The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 32

Mercy embraces us

1  Blessed is the one
     whose transgressions are forgiven,
     whose sins are covered.
2  Blessed is the one
     whose sin the Lord does not count against them
     and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3  When I kept silent,
     my bones wasted away
     through my groaning all day long.
4  For day and night
     your hand was heavy on me;
   my strength was sapped
     as in the heat of summer.

5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you
     and did not cover up my iniquity.
   I said, “I will confess
     my transgressions to the Lord.”
   And you forgave
     the guilt of my sin.

6  Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
     while you may be found;
   surely the rising of the mighty waters
     will not reach them.
7  You are my hiding place;
     you will protect me from trouble
     and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
     I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9  Do not be like the horse or the mule,
     which have no understanding
   but must be controlled by bit and bridle
     or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
     but the Lord’s unfailing love
     surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
     sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Exodus 34:1-9, 27-28

God’s revelation of mercy

34:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”

4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

…

27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

Matthew 18:10-14

Not one of these little ones should be lost

18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”]

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

[Matthew 18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.]

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 WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020
Psalm 32; Exodus 34:1-9, 27-28; Matthew 18:10-14

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020

Thirteenth-century mystic Gertrude of Helfta prayed, “Inscribe with your precious blood, most merciful Lord, your wounds on my heart, that I may read in them both your sufferings and your love.”

Keep us from self-pity, Lord, and stir us to rise each morning expecting to encounter you and be caught up in your work. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Read all of Joshua 1

Listen to Joshua 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 WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 - Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 7 - Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Dear Lord, I know you receive what is in my heart. Let me be inspired by your words and by the actions of your son, Jesus. Guide me to make sacrifices this Lent in the spirit of self-denial and with greater attention to you and to those around me. Help me to believe that you will grant me this because of the sacrifice Jesus made for me. Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Miércoles 04 de marzo de 2020

Cada día es una oportunidad

Bendito el hombre que confía en el Señor, y pone su confianza en él. Será como un árbol plantado junto al agua, que [...] nunca deja de dar fruto.

— Jeremías 17:7-8 (NVI)

Hoy es tu oportunidad de servir a alguien. La historia de ayer es tan verídica como la que te cuento hoy. Hace un año, leíamos el devocional A los pies del Maestro, de Charles Spurgeon. Fue una tremenda bendición para muchos de nosotros.

En uno de esos capítulos, el autor nos hablaba de que debemos estar gozosos donde estemos, ya sea en grandes trabajos o en sencillos. Que debemos aprovechar cada posición en la que Dios nos permite estar, no solo en el trabajo, sino en nuestra vida en general.

Además, que debemos entender que Él lo permite porque allí aprenderemos y cumpliremos ese propósito. Luego de leer esa reflexión, empezamos a ver que no debemos quejarnos.

Que nos debemos levantar agradecidos y felices aunque no nos guste los que hacemos. Que Dios ve nuestro corazón y que nuestra actitud es determinante en la vida.

No pasaron ni cinco minutos cuando nos escribió Edgar diciendo: «¿Qué hago yo que no me quiero levantar porque no me gusta ir al trabajo que tengo? ¿Cómo sé que Dios me está llamando?». Y esta quizá sea tu pregunta hoy: «¿Para qué voy para mi casa si no soy feliz?». Lo que sí te puedo decir es que debemos ser fieles en todo, aunque lo que vivamos no sea lo que deseamos.

¿Quieres un mejor trabajo? Empieza siendo fiel por este que no te gusta y cambia tu actitud.

Dios es el único que conoce tu corazón y podrá manifestarse en tu vida. Él está listo para bendecirnos y darnos lo mejor a cada uno de nosotros que somos sus hijos. ¡Hoy es tu oportunidad!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy es tu oportunidad de servir a alguien.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, March 4, 2020

FAITHFUL TO THE END

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

— Revelation 14:12 (NIV)

Patient endurance is an oft-repeated theme throughout the New Testament. But it seems to be one theme we don’t talk about or preach about much. Yet it is a constant challenge for members of the persecuted church.

Since 1975, Bengali pastors in Bangladesh have faced increasing persecution for preaching the gospel. Some are beaten, imprisoned or even killed. As a result, their wives and children often face isolation. They are verbally and physically abused, and they face extraordinary challenges to remain free from bitterness.

Pastor Mir wanted to take the gospel to a place in Bangladesh that had not heard about Jesus. So he brought his wife Anjali and their children to a Muslim community that had never seen a Christian before. The community thought that Christians must look different somehow. Christians seemed so foreign to them. So they came to see what Christians looked like and introduced themselves.

Over the next several years, people began opening their hearts to the message of Jesus. But, not everyone responded so positively. Some in the village pressured the Mirs to leave. Nonetheless, they stood strong in their faith. Then one night, Anjali heard a loud noise. Someone was shot. Her husband had been walking to the market when two men caught him, shot him in the mouth and he fell on the ground. Then they took a dagger and stabbed him in the critical points of his body.

After a long while, Mrs. Mir heard that the man who had been shot was her husband. Though she longed to go to him, she knew her two small children required her care. So she could not leave her home. She was thinking, He’s going to die, and I have two boys. What am I going to do? How am I going to raise my two boys?

When Pastor Mir told onlookers he was dying, some fellow believers defied the threat of his attackers, and took him to a hospital. Miraculously, he survived. After years of extensive medical treatment, he is preaching again, but his injuries continue to plague him. His wife still worries over her children’s safety—and faces the challenge of helping them understand why their father was attacked.

Despite persecution, Pastor and Mrs. Mir are committed to staying in their village for the sake of their new Christian brothers and sisters. Anjali says, “If we leave, then there will be no church and the people who have just put their faith in Jesus, may fall away.”

The real cry of their heart is wanting to be faithful to Jesus to the end.

RESPONSE: Today I will keep Jesus’ commands and practice patient endurance.

PRAYER: Ask God to enable workers in areas of persecution to endure patiently the challenges they face for the sake of Jesus and His church.

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 - March 4, 2020 - A SURPRISING RECEPTION

"A SURPRISING RECEPTION"

Mar. 4, 2020

And He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. ... And all spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from His mouth. ... When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove Him out of the town ... so that they could throw Him down the cliff.

— Luke 4:16, 22a, 28-29 (ESV)

What a weird reaction—to go from "all spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from His mouth" to trying to throw Jesus off a cliff! And in such a short time, too. Something certainly got them riled up.

And if we look at Jesus' sermon, we can see what it was. They were happy as long as Jesus was proclaiming God's mercy for them. But then Jesus started proclaiming God's mercy to foreigners! He said, "But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when ... a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian" (Luke 4:25-27).

The people really didn't want to hear that. Surely, God belonged to Israel only! They were so enraged that they tried to murder Jesus.

It seems ridiculous—and yet we see people behaving like this today, too. We behave like this any time we refuse to share God's blessings with others in need, just because they are different from us. Against this attitude, Jesus urges us, "Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8b, NIV). God's mercy is for all the world—not just physical blessings but the best gift of all, His Son Jesus Christ, our Savior, who died and rose for us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, give me a generous heart to share Your love with everyone. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. When do you find it easiest to share? Hardest?
2. What gifts has God given to you? List as many as you can.
3. How has Jesus helped you to bless other people?

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).
When do you find it easiest to share? Hardest?

Devocional CPTLN del 04 de marzo de 2020 - Una recepción sorprendente

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Una recepción sorprendente

04 de Marzo de 2020

Jesús fue a Nazaret, donde se había criado, y en el día de reposo entró en la sinagoga, como era su costumbre, y se levantó a leer las Escrituras... Todos hablaban bien de él y se quedaban asombrados de las palabras de gracia que emanaban de sus labios... Al oír esto, todos en la sinagoga se enojaron mucho. Se levantaron, lo echaron fuera de la ciudad, y lo llevaron hasta la cumbre del monte sobre el que estaba edificada la ciudad, para despeñarlo. Pero él pasó por en medio de ellos, y se fue.

— Lucas 4:16, 22, 28-30 (RVC)

¡Qué reacción tan extraña esa de pasar de que "todos hablaban bien de él y se quedaban asombrados de las palabras de gracia que emanaban de su boca", a tratar de arrojar a Jesús por un precipicio! Ciertamente, algo los puso furiosos.

Y si prestamos atención al sermón de Jesús, podemos ver de qué se trataba. Estaban felices mientras Jesús proclamara la misericordia de Dios para con ellos. ¡Pero entonces Jesús comenzó a proclamar la misericordia de Dios a los extranjeros! Él dijo: "A decir verdad, en los días de Elías, cuando... hubo mucha hambre en toda la tierra, había muchas viudas en Israel; pero Elías no fue enviado a ninguna de ellas, sino a una viuda en Sarepta de Sidón. Y en los días del profeta Eliseo había también muchos leprosos en Israel, pero ninguno de ellos fue limpiado sino Naamán el sirio" (vv 25-27).

Eso sí que no lo querían escuchar. ¡Para ellos, Dios pertenecía solo a Israel! Se pusieron tan furiosos, que intentaron matar a Jesús.

Hoy también hay personas que se comportan así. Nosotros nos comportamos así cada vez que nos negamos a compartir las bendiciones de Dios con otros que las necesitan, solo porque ellos son diferentes a nosotros. En contra de esta actitud, Jesús nos insta: "¡Den gratuitamente lo que gratuitamente recibieron" (Mateo 10:8). Las misericordias de Dios son para todo el mundo, y no solo las bendiciones materiales, sino también la mayor de todas: su Hijo Jesucristo, nuestro Salvador, quien murió y resucitó por nosotros.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, dame un corazón generoso para compartir tu amor con todos. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Qué dones te ha dado Dios? Haz una lista de ellos.
2. ¿Cómo te ha ayudado Jesús a bendecir a otras personas?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué dones te ha dado Dios? Haz una lista de ellos.

Ministérios Pão Diário - Quando Deus nos preenche

Quando Deus nos preenche

Leia: Salmo 16:5-11 | A Bíblia em um ano: NÚMEROS 31–33; MARCOS 9: 1-29

Baixe a versão MP3

Tu me mostrarás o caminho da vida e me darás a alegria de tua presença e o prazer de viver contigo…

— Salmo 16:11

“O que eu fiz?” Deveria ser uma das melhores épocas de minha vida, mas era a mais solitária. Eu tinha acabado de conseguir meu primeiro emprego “de verdade” depois da faculdade, numa cidade muito longe de onde eu crescera. Mas a adrenalina logo se dissipou. Meu apartamento era minúsculo, sem mobília, eu não conhecia a cidade e não conhecia ninguém. O trabalho era interessante, mas a solidão era esmagadora.

Uma noite, lendo sentado contra a parede, deparei-me com a promessa, no Salmo 16:11, de que Deus nos preencherá. E orei: “Senhor, achei que esse emprego era o certo, mas me sinto só. Por favor, preencha-me com a sensação da Tua proximidade”. Pedi isso de diversas formas por semanas. Algumas noites, a sensação de solidão diminuía e eu sentia a profunda presença de Deus. Em outras, ainda me sentia dolorosamente isolado.

Porém, voltando àquele versículo, ancorando nele o meu coração noite após noite, Deus aprofundou gradativamente a minha fé. Experimentei a Sua fidelidade de forma inédita. Aprendi que a minha parte era apenas derramar o meu coração perante Ele… e esperar humildemente por Sua resposta fiel, confiando em Sua promessa de nos preencher com o Seu Espírito.

Senhor, às vezes nos sentimos vazios. Mas tornaste conhecido o caminho da vida e desejas que confiemos em ti. Ajuda-nos a nos agarrarmos a Tua promessa de nos preencher em nossos momentos desesperadores.

Ancore o seu coração em Deus.

por Adam R. Holz

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
“O que eu fiz?” Deveria ser uma das melhores épocas de minha vida, mas era a mais solitária.