Un dia a la Vez - Jueves, 23 de enero de 2020

Necesitas que te amen

Lleven una vida de amor, así como Cristo nos amó y se entregó por nosotros como ofrenda y sacrificio fragante para Dios.

—Efesios 5:2 (NVI)

Desde que llegamos a este mundo, todos tenemos una gran necesidad de amor.

Las que hemos tenido el regalo precioso de ser madres, lo experimentamos desde el primer momento que nos ponen en nuestro pecho ese tierno bebé. Es tan indefenso, que no nos cansamos de mirarlo y ver cómo Dios lo creó tan perfecto. Alrededor de nueve meses esa personita se formó dentro de nosotras. Es un milagro de amor y de vida.

Desde el primer día de nacido, se crea un lazo perfecto de amor entre ese bebé y sus padres. Para papá es emocionante ver cómo su hijo responde ante el tono de su voz. Para nosotras, cuando ese pedacito de carne nos busca para que los alimentemos, es un momento muy íntimo y único. Todos necesitamos que nos amen y amar.

Cuando la vida nos pone en situaciones como el abuso de un padre en la niñez o el rechazo de un hijo después que has dado todo por él, tú y yo debemos recordar el mayor acto de amor que tuvo Dios por la humanidad: La entrega de su único Hijo para que muriera por nosotros y darnos vida eterna. Recuerda, Dios es amor y te ama de manera incondicional.

Mi consejo es que tomes la mejor decisión y perdones a los que te han ofendido e incluso te han abandonado. De ese modo, sentirás una gran libertad para amar y que te amen.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Desde que llegamos a este mundo, todos tenemos una gran necesidad de amor.

The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, January 23, 2020

Psalm 27:1-6; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Galatians 1:11-24

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, January 23, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 27:1-6

God is light and salvation

1  The Lord is my light and my salvation—
     whom shall I fear?
   The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
     of whom shall I be afraid?

2  When the wicked advance against me
     to devour me,
   it is my enemies and my foes
     who will stumble and fall.
3  Though an army besiege me,
     my heart will not fear;
   though war break out against me,
     even then I will be confident.

4  One thing I ask from the Lord,
     this only do I seek:
   that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
     all the days of my life,
   to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
     and to seek him in his temple.
5  For in the day of trouble
     he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
   he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
     and set me high upon a rock.

6  Then my head will be exalted
     above the enemies who surround me;
   at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
     I will sing and make music to the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:1-20

The birth of Samuel

1:1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Galatians 1:11-24

The divine origin of Paul’s gospel

1:11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.

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 Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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 what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, January 23, 2020
Psalm 27:1-6; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Galatians 1:11-24

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, January 23, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, January 23, 2020

William Law, an eighteenth-century English cleric, wrote, “All that is sweet, delightful, and amiable in this world, in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons, the joy of light, the melody of sounds, the beauty of colors, the fragrancy of smells, the splendor of precious stones, is nothing else but Heaven breaking through the veil of this world.”

Lord, it is fitting to rejoice in your beauty and to gaze upon your handiwork. While others may call this a waste of time, we recognize that unless we sit in adoration of you, we will forget whom we serve and for what purpose. Remind us why worship is always our first response to you. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, January 23, 2020

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Read all of James 1

Listen to James 1

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, January 23, 2020

THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

—Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)

As we see in Hebrews chapter twelve, once we “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” we will be aware of how we should then live. The writer now turns to the issue of a growing root of bitterness which defiles and causes trouble and disunity.

A group of believers in rural Hubei Province in China came to Christ as a result of listening to Christian radio programs. When a local woman was healed of appendicitis after prayer, two whole families converted to the way of Jesus enlarging their group to twenty. Five years later a Brother Chen arrived in the village on a sunny spring day. One believer shares this report:

Some said Brother Chen was “sent straight from God to our company.” He said so too. Looking back over a year later, I think he was Satan’s man. But who knows, I may be harsh in my judgment. I remember that night so clearly. We were all gathered at my father’s house. The gas lamp flickered strange shapes against the whitewashed walls, on which we had stenciled “JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.”

I remember Brother Chen saying, “Jesus needs our gold to build our mansion in heaven…the more gold we give him now, the bigger your mansion will be.”

Well, we were poor. And because we were poor, the idea of having a golden mansion in the afterlife was very tempting to us. We handed over all we owned: family heirlooms, money, some expensive textiles from a distant ancestor. One in our group even gave his motorcycle, which he had saved for years to buy. Anyway, after all the “gold” had been collected, Brother Chen said he had to go and “open the gate for us.” He left, on the donated motorcycle. He took most of our savings. He hasn’t been back.

Now the fellowship is ruined. Some of our group believes he is coming back and was indeed sent by God to help us know Jesus better. Others of us believe he was a deceiver. It has split my family. My father thinks Chen was a good man. The rest of the family thinks differently, but we dare not disagree with my father openly.

We still can’t read the Bible very well. We really don’t know that much about Jesus, to be honest. We know he has saved us, and healed a family member. But we know little else. Brother Chen’s deceit has made me bitter.

RESPONSE: Today I will not allow Satan to grow a root of bitterness in my life or in my fellowship.

PRAYER: Lord, help new believers around the world to recognize Satan’s tactics and the bitter root that will keep them in bondage.

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

Men's Devotional Bible - Thursday, January 23, 2020

Hopeful Fans

Zephaniah 3:14–20
Recommended Reading: Jeremiah 29:4–13; Ezekiel 37:24–28; 1 Peter 3:15

Every team in professional sports has a group of devoted followers you might call hopeful fans. Without them, the team couldn’t survive. These aren’t rabid fans who constantly vacillate between intense hatred and delight during each game or fickle fans who cheer enthusiastically during winning streaks but lose interest when the team loses games. These fans remain true no matter what. They’re happy when their team wins, certainly, but still wear their colors proudly when they lose. For them, there’s always next year.

Israel possessed an unparalleled record of losing seasons. Nations and dynasties flourished and vanished while God’s people experienced more losers than winners. The nation’s continued existence was in itself a miracle. A casual observer might wonder why God didn’t get tired of losing. He could have sold off the team long before. Yet God never gave up his franchise. The people of Israel were his chosen people. He knew they’d eventually win. With God, next year is always a certainty.

This message came to Israel through Zephaniah when storm clouds of devastation and defeat darkened the nation’s horizon. While he had earlier joined the chorus of prophets who were predicting Israel’s suffering, Zephaniah also added words of hope. The reign of King Josiah included a season of righteousness in Judah, delaying God’s judgment. The nation showed all the signs of a “rebuilding team.” The people changed their old habits and eliminated evil practices.

Unfortunately, Josiah’s reforms didn’t last long. Losing ways ran deep within the nation. Yet hope became the refuge of a small group determined to remain faithful. God’s hopeful fans stood fast. They realized that “next year” might not happen for a long time, but it would eventually come. God had promised.

The same God who kept his word to Israel keeps his promises to you. You can count on it. So live as a hopeful fan. God’s promise describes both his relationship with Israel and the one he longs to have with you: “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love, he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

To Take Away

• What do you think God wants to accomplish in and through your life?
• Why didn’t God give up on Israel? Why doesn’t God give up on us?
• In what ways are you inspired by God’s promise to always be with you?

Every team in professional sports has a group of devoted followers you might call hopeful fans. Without them, the team couldn’t survive.

LHM Daily Devotions - January 23, 2020 - Into This Darkness

"Into This Darkness"

Jan. 23, 2020

"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned."

—Matthew 4:15-16 (ESV)

At least once a year, my neighborhood has a power outage that lasts several hours or even days. This is no fun when the fridge, TV, and computer aren't working. And we don't like being cold or hot because the heater or air conditioner is off.

But the one thing we hate the most is the darkness. When the power goes out, the first thing we do is to fumble our way to the kitchen and start lighting candles. We need light now. Everything else can wait.

It's natural to want the light, isn't it? We don't like the darkness—worrying about the shadows and what lurks there. It's dangerous to walk around in the darkness, falling over chairs and shoes and your son's Legos.

And yet the Bible tells us that darkness is our natural state. Ever since humanity fell into sin, we have been "dwelling in darkness" and "in the shadow of death" (see also Isaiah 9:2).

But the darkness we live in is way more dangerous than the darkness from a power outage. Most of you are converts to Christianity; you know the darkness I'm talking about. I mean the spiritual darkness of fear, hatred, and hopelessness. I mean the darkness of always trying to get ahead, even if it means putting other people down—because you know you can't trust anyone, not even yourself. I mean the words that are whispered in darkness—the lies, the gossip, the backstabbing. And the actions that are born out of darkness—the cheating, the violence, the hurting of other people to get what we want, because we want it, and we want it now.

Into this darkness, Jesus came as the Light of the world. Evil can't live in His presence. When Jesus arrives, all the evils that used to run freely scuttle away as fast as they can, looking for dark corners to hide. Where Jesus is, there is life and joy and protection and blessedness.

The people of Galilee certainly saw that light. When Jesus began teaching about God, crowds of people started following Him. They listened—intently. Not everyone believed Him. But those who trusted Him found they had God's light shining in their lives.

And that Light defeated darkness forever when Jesus died on the cross at Calvary. By doing that, He broke the power of death and darkness over everyone who believes in Him. And when He rose from the dead three days later, He guaranteed that you and I would never have to walk in the darkness again. Jesus is alive forever, and because of Him, we will live, too. We will live in His light.

Remember too that the people in Galilee didn't just enjoy the light and go home again. They brought their family and friends. The Bible says they brought Jesus those who were sick, in pain, paralyzed, demon-possessed, or having seizures, and Jesus healed them. They didn't just keep the light of Jesus to themselves either. They shared Him with those they loved.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your Son has come to free us from the darkness. May we tell others of Jesus' marvelous light. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever felt overwhelmed by darkness (of any kind) in your life? How did you emerge from that?
• Do you sense the light of God has dawned in your life? How did this come about?
• Would you say your life is a "light" of sorts for others? Do you find they are attracted to you because of this?

This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Minh Chau Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by darkness (of any kind) in your life? How did you emerge from that?

CPTLN devocional del 23 de enero de 2020 - En la oscuridad

ALIMENTO DIARIO

En la oscuridad

23 de Enero de 2020

«Tierra de Zabulón y tierra de Neftalí, Camino del mar, al otro lado del Jordán, Galilea de los gentiles; El pueblo asentado en tinieblas vio gran luz; a los que vivían en región de sombra de muerte, les resplandeció la luz.»

—Mateo 4:15-16 (RVC)

Al menos una vez al año, mi vecindario tiene un apagón de electricidad que dura varias horas o incluso días. Nada es divertido cuando la nevera, la televisión y la computadora no funcionan. Y no nos gusta tener frío o calor porque la calefacción o el aire acondicionado están apagados.

Pero lo que menos nos gusta es la oscuridad. Cuando se va la luz, lo primero que hacemos es buscar en nuestra cocina y comenzar a encender velas. Queremos luz enseguida. Todo lo demás puede esperar.

Es natural querer la luz, ¿no? No nos gusta la oscuridad, ni las sombras y lo que puede acecharnos. También es peligroso caminar en la oscuridad, nos podemos tropezar con sillas y zapatos o los juguetes de los niños.

Y, sin embargo, la Biblia nos dice que la oscuridad es nuestro estado natural. Desde que la humanidad cayó en pecado, la humanidad "andaba en tinieblas" y en "país de sombras de muerte" (véase también Isaías 9:2).

Pero la oscuridad en la que vivimos es mucho más peligrosa que la oscuridad de un corte de electricidad. Me refiero a la oscuridad espiritual del miedo, el odio y la desesperanza. Me refiero a la oscuridad de siempre tratar de tener éxito, incluso si eso significa menospreciar a otras personas, porque no puedes confiar en nadie, ni siquiera en ti mismo. Me refiero a las palabras que se susurran en la oscuridad: las mentiras, los chismes, las puñaladas. Y las acciones que nacen de la oscuridad: el engaño, la violencia, el dolor de otras personas para obtener lo que queremos, porque lo queremos y lo queremos ya mismo.

En esta oscuridad, Jesús vino como la Luz del mundo. El mal no puede vivir en su presencia. Cuando Jesús llega, todos los males que solían correr libremente se escapan lo más rápido que pueden, buscando rincones oscuros para esconderse. Donde está Jesús hay vida, alegría, protección y bendición.

La gente de Galilea ciertamente vio esa luz. Cuando Jesús comenzó a enseñar acerca de Dios, multitudes de personas comenzaron a seguirlo. Ellos escucharon atentamente. No todos le creyeron. Pero aquellos que confiaron en Él descubrieron la luz de Dios brillando en sus vidas.

Y esa Luz venció a la oscuridad para siempre cuando Jesús murió en la cruz en el Calvario. Al hacer eso, rompió el poder de la muerte y la oscuridad sobre todos los que creen en Él. Y cuando resucitó de la muerte tres días después, nos garantizó que tú y yo nunca tendríamos que caminar de nuevo en la oscuridad. Jesús está vivo para siempre, y gracias a Él, nosotros también viviremos. Viviremos en su luz.

Recuerda también que la gente de Galilea no solo disfrutaba de la luz de Jesús y se iban. Ellos traían a su familia y amigos a la luz también. La Biblia dice que trajeron a Jesús a aquellos que estaban enfermos, adoloridos, paralizados, poseídos por demonios o que tenían ataques, y Jesús los sanó. No solo se quedaron con la luz de Jesús. La compartieron con los que amaban.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, tu Hijo ha venido para liberarnos de la oscuridad. Haz que podamos contarles a otros sobre la maravillosa luz de Jesús. Amén.

Rev. Minh Chau Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Alguna vez te has sentido abrumado por la oscuridad (de cualquier tipo) en tu vida? ¿Cómo saliste de eso?
• ¿Dirías que tu vida es una "luz" para los demás?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Alguna vez te has sentido abrumado por la oscuridad (de cualquier tipo) en tu vida? ¿Cómo saliste de eso?

Хлеб наш насущный - Ожидание, как у черепахи

Ожидание, как у черепахи

Читать сейчас: Псалом 39:2-6, 15-18 | Библия за год: Исход 7-8; Матфея 15:1-20

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Твердо уповал я на Господа, и Он приклонился ко мне и услышал вопль мой.

—Псалом 39:2

Каждой осенью, когда расписная черепаха чувствует приближение зимы, она опускается на дно своего пруда и погружается в ил и грязь. Потом втягивается в панцирь и замирает. У нее слабеет пульс, сердце почти останавливается. Температура тела снижается, оставаясь чуть выше нуля. Черепаха перестает дышать и начинает ждать. Шесть месяцев она находится в спячке. Кости отдают кальций в кровь, так что даже тело медленно теряет форму.

Но когда пруд оттает, черепаха всплывет и вновь начнет дышать. Ее кости восстановятся, и она ощутит солнечное тепло на своем панцире.

Я вспоминаю расписную черепаху, когда читаю, как псалмопевец пишет о своем ожидании (слово «упование» может переводиться и как «ожидание» – прим. пер. ). Он находился в «страшном рве» и «тинистом болоте», но Бог услышал его (Пс. 39:3). Он вытащил его и поставил на твердую землю. «Господь… помощь моя и Избавитель мой» – восклицает автор (ст. 18).

Возможно, вам кажется, что вы уже целую вечность ждете перемен: нового направления в карьере, восстановления отношений, силы воли, чтобы победить вредную привычку, или избавления из трудной ситуации. Расписная черепаха и автор Псалма могут напомнить вам, что нужно довериться Богу. Он слышит, и Он избавит.

В чем вам нужно положиться на Бога? Как это может выглядеть для вас именно сегодня?

Боже, иногда ждать трудно. Но мы уповаем на Тебя и Твое избавление. Просим, пошли нам терпение. Пусть Твое величие и слава станут явными в нашей жизни.

автор: Эми Петерсон

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Каждой осенью, когда расписная черепаха чувствует приближение зимы, она опускается на дно своего пруда и погружается в ил и грязь.