The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, March 30, 2020

Psalm 143; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Acts 20:7-12

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, March 30, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 143

Save me from death

1  Lord, hear my prayer,
     listen to my cry for mercy;
   in your faithfulness and righteousness
     come to my relief.
2  Do not bring your servant into judgment,
     for no one living is righteous before you.
3  The enemy pursues me,
     he crushes me to the ground;
   he makes me dwell in the darkness
     like those long dead.
4  So my spirit grows faint within me;
     my heart within me is dismayed.
5  I remember the days of long ago;
     I meditate on all your works
     and consider what your hands have done.
6  I spread out my hands to you;
     I thirst for you like a parched land.

7  Answer me quickly, Lord;
     my spirit fails.
   Do not hide your face from me
     or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8  Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
     for I have put my trust in you.
   Show me the way I should go,
     for to you I entrust my life.
9  Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
     for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
     for you are my God;
   may your good Spirit
     lead me on level ground.

11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
     in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
     destroy all my foes,
     for I am your servant.

1 Kings 17:17-24

Elijah raises the widow’s son

17:17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

Acts 20:7-12

Paul raises a young man

20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

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. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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 MONDAY, March 30, 2020
Psalm 143; 1 Kings 17:17-24; Acts 20:7-12

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, March 30, 2020

The Daily Prayer

MONDAY, March 30, 2020

Peter Maurin, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, said, “The world would be better off if people tried to become better. And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off.”

Lord, our efforts at faithfulness are fraught with failure more often than we care to admit. Thank you that your love for us is never wasted. Keep us rooted in your word, eating at your table, and praying by your Spirit, so that we may remember when we fail that we are part of your family not because we deserve to be but because you want us. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, March 30, 2020

Isaiah 53:3-4

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
  a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
  he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
  and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
  stricken by him, and afflicted.

Read all of Isaiah 53

Listen to Isaiah 53

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 MONDAY, March 30, 2020 - Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 29 - Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

God of love,

I know that you are the source of all

that is good and graced in my life.

Help me to move from the life of sin

to which I so often cling,

into the new life of grace you offer me.

You know what I need to prepare for your kingdom.

Bless me with those gifts.

Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Lunes 30 de marzo de 2020

Hijos, valoremos a nuestros padres

Escucha a tu padre, que te engendró, y no desprecies a tu madre cuando sea anciana.

— Proverbios 23:22, NVI

Padres y madres, no se vayan de la meditación de hoy. Nosotros también somos hijos.

Aunque ya lo mencioné al inicio de este libro, el único mandamiento con promesa es que honremos a nuestros padres para tener una larga vida.

¿Te imaginas lo que para Dios significa el respeto a ellos que hasta puede ser una condición para vivir muchos años?

Sé que cuando somos jóvenes y adolescentes, los consejos de papá y mamá son a veces hasta fastidiosos. Su compañía en ciertas edades hasta molesta en determinadas etapas de la vida. Salir con ellos… ¡huy, qué pena!

No obstante, todo esto pasa y, a medida que vamos creciendo, madurando, aprendiendo y perdonando, vamos cambiando la manera de verlos y respetarlos.

Cuando llegamos a la etapa de ser padres, es que al fin apreciamos todo lo que hicieron por nosotros. Cuando esos hijos crecen y nos faltan al respeto o nos hacen sufrir, por fin nos ponemos en los zapatos de nuestros papás que nos aconsejaban y velaban por nuestro bienestar.

Nunca es tarde para atenderlos, para acompañarlos, para disfrutarlos y hacer lo que dice la Biblia: «Honra a tu padre y a tu madre» (Éxodo 20:12).

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Padres y madres, no se vayan de la meditación de hoy. Nosotros también somos hijos.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, March 30, 2020

ENTRUSTING ASPECT OF COMMITMENT

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

— Luke 9:23, NIV

On the basis of certain facts, a relationship has been established between two parties. Now there must be actual evidence to prove that one has made that commitment. This is the aspect of entrusting oneself to that second party. In our Luke text, we see two phrases that reflect this entrusting aspect of commitment, “deny yourself” and “take up your cross daily.”

Deny Yourself: The word “deny” literally means “say no to oneself” or “renounce self—leave self behind.” The biblical concept of commitment calls the follower of Jesus to “deny oneself” not self-denial. This is not to deny something, but a more complete and total denial of oneself in which one no longer seeks for what pleases self.

This is in direct contrast to the normal way of life where everyone is out for himself or herself. The basic sinful nature of the world, whether communist, capitalist or revolutionary is the same. It desires the promotion of self at the expense of someone else. Jesus says his followers will be known as those who deny themselves.

Take Up Your Cross Daily: The second part is even more extreme. Commitment also calls for the taking up of the cross. In commitment to Jesus, you deny yourself even to the point of willingness to go to your own execution! We only commit ourselves to the point of willingness to die when we understand that the present life ends up in death anyway and the One who has promised us forgiveness and eternal life can really deliver.

In Jesus Christ, the believer has found real life. Therefore the denying of self and the way of the cross are only logical steps for him or her to take.

A young man who had recently become a Christian was returning home to a country where the punishment for conversion to Christ was death. He was asked whether or not he was afraid to go back. He replied, “I have already died in Christ!”

Jim Elliott, a missionary who was martyred in Ecuador, said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

RESPONSE: Today I will commit to entrust myself to Jesus by denying self and taking up my cross.

PRAYER: Lord, I entrust myself to You and purpose to live the rest of my life to the fullest in ways that only You decide.

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

Women of the Bible - Monday, March 30, 2020

Jael

Her name means: "A Wild or Mountain Goat"

Her character: Decisive and courageous, she seized the opportunity to slay an enemy of God's people.
Her sorrow: To be lauded by Deborah and Barak for her part in a decisive victory.
Key Scriptures: Judges 4-5

Her Story

Jael watched uneasily through the flaps of her tent as clouds swept the blue from the sky and rain fell like a shroud across the horizon. Sisera, she knew, had marched to Tabor. But what good were iron chariots in a flooded valley? she wondered. Yet the Israelites were poorly armed, with little chance of prevailing. Still, she remembered the stories of Moses and the people he had led across the wilderness. Had their God, she wondered, been asleep these many years?

The sight of a man running, then stumbling toward her interrupted her thoughts. A soldier fleeing? Was he Israelite or Canaanite? His identity might reveal the way the winds of battle were blowing. She went out to meet him, surprised to find that Sisera himself was approaching, dirty and bleeding.

"Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid," she welcomed him.

"I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." Instead, Jael opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink.

"Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'"

As soon as Sisera fell into an exhausted asleep, Jael picked up a tent peg and hammer. Her arm was steady, her aim sure. Hadn't she been in charge of the tents all these years? Quickly, she thrust the peg through his temple and into the ground. Like a piece of canvas fixed in place, Sisera, the great general, lay dead, slain by a woman's hand, just as Deborah had prophesied to Barak.

Was Jael a hero, an opportunist, or merely a treacherous woman? It is difficult to know. She and her husband, Heber, were Kenites, members of a nomadic tribe whose survival depended on its ability to stay clear of local disputes. Her husband had made his peace with the Canaanites despite his descent from Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law. Perhaps ancient ties had no longer seemed expedient, considering the power of the Canaanite rulers. But Jael may have believed in Israel's God. Or perhaps she merely wanted to curry favor with the Israelites, the day's clear winners. Certainly, Barak and Deborah approved of her, singing:

Most blessed of women be Jael,
  the wife of Heber the Kenite,
  most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
  in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
Her hand reached for the tent peg,
  her right hand for the workman's hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
  she shattered and pierced his temple.
At her feet he sank,
  he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
  where he sank, there he fell—dead. — Judges 5:24-27

Jael's treachery and Deborah's gloating strike us as bloodthirsty, all the more so because we don't usually attribute such behavior to women. But by the standards of ancient warfare, both were heroes. Both were decisive and courageous women who helped God's people at a critical moment in history.

Her Promise

Behind the story of Jael and the death of Sisera is a God who promised never to forget his people and who holds to that promise. When hope seems dim and the prospect of victory seems close to impossible, God is at work, bringing about his plan.

The people of Israel during the time of the judges must have worn God to exasperation with their continual wavering. When times were good, they easily forgot God and went their own way. But as soon as times got tough, they went running to him for deliverance.

Sound like anyone you know? The story of the wavering of God's people continues even today. We so easily move forward on our own, thinking we can handle it all until we run up against something too hard for us. Only then do we run to God for help.

But what an amazing God he is. Always there. Always willing to rescue us when we call. Always willing to forgive.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
Decisive and courageous, she seized the opportunity to slay an enemy.

LHM Daily Devotions - March 30, 2020 - JESUS IN COMMAND

"JESUS IN COMMAND"

March 30, 2020

So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He."... When Jesus said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. So He asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He. So, if you seek Me, let these men go."

— John 18:3-5a, 6-8, ESV

How strange it must have been for the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus! No doubt they had arrested many people before, but this must have been the first to take total command of the scene. Look at the language: "Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward ..." Who does that, willingly stepping forward to be arrested?

And then He confirms His identity twice over, just in case they didn't catch it the first time. He uses the very Name of God about Himself—the words "I am He" point us to "I AM," which is God's Name for Himself, which He revealed to Moses in Exodus 3, the burning bush. No wonder the soldiers fell to the ground. That is the Name of ultimate power, the Name above all names. It must have been clear to the soldiers in that moment that they could do nothing to Him unless He permitted it.

Which is exactly what He did. Instead of using His power and authority to save Himself, He used it for one purpose only: "If you seek Me, let these men go." Jesus was focused on protecting His followers. None of them would be lost on His watch.

I imagine the soldiers were thoroughly shaken up by this point. At any rate, they arrested none of the disciples. Jesus surrendered Himself, and the disciples went free.

And that, of course, is exactly what Jesus has done for us as well. Suffering and death? He chose that part for Himself. But freedom—He chose that for His disciples, including you. He chose protection, safety, freedom, life. Those are the gifts that He bought for you with His own life. He loves you that much.

THE PRAYER: Thank You, dear Lord, for giving me protection and life. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever seen an arrest in real life or on the news? What happened?
2. When have you protected someone else at your own cost?
3. Why did you protect that person? What does that tell you about Jesus' motives?

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).
Have you ever seen an arrest in real life or on the news? What happened?

Devocional CPTLN del 30 de marzo de 2020 - Jesús está a cargo

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Jesús está a cargo

30 de Marzo de 2020

Así que Judas tomó una compañía de soldados... fue allí con linternas, antorchas y armas. Pero Jesús, que sabía todas las cosas que le habían de sobrevenir, se adelantó y les preguntó: "¿A quién buscan?" Le respondieron: "A Jesús nazareno." Jesús les dijo: "Yo soy." ... Cuando les dijo: "Yo soy", ellos retrocedieron y cayeron por tierra. Él volvió a preguntarles: "¿A quién buscan?" Y ellos dijeron: "A Jesús nazareno." Respondió Jesús: "Ya les he dicho que yo soy. Si es a mí a quien buscan, dejen que éstos se vayan."

— Juan 18:3-8, RVC

¡Qué extraño debe haber sido para los soldados que fueron a arrestar a Jesús! Sin duda habían arrestado a muchas personas antes; pero Jesús debe haber sido el primero en tomar control de la escena. Observa el lenguaje: "Jesús, que sabía todas las cosas que le habían de sobrevenir, se adelantó y les preguntó." ¿Quién hace eso de dar un paso adelante voluntariamente para ser arrestado?

Y luego confirma su identidad dos veces, en caso de que no la hayan captado la primera vez, usando el mismo nombre de Dios para sí mismo: "YO SOY" en griego, que es el nombre para sí mismo que Dios le reveló a Moisés en Éxodo 3. No es de extrañar que los soldados cayeran al suelo. Les debe haber quedado claro que no podrían hacerle nada a menos que él lo permitiera.

Y Jesús, en lugar de usar su poder para salvarse, lo usó con otro propósito: "Si es a mí a quien buscan, dejen que éstos se vayan." Jesús estaba enfocado en proteger a sus seguidores.

Me imagino que los soldados estaban conmocionados, pues no arrestaron a ninguno de los discípulos. Jesús se entregó y los discípulos se fueron libres.

Eso es lo que Jesús ha hecho por nosotros: eligió el sufrimiento y la muerte. Él eligió esa parte para sí mismo. Pero para los discípulos y para ti eligió la libertad. Eligió protección, seguridad, libertad, vida. Esos son los regalos que compró para ti con su propia vida.

ORACIÓN: Gracias, querido Señor, por darme protección y vida. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Cuándo has protegido a alguien a tu propio costo?
2. ¿Por qué protegiste a esa persona? ¿Qué te dice eso de los motivos de Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cuándo has protegido a alguien a tu propio costo?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Un pain béni

Un pain béni

Lisez : Matthieu 26.26-29
La Bible en un an : Juges 11 – 12 ; Luc 6.1-26

Jésus ayant pris le pain et ayant béni, le rompit.

— Matthieu 26.26 (Darby)

À l’occasion du treizième anniversaire de notre aînée, ma femme et moi lui avons fait cadeau d’un journal dans lequel nous avions écrit depuis sa naissance. Nous y avions consigné ce qui lui plaisait et déplaisait, des caprices et des répliques mémorables. À un certain point, nos entrées sont devenues plus comme des lettres, décrivant ce que nous voyions en elle et comment nous voyions Dieu œuvrer dans sa vie. Lorsque nous le lui avons remis, elle en est restée bouche bée. Elle venait de recevoir en cadeau la connaissance d’une partie cruciale des origines de son identité.

En bénissant quelque chose d’aussi commun que du pain, Jésus révélait l’identité de celui-ci. Ce que le pain, en plus de toute la création, illustrait : la gloire de Dieu. Je crois que Jésus signifiait aussi par-là l’avenir du monde matériel. Toute la création sera un jour remplie de la gloire de Dieu. Ainsi, en bénissant le pain (MT 26.26), Jésus désignait à la fois l’origine et la destinée de la création (RO 8.21,22).

Il se peut que le « commencement » de votre histoire semble gâché ou que vous n’ayez pas l’impression d’avoir de l’avenir, mais il existe une histoire qui transcende la vôtre. Celle d’un Dieu qui vous a fait pour une raison, en prenant plaisir à vous créer ; un Dieu venu pour vous sauver (MT 26.28) ; un Dieu qui a mis son Esprit en vous afin de renouveler votre identité ; un Dieu qui désire vous bénir.

Précieux Jésus, je remets ma vie comme du pain entre tes mains. Toi seul peux me ramener à mon état originel.

Dieu désire nous bénir et être au centre de l’histoire de notre vie.

par Glenn Packiam

© 2020 Ministères NPQ
À l’occasion du treizième anniversaire de notre aînée, ma femme et moi lui avons fait cadeau d’un journal dans lequel nous avions écrit depuis sa naissance.