The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, February 28, 2020

Psalm 51; Jonah 4:1-11; Romans 1:8-17

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, February 28, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 51

Create in me a clean heart

1  Have mercy on me, O God,
     according to your unfailing love;
   according to your great compassion
     blot out my transgressions.
2  Wash away all my iniquity
     and cleanse me from my sin.

3  For I know my transgressions,
     and my sin is always before me.
4  Against you, you only, have I sinned
     and done what is evil in your sight;
   so you are right in your verdict
     and justified when you judge.
5  Surely I was sinful at birth,
     sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6  Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
     you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
     wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8  Let me hear joy and gladness;
     let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9  Hide your face from my sins
     and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
     and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
     or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
     and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
     so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
     you who are God my Savior,
     and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
     and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
     you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
     a broken and contrite heart
     you, God, will not despise.

Jonah 4:1-11

God mercifully reproves Jonah

4:1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Romans 1:8-17

Live by faith

1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

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 28, 2020
Psalm 51; Jonah 4:1-11; Romans 1:8-17

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, February 28, 2020

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, February 28, 2020

Bonaventure, a thirteenth-century Franciscan theologian, wrote, “The outcome or the fruit of reading Holy Scripture is by no means negligible: it is the fullness of eternal happiness. These are the books that tell us of eternal life, which were written, not only that we might believe, but also that we might have everlasting life. The purpose of the Scriptures, which come to us from God, is to lead us to the fullness of the truth. In order to achieve this, we must study holy Scripture carefully, and teach it and listen to it in the same way.”

Lord, convict us of the need for spiritual disciplines that call us to stillness, centeredness, and contemplation. Remind us that your word is living and present to nurture us, grow us, and sustain us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, February 28, 2020

2 Timothy 1:7

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Read all of 2 Timothy 1

Listen to 2 Timothy 1

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

The Lenten Prayer for FRIDAY, February 28 - Friday After Ash Wednesday

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 3 - Friday After Ash Wednesday

Lord, I know how much you love me. It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes, but I know your love is always with me.

Help me to use your love as a way to persevere in my Lenten intentions. I am weak, but I know with your help, I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you.

Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Viernes 28 de febrero de 2020

Dios me hizo libre

Y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres.

—Juan 8:32 (NVI)

Necesitamos conocer los pensamientos de Dios, así aprendemos muchas cosas.

Hace unos cuantos años, antes de entregar mi vida por completo a Jesús, sentía muchos vacíos y necesitaba la libertad de Dios. Cuando te hablo de libertad, me refiero a que mi mente estuvo cautiva por varios años con pensamientos tristes o con desánimos en algunas ocasiones.

Debido a que fui madre soltera casi toda mi vida, aprendí a ser independiente. Tanto fue así, que no contaba siquiera con Dios. De modo que tuve que experimentar muchas situaciones que me hicieron madurar, sobre todo en Cristo.

Durante mucho tiempo viví atada a mi pasado y a mis fracasos, y no le daba la oportunidad a Dios. Entonces, al fin comprendí un día que Él es el único que da la paz que nadie es capaz de dar desde el punto de vista humano. Empecé a experimentar que Él era el que me suplía para todas mis necesidades y, además, veía su fidelidad de una manera sorprendente. Así que decidí creerle. Decidí empezar a ver las promesas que hay en la Biblia para mi vida y fue cuando en verdad Dios me hizo libre.

Quedé libre de culpas, libre de soledad, libre de envidias, libre de celos y pude declarar que vivía absolutamente feliz sola con mis hijas.

Experiméntalo tú también y te sentirás libre hoy de toda amargura del pasado. Si estás solo con tus hijos o solo en este país, piensa que Dios está contigo en todo momento. Vive feliz con lo que tienes, con los que hasta ahora te ha tocado vivir. Deja de renegar y empieza a ser agradecido.

¡Se libre!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hace unos cuantos años, antes de entregar mi vida por completo a Jesús, sentía muchos vacíos y necesitaba la libertad de Dios.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, February 28, 2020

SUFFERING BRINGS A GREATER HARVEST OF SOULS

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria…Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

—Acts 8:1, 4 (NIV)

Again and again, we see that in many countries, right before persecution comes, the church grows rapidly. This happened in northern Korea one hundred years ago just before the Japanese occupation and persecution.

It is helpful to remember this theme from the book of Acts: persecution does not necessarily cause church growth but church growth appears to cause persecution!

Church leaders among the many house church networks in China (the fastest growing church in the world) repeatedly share that suffering for Jesus often brings about a greater harvest of souls.

Sariman was a young student preparing himself to serve the Lord among the thirty million Sundanese of Indonesia, the largest unreached people group in the world. During a violent attack on the Bible school, Sariman was killed and many other students were wounded. Sariman bravely assisted his friends although he could have saved himself. Before his death, he was tortured and other students testified how Sariman was slaughtered. He was hit with a bar of wood and iron, then hacked, stabbed and his mouth was cut from the left cheek to the right cheek.

Upon hearing yet another testimony of martyrdom, many questions arise. “Why this tragedy, Lord? How long will you allow this to continue? This is such a terrible loss for this wonderful ministry. What is the sense in all of this?”

Then the dean of the Bible school completes the testimony and indirectly answers our questions: “The victory in this tragedy is that only ten days after the murder of Sariman we had ten new applicants to study at the Bible school. Today, six months after the incident, we have ninety-eight new students who are willing to go where Sariman would have gone. The blood of the martyrs is indeed seed.”

Paul clearly warns the Church in Galatia (Galatians 5:1) to stand firm in the midst of freedom. Freedom is not a time to relax. Freedom often creates a new kind of slavery. There is a price tag attached to freedom and we need to count the cost. It is time to open our hearts to the valuable lessons that we can learn from those that follow Christ in restricted countries—even to their death.

RESPONSE: Today I will accept the biblical teaching and the many church growth examples that suffering often brings about a greater harvest of souls.

PRAYER: Lord, we pray today for Your fast-growing suffering churches around the world. May they be encouraged as they see many more souls added to Your kingdom.

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 28, 2020

Judah

His name means: "The Praise of the Lord"

His work: A leader among his brothers, he was head of the tribe from which both King David and Jesus would come.
His character: The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, he saved his brother Joseph's life and offered to take his youngest brother Benjamin's place as a slave in Egypt.
His sorrow: To have lived for many years with the knowledge that he and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery.
His triumph: To have received a choice blessing from his father, Jacob, promising that Judah would be the greatest of the tribes of Israel.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 37:26-36; 38; 42-45

A Look at the Man

Though not the firstborn, Judah was a leader among Jacob's unruly sons. His leadership saved Joseph's life, and probably the lives of his extended family as well because he was able to persuade Jacob that Benjamin needed to come with him to procure more grain in Egypt. His most impressive act of leadership was offering his own life in pledge for Benjamin's freedom, in a way reversing his earlier act of betrayal toward Joseph.

But Judah's leadership was flawed by the act of selling his own flesh and blood into slavery and by lying to his father about what happened to Joseph. It was also marred by what happened between him and his daughter-in-law, Tamar. After Tamar had lost her second husband, Judah's second son, he had promised to arrange a marriage with his youngest son, as the custom prescribed. But Judah failed to keep that promise and then falsely accused Tamar of being a prostitute, threatening her with death. To his credit, as soon as he discovered his error, he admitted that Tamar was more righteous than he.

Like so many of the Bible's best-known characters, and like so many of us, Judah was a man in need of forgiveness. He was a leader who needed mercy, and he found it in the arms of his brother Joseph and in the providence of a God who knew the secret that he and his brothers had kept for so many years.

Reflect On: Genesis 44:14–16
Praise God: Because he knows the state of our hearts.
Offer Thanks: For ways, God has strengthened relationships in your family.
Confess: Any sins against brothers or sisters, father or mother.
Ask God: To show you how to make amends for anything you’ve done wrong.

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.
Though not the firstborn, Judah was a leader among Jacob's unruly sons.

LHM Daily Devotions - February 28, 2020 - LEANING ON THE WORD OF GOD

"LEANING ON THE WORD OF GOD"

Feb. 28, 2020

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. ... And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

— Luke 4:1, 12-13 (ESV)

Testing. Nobody likes it. It's uncomfortable. It offers the possibility that you could fail. And the consequences—well, let's not think about those!

But we all know that testing comes along early in practically every important thing we do. Moses faced it the first time he went to tell Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go free. How nervous he must have been! Imagine having to go tell a hostile king that you've been hearing voices (well, one voice), and you have a message from God that the king isn't going to want to hear. Not fun. Dangerous, even. How do you keep your courage up in those circumstances?

Moses leaned pretty heavily on the Word of God that he had heard during the episode of the burning bush. He didn't try to come up with smart ideas on his own—just stuck to God's Word and passed it along. And we can see God's own Son Jesus doing the exact same thing in His own testing, during the 40 days He spent in the wilderness being tempted by the devil.

Think about that for a moment. Here is God Himself in the flesh being tempted by evil—and whenever He answers a temptation, He says only, "It is written ..." (or as we would say, "The Bible says ..."). As God, surely Jesus could have just made something up. He had the wisdom. But He didn't do that. He leaned on God's Word, the Scripture, and used that as His sole defense—just as Moses did. Why?

I think Jesus did it for us. Because what wisdom or understanding do we have besides what God gives us in the Bible? When we are tested, there is no better place for us to find help and hope. Because that is where we find Jesus—and the Holy Spirit plants faith and hope in our hearts.

THE PRAYER: Lord Holy Spirit, help me to understand and trust Your Word, the Bible—please teach me to hear Your voice. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What part of the Bible do you know the best? The least?
2. What part does the Bible play in your daily life?
3. Who or what could help you grow in your appreciation of the Bible?

Lenten 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 part of the Bible do you know the best? The least?

CPTLN devocional del 28 de febrero de 2020 - Apoyándonos en la palabra de Dios

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Apoyándonos en la palabra de Dios

28 de Febrero de 2020

Jesús... fue llevado por el Espíritu al desierto. Allí estuvo cuarenta días, y el diablo lo estuvo poniendo a prueba... Jesús le respondió: "También está dicho: 'No tentarás al Señor tu Dios.'" Cuando el diablo agotó sus intentos de ponerlo a prueba, se apartó de él por algún tiempo.

— Lucas 4:1-2, 12-13 (RVC)

Pruebas. A nadie le gustan. Son incómodas. Nos ofrecen la posibilidad de fallar. Y las consecuencias, bueno, ¡no pensemos en eso!

Pero todos sabemos que las pruebas aparecen en prácticamente todo lo importante que hacemos. Moisés las enfrentó la primera vez que fue a decirle al faraón que dejara libres a los hebreos. ¡Qué nervioso debe haber estado! Imagina tener que ir a decirle a un rey hostil que has estado escuchando voces (bueno, una voz) y tienes un mensaje de Dios que el rey no va a querer escuchar. No es divertido. Es incluso peligroso. ¿Cómo mantienes tu valentía en esas circunstancias?

Moisés se apoyó en la palabra de Dios que había escuchado desde la zarza ardiente. No trató de proponer ideas inteligentes por su cuenta; simplemente se atuvo a la palabra de Dios y la transmitió. Y podemos ver al Hijo de Dios, Jesús, haciendo exactamente lo mismo en su propia prueba, durante los cuarenta días que pasó en el desierto siendo tentado por el diablo.

Piensa en eso. Allí está Dios encarnado siendo tentado por el mal, y cada vez que responde a una tentación, solo dice: "Está escrito..." (o como diríamos: "La Biblia dice..."). Siendo Dios, seguramente Jesús podría haber hecho algo. Él tenía la sabiduría necesaria. Pero no lo hizo. Se apoyó en la palabra de Dios, la Escritura, y la usó como su única defensa, tal como lo hizo Moisés. ¿Por qué?

Por nosotros. Porque, ¿qué sabiduría o entendimiento tenemos además del que Dios nos da en la Biblia? Cuando pasamos por pruebas, no hay mejor lugar donde podamos encontrar ayuda y esperanza. Porque allí es donde encontramos a Jesús y donde el Espíritu Santo planta la fe y la esperanza en nuestros corazones.

ORACIÓN: Espíritu Santo, ayúdame a entender y a confiar en la Palabra de Dios. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Qué papel juega la Palabra de Dios en tu vida diaria?
2. ¿Quién o qué podría ayudarte a crecer en tu apreciación de ella?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué papel juega la Palabra de Dios en tu vida diaria?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Đức Tin Để Chịu Đựng

Đức Tin Để Chịu Đựng

Đọc: Công vụ 27:27–38 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Dân số ký 20–22; Mác 7:1–13

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Gian khổ sinh ra kiên nhẫn. —Rô-ma 5:3

Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) đã dẫn đầu cuộc thám hiểm bất thành vượt qua Nam Cực năm 1914. Khi chiếc tàu của ông, có tên là Nhẫn Nại, bị kẹt trong tảng băng ở Biển Weddell, nó trở thành cuộc đua bền bỉ để sống sót. Không có bất cứ phương tiện nào để liên lạc với phần còn lại của thế giới, Shackleton và thủy thủ đoàn sử dụng thuyền cứu sinh để thực hiện chuyến hành trình đến bờ biển gần nhất – Đảo Voi. Trong khi hầu hết các thủy thủ ở lại trên đảo, Shackleton và năm thủy thủ khác dành hai tuần vượt 695 hải lý đến South Georgia để kêu gọi sự giúp đỡ cho số thủy thủ còn ở lại trên đảo. Chuyến thám hiểm “thất bại” đã ghi tên Shackleton vào sử sách cách vinh quang khi tất cả các thủy thủ đoàn đều sống sót, nhờ vào sự can đảm và nhẫn nại của họ.

Sứ đồ Phao-lô biết việc nhẫn nại có ý nghĩa thế nào. Trong chuyến hải trình đầy bão tố đến Rô-ma chịu xét xử vì đức tin nơi Chúa Jêsus, Phao-lô được thiên sứ của Đức Chúa Trời báo trước rằng tàu sẽ chìm. Nhưng vị sứ đồ tiếp tục khích lệ các thủy thủ, trông cậy vào lời hứa của Chúa rằng mọi người sẽ sống sót, mặc dù chiếc tàu bị đánh chìm (Cv. 27:23-24).

Khi thử thách đến, chúng ta có xu hướng muốn Chúa giải quyết mọi chuyện ngay lập tức. Nhưng Chúa ban cho chúng ta đức tin để nhẫn nại và trưởng thành. Như sứ đồ Phao-lô viết cho người Rô-ma: “Gian khổ sinh ra kiên nhẫn” (Rô. 5:3). Biết được điều đó, chúng ta có thể khích lệ lẫn nhau để tiếp tục tin cậy Chúa trong nghịch cảnh.

Phản ứng thông thường của bạn với nghịch cảnh là gì? Làm thế nào để bạn khích lệ người đang trải qua thời gian khó khăn?

Lạy Cha Thiên Thượng, xin giúp con tiếp tục bước đi, ngay cả khi gặp khó khăn thử thách.

bởi Linda Washington

© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Phản ứng thông thường của bạn với nghịch cảnh là gì?