The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, February 25, 2020

Psalm 78:17-20, 52-55; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Romans 11:1-6

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, February 25, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 78:17-20, 52-55

Israel led to God’s holy mountain

17 But they continued to sin against him,
     rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test
     by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God;
     they said, “Can God really
     spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
     and water gushed out,
     streams flowed abundantly,
   but can he also give us bread?
     Can he supply meat for his people?”
…
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;
     he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
     but the sea engulfed their enemies.
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
     to the hill country his right hand had taken.
55 He drove out nations before them
     and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;
     he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

1 Kings 19:9-18

Elijah hears God

19:9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Romans 11:1-6

A remnant chosen by grace

11:1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

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 25, 2020
Psalm 78:17-20, 52-55; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Romans 11:1-6

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, February 25, 2020

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, February 25, 2020

On this day in 1994, a Jewish settler from New York entered the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron with an automatic weapon and killed twenty-nine Muslims during prayer, which has become known as the  Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre (also known as the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre or Hebron massacre). This massacre has been a landmark in the conflict in the Middle East, which is so often fueled by religious extremists reacting to other religious extremists. It is a reminder that extremists of all faiths have distorted the best that our faiths have to offer, and it is our prayer that a new generation of extremists for love and grace will rise up.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “To show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much love we put in the doing that makes our offering something beautiful for God.”

Today, Lord, help us make our lives an offering of quiet commitment to thread love through the torn garments of society. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, February 25, 2020

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Read all of Matthew 22

Listen to Matthew 22

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 25 de febrero de 2020

No estás en derrota

Levántate [...] Ya brotan flores en los campos; ¡el tiempo de la canción ha llegado!

—Cantares 2:10, 12 (NVI)

Darnos por vencidos en la vida es cerrarles las puertas al cambio. Un divorcio, una enfermedad, una pérdida, un despido repentino de un trabajo, un hijo que se va de casa, tener un familiar en la cárcel o, más aun, en las drogas… ¡Qué terrible!

Sé que muchos de los que hoy leemos este libro hemos pasado al menos por una de estas penosas situaciones. Y sabes que la misma frustración de lo que estamos viviendo no nos permite ver, mucho menos creer, que después de la tormenta viene la calma.

En ocasiones dudamos que hasta Dios, que es el dueño de nuestra vida, pueda estar interesado en tal problema y que nos dé en algún momento la salida o una solución.

Sin embargo, necesitamos conocer a Dios en medio de estas crisis. En esos momentos tenemos la oportunidad más maravillosa de entregarnos por completo en sus brazos y decirle: «Estoy cansado… He luchado en mis fuerzas y ya no puedo más».

Sabemos que no existe prueba tan grande que tú y yo no podamos soportar. O sea, Dios conoce tu capacidad de dolor y sabe cuánto puedes resistir.

Recuerda, a Dios sí le puedes creer.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Darnos por vencidos en la vida es cerrarles las puertas al cambio.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, February 25, 2020

SUFFERING CAN MAKE OUR LIVES MORE HOLY

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

—Hebrews 12:10 (NIV)

Christmas is a time of peace and joy for those who are fortunate enough to celebrate the birth of their Savior in freedom. For Marko and his two fellow believers, it was the fifteenth Christmas that they had to celebrate behind the bars of a prison cell in a Muslim country.

The next day some colleagues felt they had to visit Marko and his friends as encouragement and confirm to them once again the love of Immanuel—God with us.

Even though they often heard the saying that a prison cell in the Middle East is the closest to hell that you will experience on earth, nothing prepared them for the sense of hopelessness that they experienced in that waiting room of despair.

As the prisoners entered, it was not difficult to recognize Marko and his two friends. Beaming eyes and smiling faces immediately assured them Marko and friends knew they had not been separated from the love of God.

Tears flowed freely as they shared how lonely they were on Christmas day and how joyful they were to know that they were not forgotten.

“It was so difficult yesterday,” Marko spoke softly. “Apart from being Christian prisoners in a Muslim prison, it was also a fast day of Ramadan. We were not allowed out of our cells and we were not allowed to talk to anyone. Fortunately, a week ago the three of us got hold of pieces of a cake and we hid them underneath our cushions especially for Christmas day. Yesterday, when the fast was broken, we simply walked to one another, held the slices of cake together and said “Merry Christmas!”

The visiting hour flew past and soon it was time to say goodbye. Before being marched back to his prison cell, we looked at Marko and asked him a final question. “What are you going to do when you get to your cell and are once again all alone?

Marko smiled and answered, “I will simply spread the wings of my spirit and fly to Jesus.”

RESPONSE: Today I will seek to understand the biblical principle that suffering makes our lives more holy.

PRAYER: Lord, help me, like Marko, to keep my eyes fixed on You regardless of my circumstances.

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 25, 2020 - Love for the Renegade

"Love for the Renegade"

Feb. 25, 2020

And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

— Genesis 3:21 (ESV)

For the person who insists the God of the Old and New Testaments is aloof or far removed from human concerns, our text today says differently.

Prior to chapter 3, the book of Genesis has God speaking into existence the heavens and the earth in six days. He calls into being the stars that dot the universe, the fish that swarm the oceans, and everything in between. This was lofty work to be sure. Filling the universe with sun-studded galaxies, complex planetary systems, and a world like ours was no small feat. And to show it was a massive undertaking, God took the seventh day to rest from His labors.

But creation wasn't just about the imaginative act (as awesome as that was!) of calling something into existence out of nothing; it was also about appointing a being to oversee His handiwork. For man, the pinnacle of God's creation, made "in His own image" (Genesis 1:27b), He had very special plans. Humans not only bore the image of God, they were given dominion over His creation. With this delegation of power, God was not only pleased, He declared that "it was very good" (see Genesis 1:27-31).

So far, so good, right? Well, not where man is concerned. Placed into what had to be an idyllic paradise of unbelievable beauty and tranquility, the man was given a simple directive: "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16b-17).

Sounds plain enough. But in time, man—and the woman God gave him—soon found a way to mess it all up. Twisting God's simple command, they turned it to their own ends—and the universe still bellows with the horror of their disobedience.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:6-7).

Adam and Eve's blatant disrespect for God, and their slick duping by the serpentine powers of darkness, left them naked and afraid. Their single act undermined mankind completely. A fruitful life of keeping God's garden in His company had been sabotaged by their deliberate disobedience. The deed was done; the wheels were set in motion. Now, rather than run to the sovereign King of creation, they ran from His presence, thinking some trees would give them the secrecy they suddenly sought.

Though their sin alienated them from God's presence, His care didn't end there. There was one more act of creation in store: "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).

God—He never stops giving. Though we rebel and turn away, God covers us with His love. He did it in the garden; He did it on the cross. He is always on our side.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your mercy knows no bounds. Thank You for covering us with Your love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you feel like you're a creative person? What can you create—furniture, theories, music, etc.?
2. How do you think God actually made something for Adam and Eve to wear?
3. Has God clothed you when you needed protection? What were the circumstances?

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).
Do you feel like you're a creative person? What can you create—furniture, theories, music, etc.?

CPTLN devocional del 25 de febrero de 2020 - Amor por el renegado

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Amor por el renegado

25 de Febrero de 2020

Luego Dios el Señor hizo túnicas de pieles para vestir al hombre y a su mujer.

— Génesis 3:21 (RVC)

A la persona que insiste en que el Dios de la Biblia es distante o está muy alejado de las preocupaciones humanas, el texto de hoy le dice lo contrario.

Antes del capítulo 3, el libro de Génesis nos muestra a Dios creando los cielos y la tierra en seis días, llamando a las estrellas que salpican el universo, a los peces que pululan en los océanos y a todo lo demás que conocemos. Llenar el universo con galaxias cubiertas de sol, complejos sistemas planetarios y un mundo como el nuestro no fue una tarea fácil. Y para mostrarlo, Dios tomó el séptimo día para descansar de sus labores.

Pero la creación no fue solo el acto imaginativo de llamar a la existencia a algo de la nada; también implicó nombrar un ser para supervisar su obra. Para el hombre, el pináculo de su creación, hecho "a su imagen" (Génesis 1:27b), Dios tenía planes muy especiales: no solo llevaba la imagen de Dios, sino que también tenía dominio sobre su creación. Con esta delegación de poder Dios estaba tan complacido, que dijo que "era bueno en gran manera" (ver Génesis 1:27-31).

Hasta aquí todo bien, ¿no? Bueno, no en lo que concierne al hombre. Colocado en lo que tenía que ser un paraíso idílico de increíble belleza y tranquilidad, el hombre recibió una simple directiva: Puedes comer de todo árbol del huerto, pero no debes comer del árbol del conocimiento del bien y del mal, porque el día que comas de él ciertamente morirás" (Génesis 2:16b-17).

Suena bastante claro. Pero con el tiempo, el hombre y la mujer que Dios le dio, pronto encontraron la manera de estropearlo todo. Retorcieron el simple mandato de Dios usándolo para sus propios fines, y como consecuencia, hasta el día de hoy el universo brama por el horror de su desobediencia. "La mujer vio que el árbol era bueno para comer, apetecible a los ojos, y codiciable para alcanzar la sabiduría. Tomó entonces uno de sus frutos, y lo comió; y le dio a su marido, que estaba con ella, y él también comió. En ese instante se les abrieron los ojos a los dos, y se dieron cuenta de que estaban desnudos; entonces tejieron hojas de higuera y se cubrieron con ellas" (Génesis 3:6-7).

La flagrante falta de respeto de Adán y Eva hacia Dios y el hábil engaño de los serpentinos poderes de la oscuridad, los dejaron desnudos y asustados. Ese único acto minó por completo a la humanidad. Su desobediencia deliberada había saboteado una vida fructífera cuidando el jardín de Dios en su compañía. Entonces, en lugar de correr hacia el Rey de la creación huyeron de su presencia, buscando en los árboles la discreción que ahora necesitaban.

Pero, si bien su pecado los alejó de la presencia de Dios, Dios no dejó de cuidarlos: "Luego, Dios el Señor hizo túnicas de pieles para vestir al hombre y a su mujer" (Génesis 3:21). Dios nunca deja de dar. Aunque nos rebelamos y nos alejamos, Dios nos cubre con su amor. Lo hizo en el jardín. Lo hizo en la cruz. Él siempre está de nuestro lado. "¿Qué más podemos decir? Que si Dios está a nuestro favor, nadie podrá estar en contra de nosotros. El que no escatimó ni a su propio Hijo, sino que lo entregó por todos nosotros, ¿cómo no nos dará también con él todas las cosas?" (Romanos 8: 31-32).

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, tu misericordia no conoce límites. Gracias por cubrirnos con tu amor. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Paul Schreiber

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Cómo se te ocurre que Dios hizo algo para que Adán y Eva se cubrieran?
2. ¿Te ha vestido Dios cuando necesitabas protección? ¿Cuáles fueron las circunstancias?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo se te ocurre que Dios hizo algo para que Adán y Eva se cubrieran?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Ricos para con Dios

Ricos para con Dios

La escritura de hoy: 1 Timoteo 6:6-11
La Biblia en un año: Números 12–14; Marcos 5:21-43

Pero gran ganancia es la piedad acompañada de contentamiento.

—1 Timoteo 6:6

De niños, al haber crecido durante la Gran Depresión, en Estados Unidos, mis padres experimentaron grandes dificultades, lo que hizo que fueran muy trabajadores y agradecidos administradores del dinero. Pero nunca fueron codiciosos, sino que dieron tiempo, talentos y dinero a su iglesia, a grupos de caridad y a los necesitados. Manejaron su dinero sabiamente y dieron con alegría.

Como creyentes en Cristo, tomaron en serio la exhortación del apóstol Pablo: «los que quieren enriquecerse caen en tentación y lazo, y en muchas codicias necias y dañosas, que hunden a los hombres en destrucción y perdición» (1 Timoteo 6:9).

Así aconsejó Pablo a Timoteo, el joven pastor de Éfeso, una ciudad próspera donde las riquezas tentaban a todos; por lo que Pablo advirtió: «raíz de todos los males es el amor al dinero, el cual codiciando algunos, se extraviaron de la fe, y fueron traspasados de muchos dolores» (v. 10).

¿Cuál es, entonces, el antídoto para la codicia? Ser «rico para con Dios», dijo Jesús (ver Lucas 12:13-21); que Él sea nuestro mayor deleite. Digamos como el salmista: «De mañana sácianos de tu misericordia, y cantaremos y nos alegraremos todos nuestros días» (Salmo 90:14).

¡Que Cristo controle los deseos de nuestro corazón y nos haga ricos para con Dios!

De:  Patricia Raybon

Reflexiona y ora

Dios, reemplaza nuestra codicia con un santo deseo de ti.

¿Cómo has malgastado o sobrevalorado el dinero? ¿Cómo podrías entregarle hoy a Dios tus preocupaciones financieras?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
De niños, al haber crecido durante la Gran Depresión, en Estados Unidos, mis padres experimentaron grandes dificultades, lo que hizo que fueran muy trabajadores y agradecidos administradores del dinero.