The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, June 23, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, June 23, 2020

Psalm 6; Jeremiah 26:1-12; Revelation 2:8-11

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 6

Prayer for deliverance

1  Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
     or discipline me in your wrath.
2  Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
     heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3  My soul is in deep anguish.
     How long, Lord, how long?

4  Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
     save me because of your unfailing love.
5  Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
     Who praises you from the grave?

6  I am worn out from my groaning.

   All night long I flood my bed with weeping
     and drench my couch with tears.
7  My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
     they fail because of all my foes.

8  Away from me, all you who do evil,
     for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9  The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
     the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
     they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Jeremiah 26:1-12

Prophesy against Jerusalem

26:1 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. 4 Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.’”

7 The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord. 8 But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, “You must die! 9 Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?” And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

10 When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”

12 Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard.

Revelation 2:8-11

The faithful receive the crown of life

2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

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, June 23, 2020
Psalm 6; Jeremiah 26:1-12; Revelation 2:8-11

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, June 23, 2020

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, June 23, 2020

Sixteenth-century mystic Teresa of Avila said, “Prayer, in my view, is nothing but friendly intercourse and frequent solitary converse with him who we know loves us.”

Lord, you spoke all things into being and call us each to speak your truth in our corner of the world. Save us from ourselves and grant us holy confidence to speak aloud as we have been spoken to. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, June 23, 2020

Isaiah 40:31

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Read all of Isaiah 40

Listen to Isaiah 40

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 23 de junio de 2020

La libertad está en Cristo

El Espíritu del Señor omnipotente está sobre mí, por cuanto me ha ungido para anunciar buenas nuevas [...] y libertad a los prisioneros.

— Isaías 61:1 (NVI)

No te aflijas tú que estás en la cárcel. No te lastimes más con tu culpabilidad. No te atormentes pensando en lo que no fue.

Has recorrido un camino lleno de espinas y hoy te ves allí lleno de heridas. Te sientes solo en esa fría celda y, en muchos casos, ni siquiera puedes caminar con libertad dentro de la cárcel porque no solo arrastras tus culpas, sino el peso de unas cadenas.

Sin embargo, algo maravilloso te ha sucedido en medio de este tiempo de cautiverio… has conocido a Dios. Así que, mírate. ¡Ya no eres la misma persona! Vistes un uniforme, pero tienes nuevas vestiduras que te ha dado Dios. Ya tu tiempo lo aprovechas para buscar más de Él. Lees la Biblia y escuchas en la radio programas donde se habla del amor de Dios. Por lo tanto, aunque estás en la cárcel, eres más libre y feliz que muchos que estando libres tienen sus vidas atadas y están presos en los vicios.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
No te aflijas tú que estás en la cárcel.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, June 23, 2020

STRENGTH FROM THE BIBLE

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

— Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

In Eritrea, the government restricts the freedom of religion of faith groups. The only groupings permitted are the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Islam. Everyone who is caught at a meeting of believers outside these four official religious groups, even in a private house, can be arrested, tortured, and put under pressure to renounce his faith.

Thousands of Christians are being held at police stations, in containers, at military bases, and in prisons. Even though many of them have been held for years, none of them has had a trial. In many cases, Christians are also beaten or abused in some other way.

Isaac is one of these prisoners. He heard about God’s love from soldiers in the military unit in which he was fighting during the war with Ethiopia. On the basis of their testimony, he decided to become a Christian and was secretly slipped a Bible. He buried it in the sand and when he had the opportunity, he read the Word of God somewhere outside the army camp. He tried to do so as inconspicuously as possible, but one day he was discovered.

Almost from his first day as a Christian, he was persecuted. He was tortured and even left out in the burning sun, but he refused to renounce his faith. God’s love and God’s Word had become too important for him. In the end, he was locked up, just like other Christian prisoners in Eritrea. He has become a living legend because he has held on to his faith.

A number of Christian prisoners, who are being held in containers, have been given Bibles in secret. They have divided them into portions, and in this way, each believer has a small part of the Bible. When the container is closed, it is too dark to read. But as soon as the doors are opened to let in some air or to hand out food, something amazing happens. The prisoners do not immediately run outside for fresh air or to eat. First, they inconspicuously hold their portions of the Bible to the light in order quickly to be able to read a few verses and to be strengthened by God’s Word.

RESPONSE: Today I will treasure my freedom to read and meditate on God’s Word.

PRAYER: Lord, I pray Your Spirit of Peace upon my brothers and sisters in prison today in Eritrea. May they be encouraged by Your Word!

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 - June 23, 2020 - "Gloom and Doom"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Gloom and Doom"

June 23, 2020

Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet."

— Jeremiah 28:5-9 (ESV)

This passage from Jeremiah always makes me laugh. Just to give you a little context—as a prophet of the Lord, Jeremiah has been warning the people about their wickedness, and he has told them that things are only going to get worse in their country if they don't repent. The king of Babylon has already taken away a lot of people, their king, and some of the furnishings of the temple. And he's going to do worse than that, in the near future.

But there's this other man who also claims to be a true prophet. And he is telling everyone, "No, it isn't going to happen. God will bring all those people and things back home really soon, and we will have peace and everything will be hunky-dory."

Jeremiah can't stand it. He even gets a little sarcastic. "Amen!" he says. "I hope the Lord does exactly what you said! But you should remember one thing: in the past, all the real prophets foretold terrible things, like war and famine and sickness. So when a prophet, like you, shows up and foretells peace—well, we're just going to have to wait and see if what you say comes true. Then we will know if the Lord sent you. Because I really don't think so!"

Of course, we know the end of the story. The other prophet was a liar, and what he said did not come true. And when we look at human history, it's still true that only the crooks make promises about an easy life. All those advertisements about doubling your money, losing 50 pounds, or curing cancer—well, they turn out to be lies. Life is harder than that.

That's not to say that good things never happen. God has promised us forgiveness, joy, and everlasting life. What could be better than that?

And yet, all those things come with a heavy price. Oh, not to us, although we will certainly have some suffering along the way. But the real price was paid by the Lord Himself. To give us all those good things, God Himself became a human being and walked the long, hard road to Calvary. He joined in our suffering—no, better than that!—He took our suffering upon Himself, and set us free. He took our place and died our death. And He rose from the dead to share His victory and everlasting life with us, the people He loves.

So yes, life is hard, as we all know, and there are no easy answers. But there is One who has overcome all trouble and evil for us—our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE PRAYER: Lord, when I have trouble, help me to trust in You and not in liars. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What is one area of life where you wish there was an easy answer?

2. Have you ever been cheated by someone promising you more than they could deliver?

3. Jesus will never lie to you. Why is this comforting?

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 one area of life where you wish there was an easy answer?

Devocional CPTLN del 23 de junio de 2020 - Penumbra y perdición

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Penumbra y perdición

23 de Junio de 2020

El profeta Jeremías le respondió al profeta Jananías, también delante de los sacerdotes y de todo el pueblo que estaba reunido en la casa del Señor. Le dijo: «Así sea. Que así lo haga el Señor y confirme tu profecía, de que los utensilios de la casa del Señor, y todos los que fueron llevados a Babilonia, volverán a este lugar. Sin embargo, escucha lo que voy a decirte, a ti en primer lugar, y también a todo el pueblo: Los profetas que nos antecedieron a ti y a mí, anunciaron guerras, aflicción y peste contra muchos países y contra grandes reinos. Si el profeta anuncia paz, y sus palabras se cumplen, entonces se le reconoce como un profeta verdadero, enviado por el Señor.»

— Jeremías 28:5-9 (RVC)

Este pasaje de Jeremías me causa gracia. Veamos el contexto: como profeta del Señor, Jeremías había estado advirtiendo a la gente acerca de su maldad, diciéndoles que las cosas solo empeorarán si no se arrepentían. El rey de Babilonia ya se había llevado a muchos hebreos, a su rey y algunos de los muebles del templo. Y lo que les espera es aún peor.

Pero hay otro hombre, que también dice ser un verdadero profeta, que les dice: "No, no va a suceder. Dios va a traer a todas esas personas y cosas de regreso a casa muy pronto y tendremos paz y todo va a estar bien".

Jeremías no lo soporta. Incluso se pone un poco sarcástico, y le dice: '¡Amén! ¡Espero que el Señor haga exactamente lo que dijiste! Pero debes recordar una cosa: en el pasado, todos los verdaderos profetas predijeron cosas terribles como guerra, hambre y enfermedad. Entonces, cuando aparece un profeta como tú y predice paz, bueno, solo tendremos que esperar y ver si lo que dices se hace realidad. Entonces sabremos si el Señor te envió. ¡Porque realmente no lo creo!'

Por supuesto que sabemos el final de la historia. El otro profeta era un mentiroso, y lo que dijo no se hizo realidad. Y cuando miramos la historia humana, vemos que solo los delincuentes prometen una vida fácil. Todos esos anuncios sobre duplicar tu dinero, perder 50 libras o curar el cáncer, bueno, resultan ser mentiras. La vida es más dura que eso.

Eso no quiere decir que las cosas buenas nunca sucedan. Dios nos ha prometido perdón, alegría y vida eterna. ¿Qué podría ser mejor que eso?

Pero todas esas cosas tienen un precio muy alto. Oh, no para nosotros, aunque sin duda tendremos algo de sufrimiento en el camino. Pero el precio real fue pagado por el mismo Señor. Para darnos todas esas cosas buenas, Dios mismo se convirtió en un ser humano y caminó por el largo y duro camino hacia el Calvario. Él se unió a nuestro sufrimiento. No, mejor que eso: Él tomó nuestro sufrimiento sobre sí mismo y nos liberó. Él tomó nuestro lugar y murió nuestra muerte, y luego resucitó de los muertos para compartir su victoria y vida eterna con nosotros, aquellos a quienes ama.

Es cierto que la vida es difícil, como todos sabemos, y que no hay respuestas fáciles. Pero hay Uno que ha superado todos los problemas y males por nosotros: nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

ORACIÓN: Señor, cuando tengo problemas, ayúdame a confiar solo en ti. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Alguna vez te ha engañado alguien que te promete más de lo que podría cumplir?

* ¿De qué manera te reconforta saber que Jesús nunca te va a mentir?

© 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 te ha engañado alguien que te promete más de lo que podría cumplir?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Subestimándonos

Subestimándonos

La escritura de hoy: 1 Samuel 15:10-18
La Biblia en un año: Ester 9–10; Hechos 7:1-21

Aunque eras insignificante ante tus propios ojos […]. ¿No te ha ungido el Señor como rey sobre Israel?

— 1 Samuel 15:17 (rva2015)

El joven se convirtió en capitán de su equipo. La escuadra deportiva profesional estaba ahora liderada por un chico con modales delicados que apenas si necesitaba afeitarse. Su primera conferencia de prensa fue decepcionante, remitiéndose al entrenador y a sus compañeros del equipo, y repitiendo clichés sobre tratar de hacer su trabajo. Esa temporada les fue mal, y al terminar, el joven capitán había sido cambiado. No entendió que le habían dado la autoridad para liderar, o tal vez nunca creyó que podía hacerlo.

Debido a sus fracasos, Saúl era «insignificante ante [sus] propios ojos» (1 Samuel 15:17), lo cual suena cómico para alguien descrito como alto. Literalmente, sus hombros y cabeza sobresalían del resto (9:2). Sin embargo, él no se veía así. Incluso sus acciones mostraban que trataba de ganar la aprobación de la gente. No había entendido que Dios —no la gente— lo había elegido y le había encomendado una misión.

Pero el error de Saúl es un cuadro del fracaso de todo ser humano: no entender que fuimos hechos a la imagen de Dios para reflejar su soberanía, y terminar usando nuestra autoridad mal y para destrucción. Para revertir esto, debemos volvernos a Dios para que Él nos defina, no llene de su Espíritu y nos envíe al mundo.

De:  Administrador del sitio

Reflexiona y ora

Padre, ayúdame a verme como tú me ves y cumplir la tarea que me has encomendado.

¿Qué tarea te ha asignado Dios que te consideras incapaz de hacer? ¿Por qué es vital que bases tu identidad en las verdades de Dios?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
La escuadra deportiva profesional estaba ahora liderada por un chico con modales delicados que apenas si necesitaba afeitarse.