The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, April 13, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, April 13, 2020

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

On this day God has acted

1  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
     his love endures forever.

2  Let Israel say:
     “His love endures forever.”

…

14 The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.

15 Shouts of joy and victory
     resound in the tents of the righteous:
   “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16   The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
     the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
     and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
     but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
     I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
     through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
     you have become my salvation.

22 The stone the builders rejected
     has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
     and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
     let us rejoice today and be glad.

Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21

Israel crosses over the sea

14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

…

15:20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:

   “Sing to the Lord,
     for he is highly exalted.
   Both horse and driver
     he has hurled into the sea.”

Colossians 3:5-11

The new life in Christ

3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

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 MONDAY, April 13, 2020
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Colossians 3:5-11

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, April 13, 2020

The Daily Prayer

MONDAY, April 13, 2020

Julian of Norwich, a fourteenth-century anchorite, wrote about a vision she had in the midst of suffering: “What, do you wish to know your Lord’s meaning in this thing? Know it well, love was his meaning. Who reveals it to you? Love. What did he reveal to you? Love. Why does he reveal it to you? For love. Remain in this, and you will know more of the same.”

God of heaven and earth, help us to live in this world faithfully guided by your love, which manifests itself in our love toward one another. Prepare us for that great gettin’ up morning when your new world is fully revealed. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, April 13, 2020

Romans 3:23-24

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Read all of Romans 3

Listen to Romans 3

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 - Lunes 13 de abril de 2020

El afán diario

La bendición del Señor trae riquezas, y nada se gana con preocuparse.

— Proverbios 10:22, NVI

Hace unos días recordábamos que no debemos permitir que nuestra mente y alma se carguen con la ansiedad. Que deberíamos practicar también vivir de día en día y así no llenarnos de tantas preocupaciones.

Hay cosas que de seguro se nos van de la mano. Situaciones que de repente te derrumban y sabemos que nos llenan de afanes y de incertidumbres. Mientras que hay otras cosas que aunque nos preocupen no podemos hacer nada al respecto.

Por eso es que Dios sabiamente, y conociendo la naturaleza humana, nos dejó esa recomendación de que cada día trae su propio afán.

Aprendamos a vivir de día en día. En realidad, de esa manera se vive con mayor tranquilidad y, como que se tiene la mente más despejada, se pueden solucionar poco a poco los problemas. Todo tiene solución en esta vida. Descansa en Dios y en este día pon en sus manos todos tus problemas. Deja que su poder se manifieste en tu vida.

Hay una canción que dice «Yo le creo a Dios» y cantarla es preciosa. Sin embargo, aplicarla es difícil cuando nos enteramos que nuestro hijo está en drogas, en la cárcel o en cualquier otra situación que nos entristece.

Si decidimos creerle a Él, demos ese paso y digamos:

«Dios mío, vengo a ti porque he decidido creerte. Me he dado cuenta que no puedo hacer nada ante esta situación. Por eso sé que, si me invitas a llevar mis cargas a ti, me harás descansar. Yo lo creo».

Gracias, mi Dios, por ese bálsamo de amor.

¡Te amo!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hace unos días recordábamos que no debemos permitir que nuestra mente y alma se carguen con la ansiedad. Que deberíamos practicar también vivir de día en día y así no llenarnos de tantas preocupaciones.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, April 13, 2020

FAMINE CANNOT SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall…famine…?

— Romans 8:35d, NIV

The question asked is a personal one. Not “what” can separate us but “who”? The inference is our enemy, Satan, who tries every tactic he can garner to make us think we can be separated from Christ’s love. Today we look at his tactic of “famine.”

Wilson Chen from Vietnam spent five years in one of those harsh and primitive re-education camps. He was forced to spend long hours of hard backbreaking work clearing jungles for farmland, cutting trees for lumber and farming the fields. He had looked forward to a successful secular career and also to marrying his lovely girlfriend. In his final year in camp, he received the crushing news that his girlfriend had given up hope, married another and escaped from Vietnam.

The camp food was barely enough to keep him alive. “The constant brutality attacked our minds and spirits; the malnutrition attacked our bodies,” he recalls. The constant hunger drove them to eat anything. He would search the ground with other prisoners for rats, toads, worms, snakes, insects, and birds to supplement their diet and keep them alive and to simply ease the feeling of constant hunger.

Wilson remembers companions who went insane from the pressure of hunger. Others committed suicide. Many died from diseases caused by malnutrition.

That very night they were subjected to mental torture and political indoctrination. Always in their minds were thoughts of escape. But Wilson Chen says, “It was hope in the Lord Jesus that kept me alive. I fed this hope by secretly reading the Scriptures...” In that camp situation, Wilson promised the Lord that he would serve him if he ever received the opportunity. The Holy Spirit whispered to him, “You have opportunities right here!” Very soon three fellow-prisoners came to know the Lord.

Camp experiences helped him reflect on the significance of the sufferings of Jesus. In that context, he found refreshment and exhilaration in his own weakness. And he says, “...Jesus gave me peace in the midst of tribulation.”

RESPONSE: I will live this day aware that famines can never separate me from Christ’s love.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that You give peace in the midst of tribulations.

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, April 13, 2020

Naomi

Her name means: "My Joy" or "Pleasant"

Her character: Suffering a threefold tragedy, Naomi refused to hide Her Sorrow or bitterness. Believing in God's sovereignty, she attributed her suffering to his will. But her fixation on circumstances, both past and present, led to hopelessness. A kind and loving mother-in-law, she inspired unusual love and loyalty in her daughters-in-law.
Her sorrow: To have lost a husband and two sons in a foreign land, far from family and friends.
Her joy: To have returned safely to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth, who would eventually rekindle her happiness and hope.
Key Scriptures: Ruth 1; 4:13-17

Her Story

She stood like an old tree twisted against the sky. Though Naomi could see for miles from her vantage point high on the road that led from Moab to Judah, she could glimpse nothing at all of her future. She thought about robbers, rumored on the road ahead. What more, she wondered, could possibly be taken from her? Her thoughts strayed to the past.

Moses, she knew, had been buried somewhere in these mountains. But his people and hers had moved west into Canaan centuries earlier. Would she, too, be left behind, prevented from ever seeing her kinsfolk again? Was God so displeased with her?

Ten years ago, she and her husband, Elimelech, had lived happily in Bethlehem. But the city whose name meant "house of bread" suddenly had none, so they had migrated to the highlands of Moab to escape the famine. Then Elimelech had died and her sons had married Moabite women, whose race had descended from Abraham's nephew, Lot. Plenty of women lost their husbands. Like them, she would find a way to survive. But then she had suffered the worst grief a mother could—outliving her own children.

Now Ruth and Orpah, her daughters-in-law, were the only kin she had in Moab. Loving them tenderly, she felt their widowhood as a double grief. Together they had cried and comforted each other. The three women finally decided to leave Moab for Bethlehem. But once on the road, Naomi's misgivings outran her craving for companionship. It wasn't right for young women to forsake their families and friends for so uncertain a future. What chance would they, widows and strangers, have in Bethlehem, even now that the famine had run its course?

"Go back, each of you, to your mother's home," she told them. "May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."

But Orpah and Ruth insisted, "We will go back with you to your people."

"Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—would you wait until they grew up?"

The three women embraced, tears streaking their cheeks. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clutched Naomi and whispered fiercely, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

The old woman's stubbornness was no match for the younger woman's love. And so Naomi and Ruth continued on to Bethlehem. After so long an absence, Naomi's return created a great commotion in the town, and all the women welcomed her, saying, "Can this be Naomi?"

"Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara [meaning 'bitter'], because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

Naomi could not see past her suffering. Like many of us, she may have felt as though her tragedies were punishment for her sins. Yet had she known the blessings in store, she might not have felt so hopeless. Instead, she may have compared herself to the tree that Job so graciously describes:

At least there is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not fail.
Its roots may grow old in the ground
and its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
and put forth shoots like a plant. — Job 14:7-9

Though she didn't know it, the scent of water was in the air. Naomi's life was beginning again, her story still unfolding.

Her Promise

God's faithfulness to restore to fullness an empty life is revealed more in this story of Naomi than in any other biblical account. The famine and hunger that drove Naomi and her husband and sons away from Bethlehem are finally replaced with full harvests and bread baked from grain gleaned in the fields. The anguish of losing her husband and sons is replaced with the loving care and concern of her daughter-in-law Ruth, who is "better to [Naomi] than seven sons" (Ruth 4:15). And Naomi's empty mother-arms are filled with the son of Boaz and Ruth. She is no absent grandmother; the Scriptures say Naomi took Obed and "laid him in her lap and cared for him" (Ruth 4:16). (We'll hear more about this grandson in the next chapter.)

Like Naomi, we may have trouble recognizing God's goodness and his faithfulness at times. But he is still with us no matter the circumstances.

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.
She stood like an old tree twisted against the sky. Though Naomi could see for miles from her vantage point high on the road…

LHM Daily Devotions - April 13, 2020 - "NOW WHAT?"

"NOW WHAT?"

April 13, 2020

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously ... The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation."

— Exodus 15:1a, 2a, ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

It's the day after Easter. Jesus is risen, the house is a mess (well, my house!), and it's time to get on with life. What comes next?

We celebrate. How could we not celebrate? Jesus has set us free from slavery to sin, death, and the devil. We are God's free children, and death cannot destroy us. Jesus is with us forever, and He will come again to bring us to Himself. How could we not celebrate such great news?

"Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 150:5-6)

But there's more. Jesus calls us to share this great news, to tell it to everyone around us, and ultimately to the whole human race. He says, "Go and make disciples ..."

Share this joy that God has given you. Ask Jesus to give you the Holy Spirit's help so you can do this—God doesn't expect you to manage this on your own! Live your life in such a way that people want to know what's going on—why things are different for you than for them. And then tell them. It's the best news ever! May God bless you as you celebrate Jesus and the wonderful freedom He has won for us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You! Help me to rejoice in You and give me the Holy Spirit's help to tell others about You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* What kinds of things do you do when you're happy and celebrating?

* How does Jesus' resurrection give you joy?

* Take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to teach you how to talk about Him with people you love.

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 kinds of things do you do when you're happy and celebrating?

Devocional CPTLN del 13 de abril de 2020 - "¿Y ahora qué?"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Y ahora qué?

13 de Abril de 2020

Entonces Moisés y los hijos de Israel elevaron este cántico al Señor. Dijeron: Cantaré al Señor, que se ha engrandecido... El Señor es mi fortaleza y mi cántico; ¡el Señor es mi salvación!

— Éxodo 15:1-2, RVC

Jesús se acercó y les dijo: "Toda autoridad me ha sido dada en el cielo y en la tierra. Por tanto, vayan y hagan discípulos en todas las naciones, y bautícenlos en el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. Enséñenles a cumplir todas las cosas que les he mandado. Y yo estaré con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo." Amén. Mateo 28:18-20

Es el día después de la Pascua. Jesús ha resucitado, la casa es un desastre (bueno, ¡mi casa!) Y es hora de seguir con la vida. ¿Que viene después?

Nosotros celebramos. ¿Cómo no celebrar? Jesús nos ha liberado de la esclavitud del pecado, la muerte, y el diablo. Somos hijos libres de Dios y la muerte no puede destruirnos. Jesús está con nosotros para siempre y vendrá nuevamente para traernos a sí mismo. ¿Cómo no celebrar tan buenas noticias?

"¡Alabado sea con campanillas sonoras! ¡Alabado sea con campanillas jubilosas! ¡Que todo lo que respira alabe al Señor! ¡Aleluya!" (Salmo 150:5-6).

Pero hay más. Jesús nos llama a compartir esta gran noticia, a contarla a todos los que nos rodean y, en última instancia, a toda la raza humana. Él dice: "Vayan y hagan discípulos..."

Comparte esta alegría que Dios te ha dado. Pídele a Jesús que te asista con el Espíritu Santo para que puedas hacerlo. ¡Dios no espera que lo hagas por tu cuenta! Vive tu vida de tal manera que quienes te rodean quieran saber qué está pasando, por qué las cosas son diferentes para ti. Y entonces cuéntales. ¡Es la mejor noticia de la historia!

Que Dios te bendiga al celebrar a Jesús y la maravillosa libertad que ha ganado para nosotros.

ORACIÓN: Gracias, querido Señor Jesús. Ayúdame a regocijarme en ti, y dame la ayuda del Espíritu Santo para contarles a los demás sobre ti. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Cómo demuestras la alegría que da la resurrección de Jesús?

* Tómate un momento para orar y pedirle al Señor que te enseñe a hablar sobre él con las personas que te rodean.

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo demuestras la alegría que da la resurrección de Jesús?

Notre Pain Quotidien - À la recherche de Dieu

À la recherche de Dieu

Lisez : Psalms 63.1-9
La Bible en un an : 1 Samuel 25 – 26 ; Luc 12.32-59

Ô Dieu ! tu es mon Dieu, je te cherche. — Psalms 63.2

La passion et la consécration avec lesquelles des gens poursuivent leurs rêves sont inspirantes. Une jeune femme que je connais a terminé ses études universitaires en trois ans à peine, exigeant d’elle une entière consécration. Un ami voulait une voiture en particulier, alors il a confectionné et vendu des gâteaux avec zèle jusqu’à ce qu’il atteigne son but. Une autre personne du domaine de la vente cherche à joindre cent nouvelles personnes par semaine.

Bien qu’il puisse être bon d’aspirer sincèrement à une chose de valeur terrestre, il y a un genre de recherche plus importante à envisager.

Au désespoir, dans un désert aride, le roi David a écrit : « Ô Dieu ! tu es mon Dieu, je te cherche » (PS 63.2). Tandis que David criait à lui, Dieu s’est approché du roi fatigué. La grande soif spirituelle que David avait de Dieu ne pouvait être étanchée qu’en présence de ce dernier. Le roi s’est rappelé avoir rencontré Dieu dans son « sanctuaire » (V. 3), sa bonté insurpassable (V. 4) et l’avoir loué jour après jour – trouvant en lui une pleine satisfaction qui n’est pas différente de la satiété ressentie après un repas succulent (V. 5,6). Même durant la nuit, il méditait la grandeur de Dieu, lui étant reconnaissant pour son aide et sa protection (V. 7,8). 

Aujourd’hui, le Saint-Esprit nous convainc de chercher Dieu de tout notre cœur. Bien cramponnés à lui, nous voyons avec quelle puissance et quel amour Dieu nous garde dans sa sûre main. Sous la direction de l’Esprit, approchons-nous du Créateur de toutes bonnes choses.

Merci, mon Dieu, je te suis tellement reconnaissant pour ta présence dans ma vie.

Le Saint-Esprit œuvre dans la vie du croyant de manière à l’attirer à Christ.

par Dave Branon

© 2020 Ministères NPQ
La passion et la consécration avec lesquelles des gens poursuivent leurs rêves sont inspirantes.