The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

Psalm 102:1-17; Proverbs 3:13-18; John 8:31-38

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 66:8-20

Be joyful in God all you lands

8  Praise our God, all peoples,
     let the sound of his praise be heard;
9  he has preserved our lives
     and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
     you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
     and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
     we went through fire and water,
     but you brought us to a place of abundance.

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
     and fulfill my vows to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
     when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
     and an offering of rams;
     I will offer bulls and goats.

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
     let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
     his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
     the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
     and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
     who has not rejected my prayer
     or withheld his love from me!

Genesis 6:5-22

God’s command to Noah

6:5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

9 This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Acts 27:1-12

Paul sails for Rome

27:1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

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, May 14, 2020
Psalm 102:1-17; Proverbs 3:13-18; John 8:31-38

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

Brother Juniper (d. 1258)

A companion of Francis of Assisi, Brother Juniper is remembered as a “fool for Christ,” and there are all sorts of wild stories about his antics. He was notorious for constantly giving his possessions away and living with a winsomeness that sometimes got him into trouble. At one point, he was ordered by a superior not to give away his outer garment to the beggars anymore. But it wasn’t long before he met someone in need who asked him for some clothing. He said, “My superior has told me under obedience not to give my clothing to anyone. But if you pull it off my back, I certainly will not prevent you.” Francis is said to have joked about how he wished for a forest of Junipers.

John Chrysostom, a fourth-century preacher and bishop of Constantinople, wrote, “Tell me then, how is it that you are rich? From whom did you receive it, and from whom did he transmit it to you? From his father and his grandfather. But can you, ascending through many generations, show the acquisition just? It cannot be. The root and origin of it must have been injustice. Why? Because God in the beginning did not make one person rich and another poor. He left the earth free to all alike. Why then if it is common, have you so many acres of land, while your neighbor has not a portion of it?”

Lord, you did not withhold even your life for our benefit. If nothing is too much to offer you, remind us that nothing is too much to sacrifice for our brothers and sisters in need. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

Psalm 139:13-14

For you created my inmost being;
  you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
  your works are wonderful,
  I know that full well.

Read all of Psalm 139

Listen to Psalm 139

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 - Jueves 14 de mayo de 2020

Oración para dejar los reyes falsos

Dichoso el que pone su confianza en el Señor y no recurre a los idólatras ni a los que adoran dioses falsos.

— Salmo 40:4, NVI

Qué maravilloso poder sellar con una oración, Dios mío, mi compromiso de entregar y desmontar reyes que había levantado y que estaban ocupando tu lugar.

Acudo a tu misericordia reconociendo que por mucho tiempo mi dios fue el dinero, mis hijos, mi trabajo, mi posición y mis pertenencias.

Hoy, Señor, destrono todas estas cosas o personas que me han alejado de ti. También te doy gracias porque me das la oportunidad de entregarlas hoy y reconocer que yo dependo de manera exclusiva de ti.

Hago hoy un pacto contigo de que nunca más volveré a poner mi mirada en personas o en cosas materiales, sino que apreciaré todo lo que me das día a día.

Hoy te declaro, Dios mío, «el Rey de mi corazón».

Cambia mi vida, Señor.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración para dejar los reyes falsos

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, May 14, 2020

WOMEN WHO FEAR GOD

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

— Proverbs 31:30-31, NIV

Evangelism is an important function of the church everywhere. But in communist Vietnam, followers of Christ cannot openly share their faith. Those who do are often threatened or imprisoned. In response, Open Doors developed several programs to help. One was a women’s discipleship program based on one-on-one relationships. It is called Priscilla Training.

A Vietnamese woman named Han says, “When I was young I went to church. We were a godly family. But I found the church very dull, very boring. The Bible did not speak to me. I knew some of the stories. And I listened to our pastor each week.

“One night when we were all asleep the police came and took our pastor away. They think if they take him away the church will die. They want all churches to die. They kept him in prison for five years. It’s natural this happens. I live in a communist country.

“When the communists tried to kill my church, it challenged my heart. I knew I had to be strong. Before, I was just a church member. Now I have to become a serious follower of Jesus.

“I started reading my Bible every day, and it became fresh to me. It spoke to my heart. It was a very, very good feeling, and I liked it. It was good for my life. I wanted others to have God in their lives too.

“Attending a secret house church is a risk. But it is a greater risk of going to a training class. And I decided to take that risk. I went far away to receive Priscilla Bible and leadership training. I felt God calling me to be in ministry. I want to teach other women what I have learned. My first disciple was named Tuyen.”

Tuyen says, “My friend introduced me to a godly lady. Her name is Han. She taught me how to study better, know God better, and be a true disciple of Jesus. I reach out to people and tell them all the good news I have in my heart, and the good hope I have in me today.

“A neighbor told me that a lady, a new follower of Jesus, wants to learn more about him. She will be my first disciple. I will teach her what I’ve learned from Han.”

God has equipped thousands of women through the Priscilla Training in Vietnam and all members of the church are thus able to help fulfill the function of evangelism.

In June 2011, Vietnam’s Evangelical Church celebrated its centenary. The government allowed the missionaries to Vietnam (who were still living and able to travel) to return for the celebrations. When they left in 1975, there were estimated to be 160,000 evangelical Christians in the country. In 2011 they found the church had grown to over 1.4 million. That’s nearly 900 percent growth! During the centenary celebrations, Open Doors was officially given an award from the leaders of the Evangelical Church for help in training given through the difficult years.

RESPONSE: Today I will honor women who fear God and share their faith with others in need of help.

PRAYER: Pray for more women in Vietnam to be able to effectively share their faith and train others.

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, May 14, 2020

Abraham: The Father of Faith

Genesis 12:1—25:11

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

— Genesis 15:1, NIV

You lived before monotheistic religion existed. How did you know there was a God?

I’ve always believed in God, even when others didn’t. I remember getting up early as a young boy and watching the morning sunlight up the mountains as if they were on fire. It stirred something inside me, and I remember thinking, “There must be something that made all this beauty.” Or I’d see the moonlight dancing on the ripples in the Euphrates River at night, and local people would say it was a moon god, but that didn’t quite sit right with me. So it didn’t surprise me when the Lord showed up on my doorstep one day. Looking back on it, I think he’d been calling to my heart for a long time.

One of your defining moments was when God made a covenant with you. What do you remember about that moment?

Actually, I remember my fear more than anything else. Looking back, I wish I’d had more faith. But the Lord had promised so many things that seemed, in my mind, impossible. Most of my life I’ve been afraid. Afraid that things were too good to be true. Afraid that my land or my wife or my life would be snatched by desert raiders or evil foreign leaders. I’m ashamed to admit this now, but I had trouble believing that the covenant promises would come true.

So what changed?

It all changed that night. I brought the cow, goat, ram, and birds and cut each in half as God directed. Traditionally, I would have walked between the two sections as a pledge to keep my promise. But I fell into a deep sleep and saw a vision of a blazing torch passing between the animal pieces. It was God taking the covenant walk, telling me that he would never break his promises! My heart leaps with joy whenever I remember that vision.

Another defining moment of your life had to be the near-sacrifice of Isaac. How did you know that God was going to come through when he told you to kill your son?

I can’t begin to put into words the anguish I felt on that long, three-day journey. And tying Isaac to the altar was more difficult than you could ever imagine. But I had courage because God had already proven to me that he was a God of life. He had helped my wife Sarah—who had never been able to have children—to have a son. I knew he was a miracle-working, life-creating God. The only way I was able to fathom the thought of driving a knife into my son was that I knew Yahweh was fully capable of bringing life back into being.

Back to the Future

• What tests of faith are you facing right now?
• In what ways has God been faithful to his promises to you in the past?
• How can you develop a greater trust in God and his promises?

Read Abraham’s Story

For the full story of Abraham, read Genesis 12:1—25:11.
You lived before monotheistic religion existed. How did you know there was a God?

LHM Daily Devotions - May 14, 2020 - "Doing the Difficult Things"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Doing the Difficult Things"

May 14, 2020

(Jesus said) "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

— John 14:18-21, ESV

Have you ever walked into a situation where you weren't sure what to do or how to do it? Or maybe you knew what to do, but you still felt wildly out of place—these people were not your "kind of people," and you wondered if you were going to stick out like a sore thumb. That happens to me in social situations, and it's bad.

But it's even worse when I'm going into a situation where I am doing something absolutely necessary that I've never done before—for example, doing personal care for a loved one who is dying of cancer. Technically it's not that difficult to cook for someone, to change a diaper, to get trained on how to handle a stomach feeding tube or an ostomy bag. And yet it's scary, the first time. I wish there was someone else who could borrow my hands, oversee my actions, and help me to do things right. Then, maybe, I could stop being so self-conscious. Then, maybe, I could relax a little and trust that it wasn't going to be a disaster.

And that is a gift Jesus gives us, believe it or not. He says, "In that day (the day of Jesus' resurrection) you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." We are not alone with the challenge that lies before us. Jesus is with us, is even in us—not just as a metaphor or a figure of speech, but for real. If we are willing to let it be so, our hands are His hands, and our mouths can be His mouth. We can pray for help and trust that He will in fact dwell within us, according to His promise—and that He will make His presence known.

That makes it so much easier to be the first one to take leadership in an emergency—to be the first to make peace when a family fight is raging—to act as a parent to your own parent or grandparent, to behave like a sister or brother to someone who comes from a totally different cultural background. It doesn't matter if we ourselves are afraid and inadequate; Jesus is not. Jesus is living in us. We can call upon His strength whenever we need it. Thanks be to God.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, remind us that we are never alone in this world. We have Jesus, and He is all we need. In His Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is the hardest thing you have done this past year? Why was it hard?

2. Have you ever asked Jesus to "take over" when you had something difficult to do?

3. How did that work out?

This Daily Devotion was 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 is the hardest thing you have done this past year? Why was it hard?

Devocional CPTLN del 14 de mayo de 2020 - Haciendo las cosas difíciles

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Haciendo las cosas difíciles

14 de Mayo de 2020

[Dijo Jesús] No los dejaré huérfanos; vendré a ustedes. Dentro de poco, el mundo no me verá más; pero ustedes me verán; y porque yo vivo, ustedes también vivirán. En aquel día ustedes sabrán que yo estoy en mi Padre, y que ustedes están en mí, y que yo estoy en ustedes. El que tiene mis mandamientos, y los obedece, ése es el que me ama; y el que me ama, será amado por mi Padre, y yo lo amaré, y me manifestaré a él.

— Juan 14:18-21, RVC

¿Alguna vez te has encontrado en una situación en la que no estabas seguro de qué hacer? O tal vez sabías qué hacer, pero te sentías totalmente fuera de lugar: estas personas no eran tu "tipo de personas" y te preguntabas si ibas a sobresalir o desentonar. No es nada agradable.

Pero es todavía cuando me encuentro en una situación en la que estoy haciendo algo absolutamente necesario que nunca antes había hecho, por ejemplo, cuidar a un ser querido que se está muriendo de cáncer. Técnicamente no es tan difícil cocinar para alguien, cambiar un pañal, capacitarse sobre cómo manejar una sonda de alimentación estomacal. Sin embargo, la primera vez da miedo. Desearía que hubiera alguien más que pudiera supervisar mis acciones y ayudarme a hacer las cosas bien. Entonces, tal vez podría relajarme un poco y confiar en que no iba a ser un desastre.

Y ese es un regalo que Jesús nos da, lo creas o no. Él dice: " En aquel día (el día de la resurrección de Jesús) ustedes sabrán que yo estoy en mi Padre, y que ustedes están en mí, y que yo estoy en ustedes". No estamos solos con el desafío que nos espera. Jesús está con nosotros, está incluso en nosotros, no solo como una metáfora o una forma de hablar, sino de verdad. Si estamos dispuestos a dejar que sea así, nuestras manos son sus manos, y nuestras bocas pueden ser su boca. Podemos orar por ayuda y confiar en que Él de hecho morará en nosotros de acuerdo con su promesa, y que hará conocer su presencia.

Eso hace que sea mucho más fácil ser el primero en asumir el liderazgo en una emergencia, en hacer las paces cuando se desata una pelea familiar, en actuar como padre de sus propios padres o abuelos, en comportarse como hermana o hermano de alguien que proviene de un entorno cultural totalmente diferente y aterrador. No importa si tenemos miedo y nos sentimos inadecuados; Jesús no lo es. Jesús está viviendo en nosotros. Podemos invocar su fortaleza siempre que la necesitemos. ¡Gracias a Dios!

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, recuérdanos que nunca estamos solos en este mundo. Tenemos a Jesús, y eso es todo lo que necesitamos. En su nombre Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué es lo más difícil que has tenido que hacer últimamente? ¿Por qué fue difícil?

* ¿Alguna vez le has pedido a Jesús que "se haga cargo" cuando tenías que hacer algo difícil? ¿Cómo te fue?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué es lo más difícil que has tenido que hacer últimamente? ¿Por qué fue difícil?

Хлеб наш насущный - Ведутся работы

Ведутся работы

Читать сейчас: Евреям 10:11-18 | Библия за год: 4 Царств 19-21; Иоанна 4:1-30

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Ибо Он одним приношением навсегда сделал совершенными освящаемых.

— Евреям 10:14

«Они совсем недавно заасфальтировали эту дорогу, – подумал я, наблюдая за дорожными работниками, – и вот, снова снимают покрытие! Почему дорожные работы никогда не заканчиваются? Я никогда не видел табло с надписью: “Ремонт дороги завершен. Пользуйтесь идеальной дорогой”».

Но что-то подобное происходит и в духовной сфере. В начале своего пути я представлял себе, как достигну такого уровня зрелости, когда все мои недостатки исчезнут и я буду как идеально ровная дорога, без ям и ухабов. Однако тридцать лет спустя я должен признаться, что надо мной все еще «ведутся работы». Точно как с дорогами, по которым езжу, я всегда чувствую себя «незавершенным». Иногда это вызывает не меньшее раздражение.

Но в Послании к евреям есть удивительное обещание: «Ибо Он одним приношением навсегда сделал совершенными освящаемых» (Евр. 10:14). Мы спасены благодаря Христу, распятому на кресте. Совершенно. Полностью. В Божьих глазах мы идеальны. С другой стороны, пока мы еще на земле, этот процесс не завершен. Мы все еще преображаемся в Его образ, мы все еще «освящаемые».

Однажды мы увидим Его лицом к лицу и станем подобными Ему (1 Ин. 3:2). Но до тех пор над нами еще «ведутся работы». Мы – люди, которые с нетерпением ждут славного дня, когда труд освящения полностью завершится.

Вас когда-нибудь расстраивало то, что духовный рост происходит медленнее, чем вам хочется? Как приведенный текст из Послания к евреям побуждает вас размышлять об освящении?

Боже, иногда я расстраиваюсь из-за того, что духовный рост происходит медленно. Помоги мне помнить, что Ты постоянно трудишься в моей жизни и изменяешь меня.

автор: Адам Хольц

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Почему дорожные работы никогда не заканчиваются?