The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020

Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 31:1-13; John 16:16-24

(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 31:1-13
Moses promises God’s presence
31:1 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

John 16:16-24
A little while and you shall see
16:16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

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 WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020
Psalm 93; Deuteronomy 31:1-13; John 16:16-24

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020

In 1976, Indonesia annexed East Timor after the sudden withdrawal of the Portuguese. It is estimated that two hundred thousand Timorese died under the brutal and violent Indonesian rule. After years of violence between separatist guerillas and pro-Indonesian paramilitary forces, East Timor gained its independence on May 20, 2002. Today East Timor is one of the world’s poorest countries.

Twentieth-century Presbyterian theologian and writer Frederick Buechner has written, “Who knows how the awareness of God’s love first hits people? Every person has his own tale to tell, including the person who would not believe in God if you paid him. Some moment happens in your life that makes you say Yes right up to the roots of your hair, that makes it worth having been born just to have happened. Laughing with somebody till the tears run down your cheeks. Waking up to the first snow. Being in bed with somebody you love. Whether you thank God for such a moment or thank your lucky stars, it is a moment that is trying to open up your whole life. If you try to turn your back on such a moment and hurry along to Business as Usual, it may lose you the whole ball game. If you throw your arms around such a moment and hug it like crazy, it may save your soul. How about the person you know who as far as you can possibly tell has never had such a moment? Maybe for that person, the moment that has to happen is you.”

Give us grace to be present to those moments, Lord, when your love is real enough to taste. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020

Romans 15:5-6

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Read all of Romans 15

Listen to Romans 15

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 - Miércoles 20 de mayo de 2020

Oración por los hijos del divorcio

El Señor [...] restaura a los abatidos y cubre con vendas sus heridas.

— Salmo 147:2-3, NVI

Ay, Señor, aquí sí que calificamos varias personas. En la actualidad, es muy común ser hijos de padres divorciados. A pesar de eso, hoy vengo a ti como hija afectada por ese mal. Vengo como madre y mujer que pasó por divorcios y, por consiguiente, dejé a mis hijas en un hogar disfuncional.

Padre, acudo a ti porque sé que eres el único que nos puedes sanar esas heridas, porque sé que eres el único que puedes ayudar a pasar este trago amargo a muchas personas que lo viven hoy. Porque tú, mi Dios, das consuelo y eres el único que en medio del dolor no nos abandonas.

Te pido, por favor, que guíes a cada padre y madre involucrados en divorcios en este momento. Permite que tomen decisiones adecuadas a fin de que no solo piensen en ellos y sus beneficios, que dejen a un lado el egoísmo y piensen en sus hijos y en las consecuencias de un divorcio. También te pido por los hijos de modo que mitigues el dolor que están experimentando y puedan creer que no son los culpables de los problemas de sus padres, ni de ese divorcio.

Ten misericordia de cada hijo afectado, desde los pequeños hasta los grandes, porque para todos es doloroso ver partir a mamá o papá de casa. Te pido protección para que cada hijo del divorcio pueda seguir adelante y encuentre su identidad en ti. Que aunque sean hijos de padres divorciados, logren seguir adelante y ser felices cuando los adultos puedan tener hogares sólidos.

Dios mío, sana las heridas de cada familia y bendícelos. En el nombre de Jesús, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por los hijos del divorcio

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, May 20, 2020

TAKING AWAY THE CROSS

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

— Matthew 16:23, NIV

A western co-worker was visiting the Chinese city of Dandong which borders North Korea. He shares his challenging experience at a local house church meeting:

It was the first time I had ever been called “Satan!” But no one could fault the careful exegesis as this fiery Korean preacher bellowed to the 200-member house church.

“The third temptation of Jesus,” he declared, “was when the devil offered him the kingdom without the cross. The devil was basically saying, ‘Don’t go off and make all those sacrifices, touch all those lepers, spend nights in agony praying, and end up being tortured by soldiers and dying a horrible death. Just take it all now…from my hand!’” He went on, “The church often has the same temptation. The devil offers us power without suffering. And…I’ve got to say this even though our western friend is here…this is a temptation one part of the church tempts another part of the church with. We have to call that part of the church ‘Satan,’ just as Jesus had to call Peter ‘Satan’ when he made the same suggestion later in his ministry.”

Good rip-roaring stuff, and thoroughly biblical. But I was intrigued as to why this pastor had singled out the western church as the tempter. He was happy to explain over a meal.

“I hosted five pastors from North America last year. All Koreans. They came with reading material. Good stuff as far as it went, and they were supplying a sort of formula for church growth. But could one of them even bring himself to mention suffering? No! And when I heard those Korean pastors preach, it was also absent.”

He leaned forward and whispered, “When these pastors preach to the persecuted church, and mention everything but suffering, they are taking away the cross from the Christian life. That’s why I have to say that they are bringing a satanic suggestion. Anyone who says you can follow Christ but not carry your cross is no better than the old deceiver himself. Jesus said so. He said it to Satan, and he said it to Peter. And I’m going to say it to anyone else who dares to think they can be a witness for Christ from anywhere else but on a cross.”

RESPONSE: Today I will focus on the things of God realizing they will always require me to carry my cross.

PRAYER: Lord, I will no longer try and eliminate the way of the cross from my Christian living. May I never again attempt to substitute power for suffering.

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 20, 2020 - "A Roaring Lion"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"A Roaring Lion"

May 20, 2020

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

— 1 Peter 5:6-11 (ESV)

A roaring lion is scary. If I'm at the zoo and a lion starts to roar, I'm very happy to have a moat and a fence between me and him.

The devil is scary, too. Maybe that's why Peter refers to him as a "roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The devil isn't someone to mess with, to take lightly, or play games with. He is dangerous, and we should keep our distance. The roar tells us so!

And yet, there's some comfort for us in this description of Satan. Peter specifically says he is "roaring." What does that mean? Amos the prophet tells us: "Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?" (Amos 3:4)

The answer is clearly no. A lion who is hot on your trail, stalking you, isn't going to roar. Why would he do that? It would only alert you that you were in danger. No, lions roar for many reasons, but not normally at that time.

Peter paints a picture of a frustrated lion—of Satan wanting to catch us, to devour us, but not able. Why? Because Jesus has placed Himself between us and the lion who wants us for breakfast. He is our Good Shepherd, and He has laid down His life to save us, the sheep of His pasture. Through His death and resurrection, He has brought us into God's safety.

It's no wonder the devil roars!

Let us then stay close to Jesus, for He is our life and protector. No matter how terrifying our situation is, nothing and no one can take us out of His hands.

THE PRAYER: Lord, help me to entrust myself into Your hands, especially when I am afraid. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What things in life scare you as much as the roar of a lion?

2. What kinds of things should you do, or not do, around a roaring lion? How do these apply to the devil?

3. When you are afraid, how do you seek refuge in Jesus?

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 things in life scare you as much as the roar of a lion?

Devocional CPTLN del 20 de mayo de 2020 - Un león rugiente

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Un león rugiente

20 de Mayo de 2020

Por lo tanto, muestren humildad bajo la poderosa mano de Dios, para que él los exalte a su debido tiempo. Descarguen en él todas sus angustias, porque él tiene cuidado de ustedes. Sean prudentes y manténganse atentos, porque su enemigo es el diablo, y él anda como un león rugiente, buscando a quien devorar. Pero ustedes, manténganse firmes y háganle frente. Sepan que en todo el mundo sus hermanos están enfrentando los mismos sufrimientos, pero el Dios de toda gracia, que en Cristo nos llamó a su gloria eterna, los perfeccionará, afirmará, fortalecerá y establecerá después de un breve sufrimiento. A él sea dado el poder por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

— 1 Pedro 5:6-11 (RVC)

Un león rugiente da miedo. Si estoy en el zoológico y un león comienza a rugir, me alegra tener un foso y una cerca entre él y yo.

El diablo también da miedo. Tal vez por eso Pedro se refiere a él como un "león rugiente, buscando a quien devorar". No es alguien con quien meterse, tomar a la ligera o jugar juegos. Es peligroso y debemos mantener nuestra distancia. ¡El rugido nos lo dice!

Y sin embargo, hay algo de consuelo para nosotros en esta descripción de Satanás. Pedro dice específicamente que está "rugiendo". ¿Qué significa esto? Amós nos dice: ¿Ruge el león en la selva sin que haya presa? ¿Ruge el cachorro en su guarida, sin apresar nada? (Amós 3:4)

La respuesta es claramente no. Un león que sigue tu rastro, acechándote, no va a rugir. Si lo hiciera, te alertaría del peligro. No, los leones rugen por muchas razones, pero normalmente no en ese momento.

Pedro pinta una imagen de un león frustrado, de Satanás que quiere atraparnos, devorarnos, pero no puede. ¿Por qué? Porque Jesús se colocó entre nosotros y ese león que nos quiere para el desayuno. Él es nuestro buen pastor que ha dado su vida para salvarnos a nosotros, las ovejas de su pasto. A través de su muerte y resurrección nos ha traído a la seguridad de Dios.

¡No es de extrañar que el diablo esté rugiendo!

Permanezcamos cerca de Jesús, porque él es nuestra vida y protector. No importa cuán aterradora sea nuestra situación, nada ni nadie puede sacarnos de sus manos.

ORACIÓN: Señor, ayúdame a confiar mi vida en tus manos, especialmente cuando tengo miedo. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué cosas en la vida te asustan tanto como el rugido de un león?

* Cuando tienes miedo, ¿cómo buscas refugio en Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué cosas en la vida te asustan tanto como el rugido de un león?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Uma nova comunidade

Uma nova comunidade

Escritura de hoje: Atos 2:1-12, 42-47
Bíblia em um ano: 1 Crônicas 10–12; João 6:45-71

Os que criam se reuniam num só lugar e compartilhavam tudo que possuíam.

— Atos 2:44

Maira, a filha de 5 anos de minha amiga Carmem, tem um jeito curioso de brincar. Ela mistura bonecas de tipos diferentes para formar uma nova comunidade. Em sua imaginação, devem estar juntas. Esse é o seu povo. Ela acredita que, quando elas estão juntas, são mais felizes, apesar dos diferentes tamanhos e formatos.

A criatividade dela me lembra o propósito de Deus para a Igreja. No dia de Pentecostes, Lucas nos diz: “Naquela época, judeus devotos de todas as nações viviam em Jerusalém” (v.5). Embora fossem de diferentes culturas e falassem idiomas diversos, a chegada do Espírito Santo fez daquelas pessoas uma nova comunidade: a Igreja. A partir de então, seriam considerados um corpo, unificado pela morte e ressurreição de Jesus.

Os líderes desse novo corpo eram homens que Jesus reuniu durante Seu tempo na Terra — Seus discípulos. Se Jesus não os tivesse unido, possivelmente jamais se juntariam. E, agora, mais pessoas — “…cerca de três mil…” (v.41) — tinham se tornado seguidores de Cristo. Graças ao Espírito Santo, “compartilhavam tudo que possuíam” (v.44). Estavam dispostos a compartilhar o que tinham entre si.

O Espírito Santo continua a unir os grupos de pessoas. Talvez, nem sempre nos entendamos bem, nem entendamos de imediato uns aos outros. Mas, como cristãos, pertencemos um ao outro.

Por:  Linda Washington

Refletir & Orar

Jesus, obrigado por morreres por nós e nos unir como um só povo na Tua Igreja.

O Espírito Santo transforma “nós”e “eles” em “um só Corpo”.

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Maira, a filha de 5 anos de minha amiga Carmem, tem um jeito curioso de brincar.