 2019 — 7th Day of Christmas
Psalm 20; 1 Kings 3:5-14; John 8:12-19

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, December 31, 2019

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, December 31, 2019

Freedom’s Eve

Established in African-American communities on December 31, 1862, Freedom’s Eve is a gathering to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation becoming law. When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1863, all slaves in the Confederate States were proclaimed free. Since that date 157 years ago, African-Americans have celebrated the good news of freedom in local churches on New Year’s Eve. Like the slaves who first gathered while the Civil War raged on, we proclaim freedom for all captives in Jesus’ name, knowing that for millions, freedom is not a reality. Our celebration is a commitment to join modern-day slaves and undocumented workers in their struggle for justice.

Writing about the first Freedom’s Eve, Booker T. Washington said, “As the great day grew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. True, they had sung those same verses before, but they had been careful to explain that the ‘freedom’ in these songs referred to the next world, and had no connection with life in this world. Now they gradually threw off the mask; and were not afraid to let it be known that the ‘freedom’ in their songs meant freedom of the body in this world.”

Lord, we know that freedom will prevail because you are already victorious. Help us never lose hope, never stop celebrating your victory, and never stop walking alongside those who struggle to see this freedom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, December 31, 2019

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, […] “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Read all of Isaiah 43

Listen to Isaiah 43

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 31 de Diciembre de 2019

Oración por un nuevo comienzo

Nuestra boca se llenó de risas; nuestra lengua, de canciones jubilosas [...] Sí, el Señor ha hecho grandes cosas por nosotros, y eso nos llena de alegría.

—Salmo 126:2-3 (NVI)

Señor Jesús, solo pueden salir de mis labios palabras de agradecimiento por todo lo poderoso que has sido con nosotros en este año. En cada momento de mi vida estuviste a mi lado escuchando mi necesidad. Fuiste mi socorro en tiempos de angustia.

Gracias porque me ayudaste a que muchas de mis peticiones se hicieran realidad. Te agradezco también que me llenaras de valentía cuando pensaba que no sería capaz de salir adelante.

Te amo con todo con mi corazón y, a partir de hoy, entrego en tus manos mi vida, mi salud, mi economía, mi familia, mi trabajo y todos los anhelos profundos de mi corazón que ya tú conoces.

Guárdame, mi Dios, y acompáñame en mi entrar y en mi salir.

En el nombre de Jesús te lo pido, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Gracias porque me ayudaste a que muchas de mis peticiones se hicieran realidad.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, December 31, 2019

STAND STRONG THROUGH ALL STORMS

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither…

—Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

Concluding Thoughts:

1. Ours is the Kingdom. No matter what setbacks we see or experience, in the end the Kingdom will revert to our Lord and we will reign with Him.

2. Ours is the victory through dying and living again – victory through being able to drink the cup of evil and injustice poured out and not being consumed by it.

3. Ours is the responsibility of caring for our suffering brethren, especially converts and those in countries more restrictive and repressive than ours.

4. Ours is the responsibility of reaching those who still sit in darkness.

5. Ours are the lives that should manifest purity and Christlikeness.

6. Ours are the hearts that should be willing to pay the price to bring peace and understanding among men and between men and God. Hearts willing to be proactive. Hearts willing to stand at the end of the day and having done all; stand.

7. Ours is the challenge to stand strong through all the storms we face and come through the fire refined and purified to walk the way of the cross before a dying world.

RESPONSE: Today I will accept the challenge to stand strong through all the storms I may face!

PRAYER: Pray for Christians living in severe persecution areas that refined and purified, they may experience all of the victory which is available through Christ.

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 - December 31, 2019 - TREASURED

"TREASURED"

Dec. 31, 2019

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

—Luke 2:17-19 (ESV)

A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning out the top drawer of my dresser, looking for my son's Social Security card. It was amazing what we found: report cards from first grade; baby teeth, carefully kept; a birthday candle (age 3); a silver teething ring. And of course, there were any number of "Do you remember?" conversations that night.

Parents treasure things related to their children, and Mary was no exception. In her case, she treasured less tangible things—what Gabriel said when he told her she would bear a Son; the shepherds' story and the angels' song; the sights and sounds of Jesus' birthplace. Many years later, she would share these stories with other Christian believers, and they found their way into the Gospels.

Why do we treasure these things—these objects, these stories? Probably because they are the only way we can hold on to the people we love. Children grow up and go out into the world; friends and relatives grow old and die. We suffer loss. And so we treasure the links we still have to those we love. It is the best we can do.

But God can do better than that—and He does. There was a time when God faced losing us, the people He created and loved. And it wasn't just to the ordinary process of growing up, but to something worse, to death and hell. Faced with that, God took action. He came into the world as our Savior Jesus. He fought the powers of death and the devil for our sake. And He rose victorious from death three days later, with the prize He wanted firmly grasped in His hands. We are that treasure.

Because of Jesus, God doesn't have to treasure objects or stories related to us. He treasures us directly and forever, as His own children.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for treasuring us and making us Your own forever. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• What is one object or story you treasure about someone you love?
• Why is it so valuable to you?
• What does it mean to you, that God treasures you?

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What is one object or story you treasure about someone you love?

CPTLN devocional del 31 de Diciembre de 2019 - Atesorados

ADVIENTO—NAVIDAD 2019

Atesorados

31 de Diciembre de 2019

Al ver al niño, contaron lo que se les había dicho acerca de él. Todos los que estaban escuchando quedaron asombrados de lo que decían los pastores, pero María guardaba todo esto en su corazón, y meditaba acerca de ello.

—Lucas 2:17-19 (RVC)

Los padres atesoramos las cosas relacionadas con nuestros hijos. María no fue la excepción. Ella atesoró lo que Gabriel le dijo cuando le explicó que iba a tener un Hijo; la historia de los pastores y la canción de los ángeles; las escenas y los sonidos del lugar de nacimiento de Jesús. Muchos años después, ella compartiría estas historias con otros creyentes cristianos, y serían incorporadas en los Evangelios.

¿Por qué atesoramos estas cosas? Probablemente porque son la única forma en que podemos aferrarnos a las personas que amamos. Los niños crecen y salen al mundo; nuestros amigos y parientes envejecen y mueren. Sufrimos pérdidas. Y así atesoramos los vínculos que aún tenemos con aquellos a quienes amamos. Es lo mejor que podemos hacer.

Pero Dios puede hacer mejor que eso, y lo hace. Hubo un momento en que Dios se enfrentó con la realidad de poder perdernos, a nosotros, a quienes creó y amó. Y no fue solo por el proceso normal de crecer, sino por algo peor: la muerte y el infierno. Ante eso, Dios tomó medidas. Él vino al mundo como nuestro Salvador Jesús. Luchó contra los poderes de la muerte y el diablo para nuestro bien, y resucitó victorioso de la muerte tres días después con el premio firmemente aferrado en sus manos. Nosotros somos ese tesoro.

Gracias a Jesús, Dios no tiene que atesorar objetos o historias relacionadas con nosotros. Nos atesora directamente y para siempre como sus propios hijos.

ORACIÓN: Querido Padre, gracias por atesorarnos y hacernos tuyos para siempre. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Qué objeto o historia atesoras de alguien que amas?
• ¿Qué significa para ti que Dios te atesore?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.
¿Qué objeto o historia atesoras de alguien que amas?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Fruto hermoso

Fruto hermoso

La escritura de hoy: Lucas 8:4-8, 11-15

La Biblia en un año: Malaquías 1–4; Apocalipsis 22

… La semilla es la palabra de Dios. —Lucas 8:11

«Los niños deberían poder arrojar una semilla donde quieran [en el jardín] y ver qué sale», sugiere Rebecca Lemos-Otero, fundadora de City Blossoms. Aunque no es una pauta sobre jardinería, refleja la realidad de que cada semilla tiene potencial de producir vida. Desde 2004, esta organización ha hecho jardines en escuelas y zonas de bajos recursos. Mediante la jardinería, los niños aprenden sobre nutrición y desarrollan habilidades para trabajar. Rebecca dice: «Tener un espacio verde lleno de vida en una zona urbana […] permite que los niños estén afuera haciendo algo productivo y hermoso».

Jesús relató una historia sobre esparcir una semilla que tenía el potencial de producir «a ciento por uno» (Lucas 8:8). Esa semilla era la buena noticia de Dios plantada en «buena tierra»; es decir, en «los que con corazón bueno y recto retienen la palabra oída, y dan fruto con perseverancia» (v. 15).

Jesús señaló que la única forma de ser fructíferos es manteniéndonos conectados a Él (Juan 15:4). Al aprender de Cristo y aferrarnos a Él, el Espíritu produce en nosotros el fruto de «amor, gozo, paz, paciencia, benignidad, bondad, fe, mansedumbre [y] templanza» (Gálatas 5:22-23). Mediante este fruto en nosotros, puede transformar a otros y volverlos fructíferos también.

De:  Anne Cetas

Reflexiona y ora

Padre, quiero dar fruto para guiar a otros a ti.

¿Cómo te mantienes conectado a Cristo? ¿Qué fruto quieres que Él produzca en ti?

© 2019 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
«Los niños deberían poder arrojar una semilla donde quieran [en el jardín] y ver qué sale», sugiere Rebecca Lemos-Otero, fundadora de City Blossoms.