The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, March 19, 2020

Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:10-21; Ephesians 4:25-32

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, March 19, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 23

My head anointed with oil

1  The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
   he leads me beside quiet waters,
3    he refreshes my soul.
   He guides me along the right paths
     for his name’s sake.
4  Even though I walk
     through the darkest valley,
   I will fear no evil,
     for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me.

5  You prepare a table before me
     in the presence of my enemies.
   You anoint my head with oil;
     my cup overflows.
6  Surely your goodness and love will follow me
     all the days of my life,
   and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
     forever.

1 Samuel 15:10-21

The prophet Samuel confronts the king

15:10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

16 “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul replied.

17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

Ephesians 4:25-32

Called to honesty and forbearance

4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave 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 THURSDAY, March 19, 2020
Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:10-21; Ephesians 4:25-32

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, March 19, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, March 19, 2020

On March 19, 2003, US and British troops began a “shock and awe” campaign to overthrow the government of Saddam Hussein, which US intelligence officials accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Though no WMDs were found in Iraq, a US-sponsored occupation continued, costing thousands of soldiers’ lives, tens of thousands of civilians’ lives, and billions of US dollars.

Second-century martyr Ignatius of Antioch said, “Better to die for the sake of Jesus Christ than to be king over the utmost ends of the earth.”

Lord, keep us from making excuses for the sake of disobedience and spiritual death. Help us remember that all of humanity is invited to feast at your table, especially those we would name as enemies. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, March 19, 2020

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Read all of Galatians 5

Listen to Galatians 5

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 THURSDAY, March 19, 2020 - Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 20 - Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Loving God,

I hear your invitation, "Come back to me"

and I am filled with such a longing to return to you.

Show me the way to return.

Lead me this day in good works I do in your name

and send your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.

I ask only to feel your love in my life today.

Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Jueves 19 de marzo de 2020

Nuestra identidad está en Dios

Sean fuertes y valientes. No teman ni se asusten [...] pues el Señor su Dios siempre los acompañará; nunca los dejará ni los abandonará.

— Deuteronomio 31:6 (NVI)

Estos días venimos reflexionando en cómo la vida nos puede cambiar y de qué manera en diferentes personas la vida es aún bella, cualquiera que sea su condición, pues encontraron su identidad en Cristo.

Esta es mi reflexión para cada uno de nosotros: Aunque tengamos en nuestro cuerpo marcas de accidentes, defectos físicos o cualquier cosa que nos haga sentir diferentes a los demás, debemos entender que Dios nos ama igual. Si Él permitió que llegaras a este mundo, no eres una equivocación, ni eres un estorbo, aunque personas sin sentimientos algún día te lo hayan dicho o te hayas sentido despreciado y rechazado. Quiero reafirmarte hoy que no eres algo que se escapó del control de las manos de Dios y que Él no está al tanto de cómo te sientes.

Tú debes aceptarte hoy como eres. Debes quererte como eres y tener muy claro que eres un hijo de Dios. Tu identidad está en Él. A pesar de tus limitaciones, Dios es el que te ama de manera incondicional, te defiende y te protege. Nunca te rechazará ni te abandonará. Cuando entiendes esto y lo llevas de tu corazón a tu mente, cambia la manera de verte y de comportarte. Así que no olvides que hay miles de valientes que incluso con su impedimento son deportistas, cantantes, artistas, predicadores, bailarines, comunicadores, padres y madres de familia, maestros, profesionales en todas las ramas, y que se han destacado aun más que una persona con todas sus capacidades.

¡Anímate! No te eches a morir. Dios te necesita y el mundo espera por otro valiente como tú.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Aunque tengamos en nuestro cuerpo marcas de accidentes, defectos físicos o cualquier cosa que nos haga sentir diferentes a los demás, debemos entender que Dios nos ama igual.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, March 19, 2020

JESUS IS WORTH IT ALL

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

— 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

In Eritrea today, thousands of Christians are imprisoned for their faith without formal charges. Recently three prisoners who had escaped the prison setting were interviewed in safety. Their interpreter said, “They have really suffered. They did nothing wrong. But just for their faith, they have spent years in prison. They were locked up in containers, tied up in the helicopter position, denied food. Why? Because they worship Christ. Because they say they are born-again. Because it is wrong to be evangelical Christians.”

The three men, Peter, Paul, and John met in prison after being arrested for their Christian activity involvement. They worked hard. They farmed, mined, did building work on government projects—always in the sun. No shade or rest in very high degree heat.

They say, “The prisons are very dirty. There is no washing, no cleaning. And the food is very little—just bread many times, sometimes even no food. This makes many prisoners sick. They did not allow us to see a doctor. Many people died. It is very sad. Also, they beat us very much, for no reason. Some had broken hands, legs, even chest bones and most of the time no doctor to attend to our injuries. Some died from their injuries. We think some also died because they lost hope. Their hearts just gave up! We saw some die like this.”

They were repeatedly asked to deny their faith and sign an official document. One said, “The police threatened to arrest our other family members also if we refused to recant and sign the document. But we refused because we do not want to leave Jesus and become Marxist.”

They say they encouraged each other not to give up. Finally, one evening they broke out of the line and jumped over the fence surrounding the prison. One said, “The fence was made up of plants with big thorns. We jumped over them and ran. When the prison guards started shooting, we went in different directions. We heard bullets flying over our heads but none hit us.”

The Lord proved faithful and all three men separately and safely crossed the border after walking for days. How happy they were when they were miraculously reunited at a camp. They, however, could not stay at that refugee camp as they were informed that they could still be arrested and repatriated. And through the help that God provided using Christian brethren, they moved on to a safer place where they are awaiting God’s opening of doors to resettle at a more secure place.

One of them spoke for the others in saying, “When I reached here, I looked back, and saw that I had lost my freedom. But I also see now that I had lost time. I could not continue with school, I could not get skills training. I do not know how to do office work. I can’t even see myself marrying and having my own family. I am almost forty years now and I have to start from nothing.” Then he smiled and concluded, “But I still have Jesus. And He is worth it all.”

RESPONSE: Today I will appreciate what I have in Christ and know that He is worth every deprivation.

PRAYER: Pray for the many still in prison today in Eritrea. Pray they will also be strong in faith.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

Men's Devotional Bible - Thursday, March 19, 2020

Risky Business

Acts 16:16–34
Recommended Reading: Matthew 6:21–26; 2 Corinthians 4:7–18; 1 Peter 4:12–19

After working together for nearly a year, John and Dave became good friends. Dave supervised John at work, but the two men shared a mutual interest in water sports. They even spent a few weekends wakeboarding together at a nearby lake.

One afternoon at the end of the workday, Dave asked John if he wanted to grab some dinner. While they were eating, Dave commented to John, “You know, you just seem different from the other people I supervise. What is it?” With that opening, John shared his faith in Jesus. Dave nodded his head politely but didn’t enter the discussion.

The next morning, the way Dave treated John suddenly changed. The joking stopped, as did their daily discussions about water sports. After he later lost a job promotion that required a positive reference from Dave, John finally confronted his former wakeboarding partner. “What happened at dinner last month?” he asked. “All of a sudden I feel like you’re treating me like a leper.”

“Look,” Dave replied, “I don’t appreciate people trying to ‘convert’ me. And I have no tolerance for any religion that claims to be the only way to God.” With that, the conversation ended. Within six months, John was laid off.

Let’s face it: Our faith sometimes causes us problems. It’s always been that way. When Paul and Silas delivered a slave girl from spiritual oppression, their actions resulted in a citywide uproar. Authorities accused them of advocating unlawful practices counterproductive to Roman society. The magistrate ordered them beaten and thrown into jail.

While we might not risk imprisonment or beating when we follow Jesus we do risk accusations of proselytizing or of being too spiritually narrow. Our stand for faith might even result in ridicule, rejection, and discrimination.

Paul and Silas responded by allowing themselves to suffer on behalf of Jesus. In the midst of their suffering, they even invited their jailer into a relationship with Jesus.

While we might not suffer to the extent Paul and Silas did, we can still choose to make spiritually correct choices, as they did. We can follow in their footsteps—standing for our faith and even inviting our enemies into a relationship with Jesus.

To Take Away

• Have you taken a risky stand for your faith? When? What was the outcome?
• Read Romans 5:1–5. What do you think suffering for your faith teaches you?
• How can you be better prepared to suffer for Jesus?

Let’s face it: Our faith sometimes causes us problems.

LHM Daily Devotions - March 19, 2020 - FREEDOM FROM DEATH

"FREEDOM FROM DEATH"

March 19, 2020

When He (Jesus) had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

— John 11:43-44 (ESV)

Death is unnatural. It is wrong. We all know that in our hearts and in our guts—no matter who tells us it is "natural" and "to be expected." It's not.

Jesus recognized that fact, too. When His friend Lazarus died, He wept. Jesus was facing the doom of Genesis 3:19 applied to someone He loved: "for you are dust, and to dust, you shall return."

Jesus shared our response to death. But then He did what only God can do—He raised Lazarus from the dead. And He promises to do the same for everyone who trusts in Him on the day He returns to bring us all into the kingdom of God. This is our great hope and our comfort as we live in a dying world.

Death was mainly theoretical to me when I was younger. But after four deaths in the family last year, I'm holding on to the words Jesus spoke to Lazarus' sister with all my strength. He said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26a). I hope you are holding on to them, too, as you face the death of those you love—or your own death.

The Bible tells us that Jesus came into this world to set us free from death. "He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). Jesus does this, not as we might expect, by brute force. Instead, He did it by laying down His own life—God Himself, the Author of Life, submitting to death on a cross—and then rising to life again, on the third day. Who could have predicted such a wonder?

THE PRAYER: Lord, You have power over death. Make us alive with You forever. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. How old were you when you first understood what death is?
2. Are you grieving right now? For whom?
3. How does Jesus' victory over death give you hope?

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).
How old were you when you first understood what death is?

Devocional CPTLN del 19 de marzo de 2020 - Liberación de la muerte

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Liberación de la muerte

19 de Marzo de 2020

Y habiendo dicho esto, clamó a gran voz: "¡Lázaro, ven fuera!" Y el que había muerto salió, con las manos y los pies envueltos en vendas, y el rostro envuelto en un sudario. Entonces Jesús les dijo: "Quítenle las vendas, y déjenlo ir."

— Juan 11:43-44 (RVC)

La muerte no es natural. Es algo malo. Todos lo sabemos, en nuestros corazones y en nuestras entrañas, no importa quién nos diga que es "natural" y "de esperar". No lo es.

Jesús también reconoció ese hecho. Cuando su amigo Lázaro murió, lloró. Jesús reconoció el destino de Génesis 3:19 en alguien a quien amaba: "Porque polvo eres, y al polvo volverás".

Jesús compartió nuestra respuesta a la muerte. Pero luego hizo lo que solo Dios puede hacer: resucitó a Lázaro de la muerte. Y promete hacer lo mismo con todos los que confiamos en él, cuando regrese para llevarnos a todos al reino de Dios. Esta es nuestra esperanza y nuestro consuelo mientras vivimos en un mundo agonizante.

Cuando era joven, la muerte era algo teórico. Pero después de cuatro muertes en la familia el año pasado, me aferro con todas mis fuerzas a las palabras que Jesús le dijo a la hermana de Lázaro: "Yo soy la resurrección y la vida; el que cree en mí, aunque esté muerto, vivirá. Y todo aquel que vive y cree en mí, no morirá eternamente" (Juan 11:25-26). Espero que tú también lo estés al enfrentar la muerte de tus seres queridos o tu propia muerte.

La Biblia nos dice que Jesús vino a este mundo para liberarnos de la muerte. "Porque es necesario que él reine hasta que haya puesto a todos sus enemigos debajo de sus pies, y el último enemigo que será destruido es la muerte" (1 Corintios 15:25-26). Jesús hace esto no con fuerza bruta, sino dando su vida. Dios mismo, el autor de la vida, se somete a la muerte en una cruz y resucitando luego a la vida al tercer día. ¿Quién podría haber predicho tal maravilla?

ORACIÓN: Señor, que tienes poder sobre la muerte, vivifícanos para siempre. En Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Qué edad tenías cuando entendiste por primera vez qué es la muerte?
2. ¿De qué manera la victoria de Jesús sobre la muerte te da esperanza?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué edad tenías cuando entendiste por primera vez qué es la muerte?

Хлеб наш насущный - Наслаждение книгой

Наслаждение книгой

Читать сейчас: Иисуса Навина 1:1-9 | Библия за год: Иисуса Навина 1-3; Марка 16

Скачать MP3

Да не отходит эта книга закона от уст твоих; но поучайся в ней день и ночь.

— Иисуса Навина 1:8

Цундоку. Вот слово, которого мне всегда не хватало! Это японский термин, означающий стопку книг, ожидающих прочтения, на прикроватном столике. Книги могут научить чему-то полезному или помочь сбежать от реальности в другое время и место. Я предвкушаю то наслаждение и мудрость, которые найду на их страницах. Поэтому такая стопка есть и у меня.

Мысль о том, что в книге можно найти наслаждение и помощь, еще больше применима к книге книг – Библии. Я вижу побуждение погрузиться в Писание в Божьих указаниях Иисусу Навину, новоназначенному вождю Израиля, призванному ввести народ в Обетованную землю (Нав. 1:8).

Зная о предстоящих трудностях, Бог заверяет Иисуса: «Не отступлю от тебя и не оставлю тебя» (ст. 5). Помощь Господа, среди прочего, придет и через послушание Его заповедям. Поэтому с самого начала Бог сказал Иисусу: «Да не отходит эта книга закона от уст твоих; но поучайся в ней день и ночь, дабы в точности исполнять все, что в ней написано» (ст. 8). Преемник Моисея должен был не только иметь книгу закона, но и регулярно изучать ее, чтобы получить мудрость и понимание Бога и Его воли для избранного народа.

А вам нужны наставление, истина или ободрение для этого дня? Если мы уделим время чтению, послушанию и поиску подкрепления в Библии, то сможем сполна получить благословения, которые содержатся на ее страницах (2 Тим. 3:16).

Что чаще всего удерживает вас от чтения Библии? Как вы можете уделить больше времени Писанию на этой неделе?

Небесный Отец, благодарим Тебя за руководство через Священное Писание. Помоги нам усердно слушать Тебя во всем, что Ты говоришь.

автор: Лиза Самра

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Это японский термин, означающий стопку книг, ожидающих прочтения, на прикроватном столике.