The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, May 19, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, May 19, 2020

Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:8-12

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 93

God reigns above the floods

1  The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
     the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
     indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
2  Your throne was established long ago;
     you are from all eternity.

3  The seas have lifted up, Lord,
     the seas have lifted up their voice;
     the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4  Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
     mightier than the breakers of the sea—
     the Lord on high is mighty.

5  Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
     holiness adorns your house
     for endless days.

Deuteronomy 5:22-33

Moses delivers God’s commandments

5:22 These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

23 When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders came to me. 24 And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them. 25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer. 26 For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? 27 Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”

28 The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. 29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

30 “Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

1 Peter 3:8-12

Seek peace and pursue it

3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,

   “Whoever would love life
     and see good days
   must keep their tongue from evil
     and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
     they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
     and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
   but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

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 TUESDAY, May 19, 2020
Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:8-12

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, May 19, 2020

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, May 19, 2020

Paulo Freire wrote in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed, “To speak a true word is to transform the world.”

More often than not, Lord, we are afraid of truth. It threatens the identities we have created for ourselves and the ways we are comfortable perceiving others. Give us ears to hear your truth as blessing and mouths to celebrate your truth as gift. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, May 19, 2020

James 3:17-18

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Read all of James 3

Listen to James 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 - Martes 19 de mayo de 2020

Los hijos del divorcio

Y ahora, Señor, ¿qué esperanza me queda? ¡Mi esperanza he puesto en ti!

— Salmo 39:7, NVI

Esta semana la he dedicado a ese problema triste y común que es la separación o el divorcio, y he motivado a las mujeres, y a los hombres por igual, a seguir adelante a pesar de sus frustraciones.

Sin embargo, hoy llego como una gran defensora de los «hijos del divorcio».

No les hagamos más daño del que ya les hemos ocasionado con la triste noticia de que papi y mami no seguirán viviendo juntos, pues ese es un trauma de por vida que solo se logra sanar por la misericordia de Dios.

Cuando nos separamos o divorciamos, es como si olvidáramos que esos hijitos son el resultado de esa relación. Caemos en el grave error de cobrarnos la venganza por nuestras manos y ponemos a los hijos de carnada.

Nuestros hijos pasan a sufrir la manipulación y los convertimos en mensajeros para nuestro ex. Lo triste de todo es que, en la mayoría de los casos, esos mensajes van con amenazas, insultos y lo que menos damos es un buen ejemplo. Incluso, a menudo los papás cortan la ayuda económica a fin de castigar a las madres y no les dan dinero.

Si estás pasando por algo así, recuerda que necesitas la intervención de Dios en tu vida y mucha oración y protección en esta nueva etapa que estás experimentado. Así que el mejor consejo que te puedo dar es el siguiente: «Busca a Dios y entrégale por completo tu vida y la de tus hijos».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy llego como una gran defensora de los «hijos del divorcio».

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, May 19, 2020

FIGHTING MATERIALISM

Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

— Luke 18:24, NIV

How is the god Mammon conquered? The Bible offers a perspective from which to view all of life’s economic decisions. The Holy Spirit is with us; Jesus is our present teacher. The following are some suggestions:

• Get in touch with our feelings about money. Get in touch with our fear, insecurity, guilt, pride, or envy. We are afraid to be short of money. And our fears, though irrational, are real. We need to face up to these feelings before we can apply God’s promises to our financial situation.

• Stop denying our wealth. Instead of seeing the small picture of our situation, let us become world citizens, looking at ourselves in relation to all humanity.

• Create an atmosphere in which confession is possible. Much of our preaching about money has been either to condemn it or to praise it but not to help each other relate to it. Many of us feel isolated and alone. How much better if we could confess our fears and temptations.

• Discover one other person who will struggle with you through the money maze. Together covenant to help each other detect when the seductive power of money is beginning to win. This needs to be done in a spirit of love and graciousness but also rebuking and prodding.

• Discover ways to get in touch with the poor. One of the damaging results of affluence is allowing us to distance ourselves from the poor so that we no longer see their pain.

• Give with glad and generous hearts. Giving has a way of rooting out the tough old miser within us. The very act of letting go of money, or some other treasure, destroys the sin of greed.

Chinese house church leaders met together to discuss their problems. They concluded that their number two problem (after gossip) was money and the lure of materialism. There are two main sources of this. One is the rising standard of living in the coastal areas, which is tempting good teachers into commerce, depriving the church of much-needed leaders. The other is the kind, but often indiscriminate, giving of some wealthier Christians and missions to house church networks.

RESPONSE: Today I commit to living a simple lifestyle and not give in to materialism.

PRAYER: Lord, I want to follow You all the way. And I want to be obedient as You direct and instruct.

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

LHM Daily Devotions May 19, 2020 - "Taking Jesus to Heart"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Taking Jesus to Heart"

May 19, 2020

Then they (the disciples) returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

— Acts 1:12-14 (ESV)

What a time this must have been! The shock of Jesus' resurrection had occurred only a few weeks earlier. (No doubt the disciples were still reeling from that!) Since then Jesus had spent time with His disciples, conversing with them, relaying priceless details on the kingdom of God, and why all the things that had taken place were necessary. He also "presented Himself alive ... by many proofs" and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" (see Acts 1:3-5).

After Jesus' ascension, the disciples "were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers." With His departure, their beloved Rabbi, Teacher, and Friend were gone. While recent events showed God at work in a marvelous way, this still had to be a bittersweet time for the disciples. They so wanted to believe all Jesus had said and done. How they must have pressed their memories for details from His intimate talks with them, to hear again the truths He spoke about God's forgiveness and their need to love one another. But those conversations were gone.

With Jesus' departure, things were uncertain.

If you were there among Jesus' followers after His ascension, what do you think you would have done? What would have gotten you through that difficult period? Would Jesus' post-resurrection proofs have been enough to weather the storms that would follow? Would you cling to the Person whose words you had come to trust, whose life was now the model for yours, who gave Himself for your sins?

Or would the sneers and insults from an "I'm-not-buying-it" public chip away at your faith? Would the cold shoulders and little side comments (first from those you didn't know and then from those you did) start to grind you down until you, too, we're scaling back your conversations about Jesus—even to your family and friends?

The disciples must have wondered: how do we keep the faith now that Jesus is gone? And what is this "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" all about?

Jesus had told them already at their last supper together. (He said) "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning" (John 15:26-27).

It was a time for waiting patiently to see what God would do. It was a time for prayer. They would not be disappointed.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit to stand firm in the faith when things appear uncertain and out of our control. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. When times are difficult and trying, does your prayer life change in any way?

2. What do think praying "with one accord" means? Would that have any special implication for Jesus' followers after His ascension?

3. Do you seek God's help when your faith is criticized or put down by others?

This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
When times are difficult and trying, does your prayer life change in any way?

Devocional CPTLN del 19 de mayo de 2020 - Tomando en serio a Jesús

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Tomando en serio a Jesús

19 de Mayo de 2020

Entonces los apóstoles volvieron a Jerusalén desde el monte del Olivar, que dista de Jerusalén poco más de un kilómetro. Cuando llegaron a Jerusalén, subieron al aposento alto, donde se hallaban Pedro, Jacobo, Juan, Andrés, Felipe, Tomás, Bartolomé, Mateo, Jacobo hijo de Alfeo, Simón el Zelote y Judas, el hermano de Jacobo. Todos ellos oraban y rogaban a Dios continuamente, en unión de las mujeres, de María la madre de Jesús, y de sus hermanos.

— Hechos 1:12-14 (RVC)

¡Qué momento debe haber sido! El impacto de la resurrección de Jesús había ocurrido solo unas pocas semanas antes. (¡Sin duda los discípulos todavía se estaban recuperando de eso!) Desde entonces, Jesús había pasado tiempo con sus discípulos, conversando con ellos, transmitiendo detalles invaluables sobre el reino de Dios y por qué habían sido necesarias todas las cosas que habían sucedido. También "se les presentó vivo ... y con muchas pruebas" y les dijo que esperaran en Jerusalén la venida del "Bautismo en el Espíritu Santo" (ver Hechos 1:3-5).

Después de la ascensión de Jesús, los discípulos se dedicaron a la oración, junto con las mujeres y María, la madre de Jesús, y sus hermanos. Su amado Rabino, Maestro y Amigo se había ido. Si bien los acontecimientos recientes mostraban la obra de Dios de una manera maravillosa, todavía debe haber sido un momento agridulce para los discípulos. Querían creer todo lo que Jesús había dicho y hecho. Cómo deben haber presionado sus recuerdos para obtener detalles de sus conversaciones íntimas con ellos, para escuchar nuevamente las verdades que les había dicho sobre el perdón de Dios y su necesidad de amarse unos a otros. Pero esas conversaciones se habían ido.

Con la partida de Jesús, las cosas eran inciertas.

Si estuvieras allí entre los seguidores de Jesús después de su ascensión, ¿qué crees que hubieras hecho? ¿Qué te habría sustentado en esa difícil situación? ¿Habrían sido suficientes las pruebas posteriores a la resurrección de Jesús para resistir las tormentas que seguirían? ¿Te aferrarías a la Persona cuyas palabras habías confiado, cuya vida era ahora el modelo para la tuya, quien se había entregado por tus pecados? ¿O las burlas y los insultos de los demás afectarían tu fe, agobiándote al punto que tú también dejarías de hablar sobre Jesús a tu familia y amigos?

Los discípulos deben haberse preguntado: ¿cómo mantenemos la fe ahora que Jesús se fue? ¿Y de qué se trata este "Bautismo en el Espíritu Santo"? Jesús ya les había dicho en su última cena juntos: "Pero cuando venga el Consolador, el Espíritu de verdad, el cual procede del Padre y a quien yo les enviaré de parte del Padre, él dará testimonio acerca de mí. Y ustedes también darán testimonio, porque han estado conmigo desde el principio" (Juan 15:26-27).

Era un tiempo para esperar pacientemente a ver qué haría Dios. Era un tiempo de oración. Y no iban a ser decepcionados.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, fortalécenos con tu Espíritu Santo para mantenernos firmes en la fe cuando las cosas parecen inciertas y fuera de nuestro control. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Paul Schreiber

Para reflexionar:

* Cuando los tiempos son duros y difíciles, ¿cambia de alguna manera tu vida de oración?

* ¿Buscas la ayuda de Dios cuando otros critican o menosprecian tu fe?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Cuando los tiempos son duros y difíciles, ¿cambia de alguna manera tu vida de oración?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Consecuencias de las decisiones

Consecuencias de las decisiones

La escritura de hoy: Salmo 1
La Biblia en un año: 1 Crónicas 7–9; Juan 6:22-44

… El Señor conoce el camino de los justos…

— Salmo 1:6

Sin señal en el celular ni mapa del sendero, solo teníamos grabado en la memoria un mapa fijo para guía que había a la entrada. Después de más de una hora, finalmente salimos del bosque y llegamos al aparcamiento. Como no vimos la curva que nos habría ahorrado unos 800 metros de recorrido, tomamos un sendero mucho más largo.

La vida puede ser así. No solo tenemos que preguntar si algo está bien o mal, sino adónde lleva. El Salmo 1 compara dos formas de vida: la de los justos (los que aman a Dios) y la de los impíos (los enemigos de quienes aman a Dios). Los justos florecen como un árbol, pero los impíos son esparcidos como la paja (vv. 3-4). También revela cómo es florecer. La persona que lo pone en práctica depende de Dios para renovarse y vivir.

¿Cómo nos convertimos en esa clase de persona? Entre otras cosas, dejando relaciones destructivas y hábitos insalubres, y deleitándonos en la enseñanza de Dios (v. 2). En definitiva, la razón de nuestro florecimiento es el interés de Dios por nosotros: «El Señor conoce el camino de los justos» (v. 6).

Entrégale a Dios tu camino, permítele redirigirte de antiguos patrones que no llevan a ningún lado y deja que las Escrituras sean el río que alimente el sistema de raíces de tu corazón.

De:  Administrador del sitio

Reflexiona y ora

Señor, que mi vida sea fiel y fructífera para tu honra.

¿Qué amistades o hábitos necesitas dejar? ¿Cómo puedes apartar más tiempo para leer la Biblia?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
La vida puede ser así.