The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, February 7, 2020

Psalm 112:1-9 [10]; Isaiah 29:1-12; James 3:13-18

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, February 7, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 112:1-9 [10]

Light shines in the darkness

1  Praise the Lord.

   Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
     who find great delight in his commands.

2  Their children will be mighty in the land;
     the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3  Wealth and riches are in their houses,
     and their righteousness endures forever.
4  Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
     for those who are gracious and compassionate and
         righteous.
5  Good will come to those who are generous and lend
         freely,
     who conduct their affairs with justice.

6  Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
     they will be remembered forever.
7  They will have no fear of bad news;
     their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8  Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
     in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9  They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
     their righteousness endures forever;
     their horn will be lifted high in honor.

[10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
     they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
     the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.]

Isaiah 29:1-12

Hunger that goes unsatisfied

1  Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel,
     the city where David settled!
   Add year to year
     and let your cycle of festivals go on.
2  Yet I will besiege Ariel;
     she will mourn and lament,
     she will be to me like an altar hearth.
3  I will encamp against you on all sides;
     I will encircle you with towers
     and set up my siege works against you.
4  Brought low, you will speak from the ground;
     your speech will mumble out of the dust.
   Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth;
     out of the dust your speech will whisper.

5  But your many enemies will become like fine dust,
     the ruthless hordes like blown chaff.
   Suddenly, in an instant,
6    the Lord Almighty will come
   with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
     with windstorm and tempest and flames of a
         devouring fire.
7  Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel,
     that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
   will be as it is with a dream,
     with a vision in the night—
8  as when a hungry person dreams of eating,
     but awakens hungry still;
   as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,
     but awakens faint and thirsty still.
   So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
     that fight against Mount Zion.

9  Be stunned and amazed,
     blind yourselves and be sightless;
   be drunk, but not from wine,
     stagger, but not from beer.
10 The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:
     He has sealed your eyes (the prophets);
     he has covered your heads (the seers).

11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

James 3:13-18

A gentle life born of wisdom

3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

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 FRIDAY, February 7, 2020
Psalm 112:1-9 [10]; Isaiah 29:1-12; James 3:13-18

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, February 7, 2020

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, February 7, 2020

Dom Helder Camara of Recife (1909—1999)

Born February 7, 1909, in Fortazela, Brazil, Dom Helder Camara became a bishop of the Catholic Church and one of the twentieth century’s great apostles of nonviolence. After joining a conservative political movement as a young priest, Camara experienced a conversion while ministering among the poor in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. “When I fed the poor they called me a saint,” Camara said. “When I asked why they were poor, they called me a Communist.” Labeled “the red bishop,” Camara worked tirelessly for democracy and human rights in Brazil, even as he watched friends and fellow priests imprisoned, tortured, and killed. When a hired assassin knocked on the elderly Camara’s door, he was so moved by the sight of the bishop that he blurted out, “I can’t kill you. You are one of the Lord’s.”

Bishop Camara wrote, “To walk alone is possible, but the good walker knows that the great trip is life and it requires companions.”

Lord, though each of us rises alone to start this new day, bind us to the faith of the saints who have gone before us, and guide us to walk with our brothers and sisters in community. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, February 7, 2020

Psalm 97:10

Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
  for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
  and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Read all of Psalm 97

Listen to Psalm 97

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 - Viernes 7 de febrero de 2020

Agrada a Dios en todo

No temas [...] ni te desanimes, porque el Señor tu Dios está en medio de ti como guerrero victorioso. Se deleitará en ti con gozo, te renovará con su amor.

—Sofonías 3:16-17 (NVI)

Todos tenemos luchas que se nos presentarán casi a diario. Aunque a veces hemos sido débiles y hemos fallado, en nuestro corazón lo que más deseamos es agradar a Dios en todo.

Sin embargo, agradar a Dios en todo es renunciar a cosas que sabemos que no son buenas, tales como el adulterio, la venganza, el divorcio, la mentira, matar, robar, entre otras.

Es más fácil agradar a Dios en las cosas sencillas, ¿pero qué me dices cuando estamos en alguna situación, algún vicio y por más que tratamos no podemos renunciar?

Sin embargo, no todo es preocupación. Debes saber que el único que nos puede ayudar a renunciar es el mismo Dios a través de una decisión que tomemos tú y yo, pues Él ve y conoce nuestro corazón.

El día que decidí dejar de fumar, hablé muy claro con mi Dios y le dije: «Padre, a mí me gusta mucho fumar, pero quiero agradarte. No quiero ver sufrir más a mis hijas porque me vean fumar, pero yo sola no puedo. Quítame, por favor, el deseo, y te prometo que nunca más lo vuelvo a hacer».

Esa noche apagué el cigarrillo y no sentí nada diferente. Entonces, al otro día, ya no volví a sentir deseos de fumar y, gracias a Dios, pude dejar ese vicio que no solo me enfermaba, sino que lo desagradaba por completo a Él.

Mis amigos, la clave en una decisión es dar el primer paso y Dios te respalda. Si todo se puede en Él, podemos hacer cualquier cambio.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Todos tenemos luchas que se nos presentarán casi a diario.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, February 7, 2020

BE NOT AFRAID

I sought the Lord and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

—Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

The one positive fear that the Bible endorses is the fear of God. Wise Solomon said fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. It was Oswald Chambers who added, “The remarkable thing about fearing God is that, when you fear God, you fear nothing else; whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

In Eritrea, Helen Berhane was frequently tortured during her almost three years in the shipping container prison. In spite of that, she had no fear. Once when interrogated for teaching the Bible to the guards outside her cell, she replied:

“I am always looking for opportunities to talk about my faith and to spread the news about Jesus. I am not ashamed of the gospel and I will talk to anyone and to everyone. Jesus does not just want me to tell the prisoners about him, he wants me to tell the guards too. Even if the president were to visit the prison, I would tell him about the gospel.

“I am not afraid of you. You can do what you want to me, but ultimately all you can do is kill my body, you cannot touch my soul. You cannot even kill me unless it is God’s will that I should die.”[1]

Her persecutors had no answer and returned her to her shipping container.

David Aikman writes in his book Great Souls about the personal life of Pope John Paul II—especially his personal prayer life. When he became pope in 1978, the result of all that personal prayer was evident in his inaugural sermon. “Be not afraid!” he said.

He recognized that fear is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God. And he recognized that as a leader of a large Church, and unwaveringly opposed to the powerful communist empire, he had to give people the courage to resist evil.

And courageous he was. When he saw Russian tanks poised to invade Poland, the Pope announced he would go and stand with his people if the Soviets crossed the border. The Soviet tanks did not move.

The Pope knew he might face assassination—and indeed, someone did try to assassinate him—yet he continued to tell the world, “Be not afraid.”

RESPONSE: Today I will live in the fear of God so that I will not fear anything or anyone else.

PRAYER: Pray that all Christians in fearful situations today will have the attitude of trust in the Lord and not fear for their lives.

1. Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale (Colorado Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), p. 75.

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 - Friday, February 7, 2020

Esau

His name means: "Hairy"

His work: An outdoorsman, Esau was an accomplished hunter.
His character: The desire for instant gratification was one of Esau's greatest failures. It cost him his birthright.
His sorrow: When he realized that Jacob had secured his father's blessing, Esau wept aloud.
His triumph: Years later Esau demonstrated the ability to forgive his conniving brother.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 27, 33

A Look at the Man

Esau was a "man's man." He was ruddy, strong, impulsive, competitive, impetuous—quite a lethal mix.

As a young man, he was not accustomed to holding anything back. He may have lived on the edge of danger, self-indulgence, and immediate gratification. Having his father's favor did nothing to inhibit this behavior. But Esau had a serious problem—his brother Jacob.

My twin brother has ruined my life, Esau must have fumed. And he will pay for it.

The most destructive dimension to this conflict was that Jacob fled to Haran without any conversation with Esau: no explanation, no confession, no resolution. So the battle between these grown siblings may have waged silently for twenty years. The discord gnawed at their hearts—Esau's need for revenge and Jacob's fear of his brother's reprisal.

There is some levity in the account of Jacob going to such extremes to meet his brother after two decades. First, he divided his servants, his family, and his possessions into two groups so that Esau could only capture half of what Jacob owned—one group could run away while the other was being attacked. Then Jacob prepared a gift to assuage his brother's fury: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats; two hundred ewes and twenty rams; thirty female camels with their young; forty cows and ten bulls; and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. All in all, a very expensive transaction for Jacob! And completely unnecessary. Forgiveness was granted without charge. Esau's words tell the whole story: "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself."

The image of these two grown men embracing and weeping is one of the most powerful in all of Scripture. It is, in fact, the echo of the prodigal standing guilty as his father runs to meet him. It is the image of our heavenly Father doing the same for us.

Esau's forgiveness was not offered reluctantly. He was not arrogant nor did he require that Jacob verbally review his transgressions against him, groveling with words of repentance. In his eagerness to forgive, Esau ran, he embraced, and he wept. Twenty years of apprehension and fear were erased in that incredible moment.

Reflect On: Genesis 33:1-9
Praise God: For every earthly blessing.
Offer Thanks: For the basic ways, God has cared for you, giving you food, water, and shelter.
Confess: Any tendency to pursue earthly pleasures at the expense of God’s blessings.
Ask God: To help you rightly value the promises he has made to you in Scripture.

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.
Esau was a "man's man." He was ruddy, strong, impulsive, competitive, impetuous—quite a lethal mix.

LHM Daily Devotions February 7, 2020 - Expiration Date

"Expiration Date"

Feb. 7, 2020

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

—Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV)

Don't you hate it when you grab a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, fill your bowl up with cereal, pour the milk on it, and then, it happens: the milk has a strange aroma: a semi-sweet, starting-to-separate aroma. You check the carton's expiration date and, sure enough, the date says, "Best if used by ..." yesterday.

Most food items we buy have an expiration date found on the packaging. What that means is they are freshest, have the best flavor, and are not likely to taste old or stale if used by that stamped-on date. For some foods, the expiration date doesn't seem too critical but, for others, the date is, well, the expiration date.

I looked in the mirror today, and my reflection doesn't show an expiration date anywhere. That is a good thing. One could live in real fear if he saw an expiration date stamped somewhere on his forehead.

But, the reality is, all of us have one—an expiration date, that is. And although that date may remind us of the day we will meet our Maker, there is another way this date is meaningful.

It concerns the time God gives us on this earth to make a difference; it is the time we have to be about the Father's work. As the apostle Paul urges us above: we are to be sensible and mindful of others, speaking genuinely and showing love and empathy to all. Our words should be courteous and grace-filled; they should be helpful to others.

We all have many chances each day to serve God's people, as we bless others through the things we say and do. I wonder if you would think about your day differently if you knew your expiration date was fast approaching?

Well, the truth of the matter is our expiration date is approaching. Our challenge as Christians might best be summed up by paraphrasing the words on the milk carton: "Best if used as soon as possible!"

We all know our witness to the Gospel message shouldn't be reserved for someday in the future. That's why I suggest we forget worrying about our expiration date. Instead, let us live today, serving those who need to hear about the always-fresh Good News of God's love.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant this day to be special as we share the Savior's story of salvation with others. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. How has your thinking about your own mortality changed in the last 10 to 20 years?
2. How do you think the apostle Paul made the best use of his time?
3. How do we get to the point where we know how to answer others, especially on spiritual matters?

This Daily Devotion was written by Mick Onnen, board member of The Lutheran Laymen's League. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
How has your thinking about your own mortality changed in the last 10 to 20 years?

CPTLN devocional del 07 de febrero de 2020 - Fecha de vencimiento

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Fecha de vencimiento

07 de Febrero de 2020

Compórtense sabiamente con los no creyentes, y aprovechen bien el tiempo. Procuren que su conversación siempre sea agradable y de buen gusto, para que den a cada uno la respuesta debida.

—Colosenses 4:5-6 (RVC)

¿No te da rabia cuando llenas tu tazón con cereal y le viertes la leche... solo para darte cuenta tiene un aroma agrio extraño? Inmediatamente buscas la fecha vencimiento y, con poco asombro ves que era ayer.

La mayoría de los alimentos que compramos tienen una fecha de vencimiento impresa en el empaque. Lo que eso significa es que son más frescos y tienen mejor sabor si se usan antes de esa fecha. Para algunos alimentos la fecha de vencimiento no parece demasiado crítica, pero para otros la fecha es realmente de su vencimiento.

Cuando me miro en el espejo, no veo una fecha de vencimiento por ningún lado, y eso es bueno. Con cuánto miedo viviríamos si viéramos una fecha de vencimiento estampada en nosotros.

Pero la realidad es que todos tenemos una fecha de vencimiento y, si bien ella nos recuerde el día en que nos encontraremos con nuestro Creador, hay otra forma en que esta fecha es significativa. Se trata del tiempo que Dios nos da en esta tierra para hacer una diferencia ocupándonos del trabajo del Padre. Como el apóstol Pablo nos insta más arriba: debemos ser sensibles y conscientes de los demás, hablar genuinamente y mostrar amor y empatía a todos. Nuestras palabras deben ser corteses y llenas de gracia, para que sean útiles a los demás.

Tenemos muchas oportunidades cada día para servir al pueblo de Dios, ya que bendecimos a otros a través de las cosas que decimos y hacemos. Me pregunto si pensarías en tu día de manera diferente si supieras que tu fecha de vencimiento se acerca rápidamente. Porque la verdad es que se acerca.

Todos sabemos que nuestro testimonio del mensaje del Evangelio no debería reservarse para algún día en el futuro. Por eso, olvidemos preocuparnos por nuestra fecha de vencimiento y, en cambio, vivamos sirviendo a quienes necesitan escuchar las siempre nuevas Buenas Nuevas del amor de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, concede que este día sea especial al compartir la historia de tu salvación con otros. En el Nombre de Jesús oramos. Amén.

Mick Onnen, miembro de la junta directiva de The Lutheran Laymen's League.

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Cómo ha cambiado tu pensamiento sobre tu propia mortalidad en los últimos 10 a 20 años?
2. ¿Cómo crees que el apóstol Pablo hizo el mejor uso de su tiempo?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo ha cambiado tu pensamiento sobre tu propia mortalidad en los últimos 10 a 20 años?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Việc Tôi Làm Có Quan Trọng?

Việc Tôi Làm Có Quan Trọng?

Đọc: Cô-lô-se 3:12–17 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Lê-vi ký 1–3; Ma-thi-ơ 24:1–28

Download MP3

Vậy, anh em hoặc ăn, hoặc uống, hoặc làm bất cứ việc gì, hãy làm tất cả vì vinh quang của Đức Chúa Trời.

—I Cô-rinh-tô 10:31

Tôi chống tay lên trán, thở dài: “Mình không biết mình đã hoàn thành công việc như thế nào.” Giọng của bạn tôi vang lên trong điện thoại: “Cậu phải cho bản thân một chút công trạng chứ! Cậu đã làm rất nhiều việc!” Sau đó, anh ấy liệt kê các việc tôi luôn cố gắng thực hiện – duy trì lối sống lành mạnh, làm việc, học tốt ở trường cao học, viết lách, và tham dự các buổi học Kinh Thánh. Tôi muốn làm mọi điều này cho Chúa, nhưng thay vào đó, tôi đã tập trung vào điều tôi đã làm hơn là tôi làm như thế nào – hoặc có thể là vì tôi đã cố làm quá nhiều việc.

Sứ đồ Phao-lô nhắc nhở hội thánh Cô-lô-se rằng họ phải sống để làm vinh hiển danh Chúa. Cuối cùng, những điều họ đã làm trong đời sống hằng ngày không quan trọng bằng việc họ đã làm như thế nào. Họ phải làm mọi việc với “lòng thương xót, nhân từ, khiêm nhường, mềm mại, nhịn nhục” (Côl. 3:12); họ phải tha thứ, và trên hết là yêu thương (c.13-14) và “thực hiện mọi sự trong danh Chúa là Đức Chúa Jêsus” (c.17). Công việc họ làm không được tách biệt với đời sống giống Đấng Christ.

Những việc chúng ta làm đều quan trọng, nhưng chúng ta làm như thế nào; làm cho ai và động cơ làm còn quan trọng hơn. Mỗi ngày, chúng ta có thể chọn lựa để làm công việc cách căng thẳng hoặc làm để tôn vinh Chúa và tìm kiếm ý nghĩa trong công tác Chúa giao. Khi theo đuổi cách thứ hai, chúng ta sẽ có được sự thỏa lòng.

Trong những trường hợp nào bạn làm việc vì nhu cầu hoặc trách nhiệm hơn là vì sự vinh hiển của Chúa? Theo bạn, ý nghĩa được tìm thấy trong Đấng Christ hơn là trong các thành tựu thế nào?

Lạy Chúa Jêsus, xin tha thứ cho con vì nhiều lần cố gắng để đạt được những thành tựu. Xin giúp con hoàn thành mọi việc vì vinh quang của Ngài.

bởi Julie Schwab

© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Mình không biết mình đã hoàn thành công việc như thế nào.