The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, February 11, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, February 11, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 119:105-112

The law is light

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
       a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
       that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much;
       preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
       and teach me your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
       I will not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
       but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
       they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees
       to the very end.

2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25

King Josiah keeps the law

23:1 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. 3 The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. 5 He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. 6 He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. 7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.

…

21 The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.

24 Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. 25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Christ the light

4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

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 TUESDAY, February 11, 2020
Psalm 119:105-112; 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, February 11, 2020

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, February 11, 2020

Bernard of Clairvaux, a twelfth-century Cistercian reformer, wrote, “The first step of pride is curiosity. How does it show itself? Here is an example. There stands a monk who, up to this time, had every appearance of being an excellent monk. Now you begin to notice that wherever he is, standing, walking, or sitting, his eyes are wandering, his glance darts right and left; his ears are cocked. Some change has taken place in him; every movement shows it. These symptoms show that that monastic’s soul has caught some disease. One who used to watch over his own conduct now is all watchfulness for others.”

Lord, we ask for singleness of mind to serve you and wisdom to seek unity without judging those closest to us. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, February 11, 2020

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 13

Listen to 1 Corinthians 13

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 11 de febrero de 2020

Solo da gracias

Te damos gracias, oh Dios, te damos gracias e invocamos tu nombre.

—Salmo 75:1 (NVI)

Hoy quiero que dediquemos estos cortos minutos a darle gracias a Dios por todo lo que nos ha dado. No todos los días debemos pedirle a Dios.

Es muy bonito poder levantar nuestra mirada y decir:

«Gracias, Dios, porque me regalaste un nuevo día. Tengo salud y sé que tú me cuidas aun cuando estoy dormido. Gracias, mi Dios, porque has llegado a mi vida, porque quizá a través de estas pequeñas enseñanzas de experiencias vividas estoy aprendiendo a conocerte más de cerca. Estoy reconociendo que en verdad estás vivo, que eres real. Que estás tan cerca de mí que te interesa mi vida para que me vaya bien. Conoces mis necesidades y me concedes las cosas que ni siquiera te había pedido. Gracias por las cosas que estoy viviendo y, aunque no las entiendo, veo tu mano interviniendo. Sé que pronto me sacarás adelante. Señor, la clave está en la obediencia. Sé que siendo obediente a ti voy a recibir todas las bendiciones».

Recuerden, esta fórmula no falla: Obediencia = Bendición.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy quiero que dediquemos estos cortos minutos a darle gracias a Dios por todo lo que nos ha dado.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, February 11, 2020

FEAR GOD, FEAR NOTHING ELSE

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

—1 John 4:18 (NIV)

The Apostle John repeatedly teaches that loving God (other scripture writers refer to it as “fearing” God) is the antidote to fear. Fear is a tactic of Satan which all believers must face. Those under severe persecution often face this challenge early.

Behbaha, an Iranian secret believer from a Muslim background (MBB), shares that her aunt went to a house church and she accompanied her. But she was afraid. She knew that the government controlled the church and that scared her.

“At that time I worked in a job that was state controlled. Every time they gave us questionnaires we should fill out, one of the questions is about religion. Of course, you have to fill in; ‘Muslim,’ but I could not do that anymore…”

In the house church she attended with her aunt she learned about the Bible and what Jesus taught in a very practical way. Taking a discipleship training course was a great blessing for Behbaha. She says, “I was able to understand the Bible, I saw the good Lord of the Bible, saw His love—and that changed my life.” After six years of searching, she gave her life to Jesus.

The good thing is that her family does not have any problems with her changing and going to church. “Neighbors are the problem”, she states. “The government tells on radio and TV that if you know a person who is not dedicated to the government or to Islam you should go to the police and tell them when you suspect someone of being a Christian.”

After she became a Christian she left her job. “Much too dangerous,” she comments. “I am not able anymore to fill out that form [because of the religion question]. Now I am working part-time with some small companies, who are not working with these forms asking about faith.” She does not know if she is observed by the secret police, because of her former job. Behbaha is not aware of being watched. “But I have to be careful, they are able to kill me,” she says with conviction. “Sometimes people are killed; sometimes they have to leave the country. Maybe, if they catch me, I will be killed, but this week of training took away my fear.”

The first three discipleship courses were via the internet. The fourth she did in a safe location. Behbaha concludes, “The course on location is very good. The interaction among each other, seeing the teacher face to face, meant that I did not fall asleep like often happens in church. This is very good.”

After taking the training seminar she wants to teach the course to others—especially church people. Behbaha also wants to pass on the training to her family and friends. “I want to share and show love. My dream after this training is to have house groups with my family members, friends and colleagues to teach them. But…your life should be a good testimony to everyone and Jesus must increase in your life. I am working on that.”

RESPONSE: Today I will focus on fearing God so that I will not fear anything or anyone else.

PRAYER: Pray new believers around the world involved in discipleship training will learn not to fear.

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 - February 11, 2020 - Setting Our Foolishness Aside

"Setting Our Foolishness Aside"

Feb. 11, 2020

(Moses said) "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in His ways, and by keeping His commandments and His statutes and His rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

—Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (ESV)

However much Moses was gifted in his service to God, he certainly would have earned the titled: Public Speaker Extraordinaire. Here we have the aged prophet addressing the people of Israel in the land of Moab, heading toward the Promised Land. By this time, Israel's leader is no doubt beyond weary of delivering the same old message, lamenting Israel's lack of backbone and faith in the face of difficulties. Having been with them for 40 years of desert wandering as well as the toil and oppression of Egypt before that, He knew that though they were a chosen people, they were a stubborn people. Their wicked idolatry, foolish disregard for God's Word, and moral weakness were the themes for a number of "chats" he's had to have with them.

But is it really any different with us today? How often does the world trip us up, sending us headlong into some sin we've fallen into way too many times? We know the foibles of our flesh. We've replayed our favorite sins time and time again. Distracted by the world and its blinking lights and buzzers it's easy to get lost along the way. I, for one, am nothing short of a master when it comes to seeing the train wreck coming and still not getting out of the way.

But God is ever patient, ever willing to give His people the good life, a life that draws its strength and sustenance from following Him. And for us—unlike the children of Israel—it's no longer about waiting for the promise: Jesus has come. He has walked among us, giving us His life, taking our sins to the cross. And then He sealed the deal. He rose from the dead three days later—victorious over Satan and the grave.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, by Your grace we choose life; we choose the path that's narrow and full of love and joy. Lead us ever onward. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. How different is your life today from how you pictured it growing up?
2. What kind of life do you think God would have you live?
3. Is there anybody in your life whom you've given permission to speak frankly to you about how you're doing and the decisions you make? Would it help if there was?

This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
How different is your life today from how you pictured it growing up?

CPTLN devocional del 11 de febrero de 2020 - Dejando nuestras tonterías a un lado

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Dejando nuestras tonterías a un lado

11 de Febrero de 2020

Fíjate bien: hoy he puesto delante de ti la vida y el bien, la muerte y el mal. Lo que yo te mando hoy es que ames al Señor tu Dios, que vayas por sus caminos, y que cumplas sus mandamientos, sus estatutos y sus decretos, para que vivas y seas multiplicado, y para que el Señor tu Dios te bendiga en la tierra de la cual vas a tomar posesión. »Pero si apartas tu corazón y no prestas atención, y te dejas llevar, y te inclinas ante dioses ajenos y les sirves, en este día yo les hago saber que ustedes serán destruidos por completo, y que no prolongarán sus días en la tierra al otro lado del Jordán, de la cual van a tomar posesión. Hoy pongo a los cielos y a la tierra por testigos contra ustedes, de que he puesto ante ustedes la vida y la muerte, la bendición y la maldición. Escoge, pues, la vida, para que tú y tu descendencia vivan; y para que ames al Señor tu Dios, y atiendas a su voz, y lo sigas, pues él es para ti vida y prolongación de tus días. Así habitarás la tierra que el Señor juró a tus padres, Abrahán, Isaac y Jacob, que les daría a ustedes.»

—Deuteronomio 30:15-20 (RVC)

Moisés fue muy bien dotado en su servicio a Dios. Ciertamente se habría ganado el título de Orador Público Extraordinario. Aquí vemos al viejo profeta que se dirige al pueblo de Israel en la tierra de Moab, en dirección a la Tierra Prometida. En ese momento, el líder de Israel está indudablemente más que cansado de repetir el mismo mensaje, lamentando la falta de compromiso y fe de Israel ante las dificultades.

Después de haber estado con ellos durante 40 años deambulando por el desierto, y de ver su trabajo y opresión en Egipto antes de eso, Moisés sabía que aunque eran un pueblo elegido, también eran un pueblo terco. Su malvada idolatría, su necio desprecio por la Palabra de Dios y su debilidad moral fueron los temas de una serie de "conversaciones" que tuvo con ellos.

¿Pero es realmente diferente nuestro caso hoy en día? ¿Con qué frecuencia el mundo nos hace tropezar, enviándonos precipitadamente a algún pecado en el que hemos caído demasiadas veces? Conocemos las debilidades de nuestra carne. Hemos repetido nuestros pecados favoritos una y otra vez. Distraídos por el mundo y sus luces deslumbrantes, es fácil salirnos del camino.

Pero Dios es paciente; él siempre está dispuesto a darle a su pueblo la buena vida, una vida que obtiene su fuerza y sustento al seguirle a él. Y para nosotros, a diferencia de los hijos de Israel, ya no se trata de esperar la promesa: Jesús ya ha venido. Él ha caminado entre nosotros dándonos su vida, llevando nuestros pecados a la cruz. Y luego de eso selló el trato. Se levantó de la muerte tres días después, victorioso sobre Satanás y la tumba.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, por tu gracia elegimos la vida; elegimos el camino estrecho y lleno de amor y alegría. Guíanos siempre hacia adelante. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Paul Schreiber

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Qué tan diferente es tu vida hoy de cómo la imaginabas en tu infancia?
2. ¿A quién le has dado permiso para hablarte francamente sobre tu manera de vivir y las decisiones que tomas? ¿Te ayudaría si tuvieras a alguien así?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué tan diferente es tu vida hoy de cómo la imaginabas en tu infancia?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Vecinos cercanos

Vecinos cercanos

La escritura de hoy: Proverbios 27:1-10
La Biblia en un año: Levítico 11–12; Mateo 26:1-25

… Mejor es el vecino cerca que el hermano lejos.

—Proverbios 27:10

Nuestro vecindario usa un sitio de Internet para ayudar a los vecinos a conectarse de inmediato entre sí. En mi comunidad, los integrantes advierten de la aparición de pumas, avisan sobre órdenes de evacuación por incendios forestales y ofrecen cuidar a los niños cuando surge la necesidad. El sitio también ha ayudado a encontrar mascotas. Al aprovechar el poder de Internet, los que viven cerca se están volviendo a conectar de maneras que suelen perderse en este acelerado mundo actual.

Ya en la época de Salomón, era importante relacionarse con los que vivían cerca. Si bien la familia es relevante y puede ser una gran fuente de ayuda, Salomón indica que el rol de un amigo es vital; en especial, en «el día de tu aflicción» (Proverbios 27:10). Los parientes pueden interesarse profundamente en sus familiares y desear ayudar, pero si están lejos, hay poco que puedan hacer cuando la adversidad golpea. Sin embargo, los vecinos, al estar cerca, quizá sepan de la necesidad y puedan ayudar con más rapidez.

Como la tecnología ha facilitado más que nunca mantenerse conectado con los seres amados en todo el mundo, tal vez nos veamos tentados a pasar por alto a los que viven cerca. ¡Que el Señor nos ayude a relacionarnos más con aquellos que ha puesto a nuestro alrededor!

De:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflexiona y ora

Dios, gracias por darnos vecinos a quienes ayudar.

¿Quién te ayudó en momentos de necesidad? ¿Cómo puedes acercarte a los que viven más cerca de ti?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Nuestro vecindario usa un sitio de Internet para ayudar a los vecinos a conectarse de inmediato entre sí.