The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, May 8, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, May 8, 2020

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; Exodus 3:1-12; Acts 7:1-16

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

I commend my spirit

1  In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
     let me never be put to shame;
     deliver me in your righteousness.
2  Turn your ear to me,
     come quickly to my rescue;
   be my rock of refuge,
     a strong fortress to save me.
3  Since you are my rock and my fortress,
     for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4  Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
     for you are my refuge.
5  Into your hands I commit my spirit;
     deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

15 My times are in your hands;
     deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
     from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
     save me in your unfailing love.

Exodus 3:1-12

Moses at the burning bush

3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Acts 7:1-16

Stephen addresses the council

7:1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’

4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

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, May 8, 2020
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; Exodus 3:1-12; Acts 7:1-16

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, May 8, 2020

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, May 8, 2020

Seventeenth-century French mystic Madame Guyon said, “Praying scripture is not judged by how much you read but by the way in which you read. If you read quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead, in this new way of reading with prayer, you must become as the bee that penetrates into the depths of the flower. You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar.”

Lord, we pray for humility of mind to discern you in our visions and our dreams. We pray for wisdom to know what to do with your revelations. We pray for innocence to trust that you are walking with us. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, May 8, 2020

Colossians 4:5-6

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Read all of Colossians 4

Listen to Colossians 4

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 - Viernes 08 de mayo de 2020

El favor de Dios es un regalo

En verdad, quien me encuentra, halla la vida y recibe el favor del Señor.

— Proverbios 8:35, NVI

Dios quiere que te vaya bien. Estos días estamos hablando acerca de los regalos que vienen incluidos cuando tenemos a Jesús.

El favor de Dios es uno de ellos. Dios nos ayuda, nos prospera y nos da lo que tú y yo necesitamos. Muchas personas piensan que contar con el favor de Dios es tener dinero, pero sabemos de otras tantas personas que conociendo a Jesús aman el dinero y hacen lo que tengan que hacer con tal de depender del dinero. Lo que es más triste, otros incluso son ricos, pero viven en una absoluta pobreza emocional. Están solos, o se sienten solos, aunque tengan muchas personas a su alrededor. Perciben que nadie ni nada los llena.

Dios solo quiere que tú y yo establezcamos un equilibrio perfecto a fin de poder disfrutar de sus bendiciones y de su favor.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Dios quiere que te vaya bien.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, May 8, 2020

TRAINING CHILDREN

…do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

— Ephesians 6:4, NIV

A Chinese Bible Woman shares the following situation that helped train her and her children in righteousness while her husband was in a labor camp:

One day I said to my children, “The Lord has told me that today I will go to prison for Him. Father is also in prison so please behave. Love each other and don’t forget to bring food for your mom!”

During that time there were so many prisoners that the government could not provide for all of them so family members provided their food.

The children cried when they heard this. Daniel replied, “But mom, we have only five catties of rice left. How can we have rice and also send you some? When it’s all gone, we’ll die!”

I told the children, “The Lord can turn nothing into something!” and I reminded them of the story of Elijah and the widow. They had a simple child-like faith and believed that God could provide for their need. So they concluded, “Even though our rice is not enough, we will cook for you too!”

After talking with the children, The Public Security Bureau police came to the door and arrested me. Daniel followed me to the prison to find out which cell I would be in. The younger two children knelt in prayer. As I was taken away, my heart was wrenched as I heard their little voices trailing off.

I was in prison on that occasion for thirty days. All the while Daniel faithfully sent rice for me. When I returned home I asked, “Is there any rice left?”

Daniel's response was, “Mom, our rice container is overflowing!” It really was. Those five catties had inexplicably grown to about forty catties and were literally overflowing the container.

I said, “Praise the Lord! Now we can continue to cook for the other inmates and feed them as well.” The Lord’s grace is beyond measure.

RESPONSE: In fulfilling the functions of the church in each Christian home, we have the great responsibility to train and instruct our children in faith and righteousness.

PRAYER: Lord, help me model today Your love, faith, and righteousness before the little ones I am in a position to influence.

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, May 8, 2020

David

His name may mean: "Beloved"

His work: A shepherd by trade, David became the second king of Israel.
His character: A man of stark contrasts, David was a man who did nothing halfheartedly. Though he sinned terribly, his repentance was deep and lasting. Scripture refers to him as "a man after God's own heart."
His sorrow: During his lifetime, David had to come to grips with his own sinfulness and the severity of God's punishment like the death of his sons and his inability to build the temple.
His triumph: Under David's leadership, the nation of Israel reached prominence like it had never known before.
Key Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17

A Look at the Man

It's the stuff of epic cinematography—hillsides filled with thousands of jostling soldiers, clattering armaments, and everything at stake. But the heart of the story of David and Goliath is real. It's the story of a young man who threw himself at life with great abandonment, confident as he was in the goodness and power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

There were two defining moments in David's childhood. The first happened when Samuel visited his father's home looking for the man who would someday be king. The youngest son and least likely candidate, David, came in from the pasture to receive the prophet's anointing and then went back to work.

The second defining moment was when he encountered Goliath in a contest that would determine the outcome of a battle. Forerunners of the ancient Greeks, the Philistines were accustomed to deciding battles in an arena rather than between armies. In addition to saving lives, such contests indulged the desire to turn warfare into sport. The Philistine army must have thought they had it made with a warrior like Goliath in their ranks. But they didn't reckon on the young boy who believed that God was capable of anything. Winding his way through the company of Israel's soldiers, David's innocent questions were met with shock and derision. But David was astounded by the Israelites' lack of faith.

Even the king was afraid. "Don't you know who you're fighting for?" David asked Saul. "Where's your trust in him?"

The courage David exhibited as a young man who defended his father's sheep from wild animals and then defended God's people from a godless thug lasted throughout his life. And the same confidence in the God of his fathers marked his life in the years that followed.

Though David wasn't a perfect man, he confessed his sins with the same unfettered confidence in God that had marked his previous dealings. And because he never blamed anyone but himself when he fell, he received God's mercy with no impediments.

Almost five hundred years later the prophet Isaiah would write:

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
  call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways
  and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
  and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7)

Perhaps Isaiah was remembering David, the man whose courage, confidence, faith, contrition, and trust in God's mercy knew no limits.

David lived without restraint. No giant would deter him. He took the promises of the living God for his own and seized life with the certainty of knowing that God was with him. This was the legacy of the "man after God's own heart."

Reflect On: 2 Samuel 22
Praise God: For his promises.
Offer Thanks: For God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenants.
Confess: The unconfessed sin that keeps you from serving God wholeheartedly.
Ask God: For a renewed willingness to follow him.

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.
It's the stuff of epic cinematography—hillsides filled with thousands of jostling soldiers, clattering armaments, and everything at stake.

LHM Daily Devotions - May 8, 2020 - "That Great Multitude"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"That Great Multitude"

May 8, 2020

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

— 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, ESV

God wants to make you a new person—just like the apostle Paul wrote in our passage above. Being in Christ means to be part of that multitude right now, at this very moment, not in the future. It means to live a life focused on eternity and not on life's material possessions that will not follow us beyond the tomb.

Salvation belongs to God. It's a gift of His mercy and love. It's not imposed, however; it's given freely and therefore can be rejected. If you are not yet a member of God's people through Jesus Christ, God wants you to be among that great multitude, too. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or how bad your past has been. God wants to clothe you with His mercy, forgiveness, and love through Jesus Christ.

Lutheran author and television media producer Rev. Dr. Herman Gockel tells a story about a painter in the 16th century who was looking for a model. He wanted to describe the worst of humanity using a human face. One evening, sitting in a tavern, there comes in a dirty, unshaven, stinking, miserable-looking man. He was exactly the model he was looking for.

The painter jumped up from his seat, approached the man, offered him some money, and invited him to his studio the next day to serve as his model. That strange, miserable-looking man accepted the painter's offer. The next morning, the painter was waiting anxiously for his model. What a surprise, when a showered, shaved, and a well-dressed man entered his studio. "Oh no!" shouted the painter, completely disappointed: "I wanted you exactly as I saw and met you at the tavern yesterday!"

So with God; He wants you as you are. He doesn't want you as the best-dressed and most-qualified person you think you are. God wants you exactly as you are, with your sinful nature and all the negative consequences it has produced in your life. He wants to clothe you with His gracious mercy, forgiveness, and love through Jesus Christ. He wants you to be in that great multitude with Him in eternity, where you shall hunger no more, thirst no more, and where the sun shall not strike you, nor any scorching heat. For Jesus will be your Shepherd, and He will guide you to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from your eyes (see Revelation 21:4).

Through Jesus, God has made new life possible for each one of us. The Father invites you into this redeemed new life and by His Holy Spirit will keep and sustain you in faith unto life everlasting—when, one day, all believers will gather with Him forevermore.

It is our prayer that you are a part of that great multitude, too.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, lead me in the way everlasting, the way Jesus won for us on the cross and through His glorious resurrection. In His Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Was there ever a time in your life when you felt like you were able to start over—completely?

2. What is it about the Person of Jesus that has allowed us to be reconciled to God the Father?

3. As a Christian how do you live as a new creation?

Taken from "That Great Multitude," a message excerpt by Rev. Dr. Nilo Figur. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Was there ever a time in your life when you felt like you were able to start over—completely?

Devocional CPTLN del 08 de mayo de 2020 - Una nueva creación

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Una nueva creación

08 de Mayo de 2020

De modo que si alguno está en Cristo, ya es una nueva creación; atrás ha quedado lo viejo: ¡ahora ya todo es nuevo! Y todo esto proviene de Dios, quien nos reconcilió consigo mismo a través de Cristo y nos dio el ministerio de la reconciliación.

— 2 Corintios 5:17-18, RVC

Dios quiere hacerte una nueva persona, tal como lo escribió el apóstol Pablo en el pasaje de hoy. Estar en Cristo significa ser una nueva creación ya en este momento, no en el futuro. Significa vivir una vida centrada en la eternidad y no en las posesiones materiales de la vida que no nos seguirán más allá de la tumba.

La salvación le pertenece a Dios. Es un regalo de su misericordia y amor. Sin embargo, no se impone; Dios la entrega libremente y, por lo tanto, puede ser rechazada. Si aún no eres miembro del pueblo de Dios a través de Jesucristo, Dios quiere que lo seas. No importa quién eres, dónde vives o qué tan malo ha sido tu pasado. Dios quiere vestirte con su misericordia, perdón y amor a través de Jesucristo.

El Dr. Herman Gockel, autor luterano y productor de programas de televisión, cuenta la historia de un pintor del siglo XVI que estaba buscando una modelo para describir lo peor de la humanidad usando la cara de un humano. Una tarde, sentado en una taberna, llega un hombre sucio, sin afeitar, oloroso y de aspecto miserable. Era exactamente el modelo que estaba buscando.

El pintor saltó de su asiento, se acercó al hombre, le ofreció algo de dinero y lo invitó a su estudio al día siguiente para que le sirviera de modelo, lo cual el hombre aceptó. Grande fue la sorpresa del pintor a la mañana siguiente cuando, al abrir la puerta de su estudio, se encontró con un hombre bañado, afeitado y bien vestido. "¡Oh no!", gritó el pintor, completamente decepcionado: "¡Te quería exactamente como te vi ayer en la taberna!"

Con Dios es igual: Él te quiere así como eres, con tu naturaleza pecaminosa y todas las consecuencias negativas que el pecado ha producido en tu vida. Él quiere vestirte con su misericordiosa gracia, perdón y amor a través de Jesucristo. Él quiere que seas parte de esa gran multitud que vivirá con Él en la eternidad, donde ya no tendrás hambre ni sed, y donde el sol no te golpee, ni ningún calor abrasador. Porque Jesús será tu Pastor que te guiará a manantiales de agua viva, y Dios enjugará cada lágrima de tus ojos (ver Apocalipsis 21:4).

A través de Jesús, Dios ha hecho posible una nueva vida para cada uno de nosotros. El Padre te invita a esta nueva vida redimida y por su Espíritu Santo te mantendrá y sostendrá en la fe hasta la vida eterna, cuando todos los creyentes se reunirán con Él para siempre.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, guíame en el camino eterno que Jesús ganó por nosotros en la cruz y a través de su gloriosa resurrección. En su nombre oramos. Amén.

Tomado de "La Gran Multitud", Rev. Nilo Figur

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Alguna vez en tu vida sentiste que podías comenzar de nuevo por completo?

* ¿Cómo demuestras en tu vida que eres una "nueva creación"?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez en tu vida sentiste que podías comenzar de nuevo por completo?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Người Không Thể Nói Chuyện

Người Không Thể Nói Chuyện

Đọc: Thi Thiên 96 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: II Các Vua 4–6; Lu-ca 24:36–53

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Vì Đức Giê-hô-va thật vĩ đại, rất đáng được ca ngợi.

— Thi Thiên 96:4

Ngồi trên xe lăn tại viện dưỡng lão ở Belize, người đàn ông vui vẻ lắng nghe nhóm thiếu niên người Mỹ hát về Chúa Jêsus. Sau đó, khi vài em cố gắng nói chuyện với ông, các em mới biết ông không thể nói chuyện. Cơn đột quỵ đã khiến ông mất đi khả năng nói.

Vì không thể trò chuyện nên các thiếu niên quyết định hát cho ông nghe. Khi các em bắt đầu hát thì điều kỳ diệu xảy ra. Người đàn ông đó bắt đầu hát. Ông phấn khởi và lớn tiếng hát theo bài “Lớn Bấy Duy Ngài” cùng với những người bạn mới.

Đó là khoảnh khắc đáng nhớ đối với tất cả mọi người. Lòng yêu mến Chúa của ông đã vượt qua mọi ngăn trở để thốt lên lời ca ngợi Chúa – sự thờ phượng chân thành, vui vẻ.

Tất cả chúng ta đều trải qua những lúc đối diện với những ngăn trở trong sự thờ phượng. Đó có thể là xung đột trong mối quan hệ hay liên quan đến vấn đề tiền bạc, hoặc có thể là tấm lòng nguội lạnh trong mối liên hệ với Chúa.

Người bạn không thể nói chuyện đã nhắc nhở chúng tôi rằng sự vĩ đại và uy nghi của Chúa toàn năng có thể vượt qua mọi ngăn cản. “Khi xem muôn vật do tay Thiên Chúa sáng tạo chúng, Cứu Chúa của tôi, lòng cảm xúc bao kinh sợ!”

Bạn có đang gặp khó khăn trong sự thờ phượng Chúa không? Hãy suy ngẫm sự vĩ đại của Ngài bằng cách đọc một đoạn Kinh Thánh như Thi Thiên 96, rồi bạn sẽ thấy những trở ngại được thay thế bằng sự ngợi khen.

Khi bạn đọc Thi Thiên 96, có điều gì nổi bật về Đức Chúa Trời vĩ đại? Đâu là những điều đôi khi ngăn trở sự thờ phượng Chúa của bạn? Làm thế nào để bạn thay đổi từ chỗ im lặng đến chỗ cất tiếng ngợi khen?

Lạy Chúa vĩ đại, lòng con đầy kinh sợ về Ngài. Ngài vĩ đại biết bao!

bởi Dave Branon

© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Cơn đột quỵ đã khiến ông mất đi khả năng nói.