The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, July 2, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, July 2, 2020

Psalm 145:8-14; Zechariah 1:1-6; Romans 7:1-6

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 145:8-14

God is full of compassion

8  The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
     slow to anger and rich in love.

9  The Lord is good to all;
     he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, Lord;
     your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
     and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
     and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
     and your dominion endures through all generations.

   The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
     and faithful in all he does.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall
     and lifts up all who are bowed down.

Zechariah 1:1-6

Israel urged to repent

1:1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:

2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?

“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

Romans 7:1-6

Dying to the law through Christ

7:1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

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, July 2, 2020
Psalm 145:8-14; Zechariah 1:1-6; Romans 7:1-6

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, July 2, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, July 2, 2020

English mystic Julian of Norwich said, “The mother’s service is nearest, readiest, and surest. It is nearest because it is more natural; readiest because it is most loving; and surest because it is truest. No one ever might or could perform this office fully, except only Jesus. We know that all our mothers bear us for pain and for death. Oh, what is that? But our true Mother Jesus, he alone bears us for joy and for endless life. So he carries us with him in love and travail.”

Lord God, time and again you provide for us with your near, ready, and sure love. Give us eyes to recognize that all goodness and joy are from your hand, that we may praise you with our lives, forever and ever. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, July 2, 2020

Jeremiah 17:9-10

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Read all of Jeremiah 17

Listen to Jeremiah 17

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 02 de julio de 2020

Todos podemos ser instrumentos

En lo que requiere diligencia, no perezosos; fervientes en espíritu, sirviendo al Señor.

— Romanos 12:11 (RV-60)

Para ser un buen instrumento, solo debemos tener el deseo de ser útiles en las manos de Dios y estar siempre con un corazón dispuesto al servicio. Si lo analizamos, vemos que podemos ser instrumentos de diversas maneras: Como voluntarios en alguna organización o en la iglesia, donde quizá lo podamos desempeñar en uno de los departamentos de servicio al necesitado.

Ahora bien, si tu llamado es más específico como el de ser líder o pastor, sabemos que Dios capacita al que llama y de inmediato te darás cuenta de eso. También en tu trabajo puedes servir siendo un instrumento del amor de Dios y reflejando a Jesucristo.

Por último, tal vez tu don sea como músico, cantante o compositor que, con sus talentos, nos ministran en la vida y son una bendición.

En general, la gran misión de cada uno de nosotros es amar al prójimo, pues así somos instrumentos útiles al servicio del Señor.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Para ser un buen instrumento, solo debemos tener el deseo de ser útiles en las manos de Dios y estar siempre con un corazón dispuesto al servicio.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, July 2, 2020

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

— Hebrews 4:16

Ages ago the prophet Jonah saw it happen. The population of the city of Nineveh (in the north of present-day Iraq) repented from sin. A radical change came because he preached and God’s Spirit worked. Almost on the same spot in the city of Mosul (modern Nineveh), the climate has changed too.

After 2003, Mosul became a city with increasing violence. Car bombs, attacks, and all kinds of violence are normal in this old city. Civilians of whatever religion and police and soldiers have been targeted. At the beginning of 2010, there was a significant increase in violent attacks on Christians. In the month of February that year, eight were killed in just ten days. This all caused an exodus of Christians.

“Thousands of Christians have left our city…and that hurts,” shares twenty-one-year-old Dawud. “I saw a lot of my friends leaving too,” the young Iraqi adds. His family has been Christian for generations, as is the case with many Iraqi Christians.

Open Doors worker, Daniel, says that as far as he knows the number of Christians dramatically dropped in the second biggest city of the country. Before the fall of Saddam Hussein, the number in Mosul was estimated at two hundred thousand of the one and a half million inhabitants. “We believe the number is now far less than one hundred thousand, many of them not living in the city itself but in Christian villages around.”

“We started some years ago to pray for our city,” Dawud continues. “It started small with just our family, but soon there were more believers coming to the prayer meetings. Now we pray weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays from five till seven in the afternoon. Some fifty Christians in our city regularly participate,” he says. “Because of our prayer, the city started to change. The situation is different now. What I see now is that my generation doesn’t want to leave, we want to stay. This is God’s place for me. I’ll stay; I will never leave. And if I will be killed, I will be killed.”

“But,” he goes on, “the situation is much better now. We can go out as youth again, even in the evenings. We can go to our meetings without being afraid, we don’t feel insecure anymore.” His father, the pastor of one of the churches in Mosul, confirms that the climate in the city improved after they started praying as a church. With a smile on his face, he adds, “We even saw Muslims becoming followers of Jesus.”

RESPONSE: Today I will rejoice in the ability I have to take every issue I face to the Lord and trust Him for the answer.

PRAYER: Remember brothers and sisters who live in violent societies. Pray that fear will not drive them to leave.

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, July 2, 2020

Kill the Messenger

Exodus 6:1–13

Recommended Reading: John 15:1–4; Acts 2:1–47; 1 Corinthians 15:10

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three of the most dangerous occupations in the United States are those of a logger, an airline pilot, and a fisherman.

Of course, a logger deals with the tremendous weight and unpredictable nature of falling trees. A pilot faces the danger of working tens of thousands of feet above the ground. And a commercial fisherman constantly runs the risk of drowning.

In the ancient world the job of messenger might have topped this list. Like most people, ancient rulers hated getting bad news. However, unlike most other people, they had the power to do something about it, and they did—by executing the person who delivered the news! When the Roman emperor Tiberius received an astrological prediction he didn’t like, he hurled the messenger off a cliff.

So who can blame Moses for being reluctant to deliver the news to Pharaoh that the Israelites, his slave laborers, were hitting the road? God gave Moses an assignment no one would envy. And like most unenthusiastic recruits, Moses tried to talk his way out of the job. He pointed out that Pharaoh probably wouldn’t listen to him. And Moses reminded God that public speaking wasn’t his forte.

Moses didn’t realize that the success of his mission didn’t depend on his skills; it depended on his faithfulness. God could have sent anyone to deliver the message to Pharaoh—even one of Moses’ sheep. But God picked Moses instead. And he gave Moses the strength and skills he needed to complete the assignment.

That’s important to remember when it comes to the things God calls us to do. Just as it was for Moses, it’s easy for us to reason and argue with God. “But God, I don’t have the skills to be a leader at church.” Or, “God, why don’t you send someone else? No one will listen to what I have to say.”

Yet what we see as our own weaknesses shouldn’t stop us from carrying out our God-given assignments, because with our marching orders come God’s strength and assistance. Remember, the success of our mission doesn’t depend on our skills. It depends on our faithfulness.

To Take Away

• What can you do to increase your trust in God’s strength?
• When have you stepped out in faith even though you didn’t feel prepared for an assignment from God?
• Do you feel God leading you to do something for which you feel you’re not qualified? Pray about it today and ask for God’s empowerment and courage in your life.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three of the most dangerous occupations in the United States are those of a…

LHM Daily Devotions - July 2, 2020 - "A Welcome Yoke"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"A Welcome Yoke"

July 2, 2020

At that time Jesus declared, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

— Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus cuts to the chase here. Though He had devoted followers who faithfully hung on His every word, He was constantly meeting others who were spiritually blind, or worse—openly antagonistic to Him and His message.

For instance, before He spoke the words above, He told the crowds following Him that they are like dim-witted youngsters, not knowing what to think about the things before their very eyes. They didn't understand John the Baptist and labeled him demon possessed; they didn't get Jesus and called Him a glutton and a drunk (see Matthew 11:16-19). And for the cities where He did some of His mightiest works—Chorazin, Bethsaida, and especially Capernaum—He had words of fire for their stone-hearted ignorance: "But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the land of Sodom than for you" (Matthew 11:24).

And then ... a respite from His harsh rebuke: "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will." Again, Jesus gets right to the point. He's not interested in all the things we have to offer; instead, He's looking for our surrender. Rather than approach God with all the answers, we should come to Him empty-handed. We should desire everything He has to offer—like a beggar would—or a child.

But how hard this can be! Like the "wise and understanding" scribes and Pharisees, we too can overestimate ourselves, thinking we bring something to the table—as if we possess some asset God can't do without. We forget we have nothing to offer—that even our best is little more than filthy rags before Him. "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away" (Isaiah 64:6).

But even with all our failings, God is not done with us. He loves us and wants to make us new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). May we all remain as children before our Father, trusting His Son for the salvation He has won for us on the cross—and sealed by His resurrection from the dead.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach us to hear the words of Jesus and follow Him closely. In His Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever acted like a scribe or a Pharisee toward God?

2. What does learning from Jesus and taking His yoke mean to you?

3. Are there times when your head (ego, intellect) gets in the way of your faith? Do you do anything in particular to keep your faith in God simple and childlike?

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).
Have you ever acted like a scribe or a Pharisee toward God?

Devocional CPTLN del 02 de julio de 2020 - Un yugo bienvenido

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Un yugo bienvenido

02 de Julio de 2020

En ese momento, Jesús dijo: «Te alabo, Padre, Señor del cielo y de la tierra, porque estas cosas las escondiste de los sabios y de los entendidos, y las revelaste a los niños. Sí, Padre, porque así te agradó. El Padre me ha entregado todas las cosas, y nadie conoce al Hijo, sino el Padre, ni nadie conoce al Padre, sino el Hijo, y aquel a quien el Hijo lo quiera revelar. Vengan a mí todos ustedes, los agotados de tanto trabajar, que yo los haré descansar. Lleven mi yugo sobre ustedes, y aprendan de mí, que soy manso y humilde de corazón, y hallarán descanso para su alma; 30 porque mi yugo es fácil, y mi carga es liviana.»

— Mateo 11:25-30

¡Jesús no se anda con vueltas! Aunque tenía seguidores devotos que confiaban fielmente en cada una de sus palabras, constantemente se encontraba con otros que estaban espiritualmente ciegos, o peor, abiertamente antagónicos a él y a su mensaje.

Por ejemplo, antes de decir las palabras del texto para hoy, les dijo a las multitudes que lo seguían que eran como niños tontos, que no saben qué pensar de las cosas que ven. No entendieron a Juan el Bautista y lo etiquetaron como poseído por un demonio; no comprendieron a Jesús y lo llamaron glotón y borracho (ver Mateo 11:16-19). Y para las ciudades donde realizó algunas de sus obras más poderosas: Corazín, Betsaida y especialmente Capernaúm, tuvo palabras de fuego por la ignorancia de su corazón de piedra: "Por tanto les digo que, en el día del juicio, el castigo para Sodoma será más tolerable que para ti" (Mateo 11:24).

Y luego da un respiro de su dura reprimenda: "Te alabo, Padre, Señor del cielo y de la tierra, porque estas cosas las escondiste de los sabios y de los entendidos, y las revelaste a los niños" (Mateo 11:25). Nuevamente Jesús va directo al grano. No le interesan las cosas que tenemos para ofrecer; él solo quiere nuestra rendición. En lugar de acercarnos a Dios con todas las respuestas debemos acudir a Él con las manos vacías, deseando todo lo que Él tiene para ofrecer, así como lo haría un mendigo o un niño.

¡Pero qué difícil puede ser esto! Al igual que los escribas y fariseos "sabios y comprensivos", nosotros también podemos sobrestimarnos, pensando poseemos algún bien del cual Dios no puede prescindir, olvidando que hasta nuestro mejor esfuerzo es poco más que trapos sucios delante de Él. "Todos nosotros estamos llenos de impureza; todos nuestros actos de justicia son como un trapo lleno de inmundicia. Todos nosotros somos como hojas caídas; ¡nuestras maldades nos arrastran como el viento!" (Isaías 64:6).

Sin embargo, a pesar de todas nuestras fallas, Dios no ha terminado con nosotros. Él nos ama y quiere hacernos nuevos (ver 2 Corintios 5:17) para que permanezcamos como hijos ante nuestro Padre, confiando en su Hijo para la salvación que nos ha ganado en la cruz.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, enséñanos a escuchar las palabras de Jesús y a seguirlo de cerca. En su nombre oramos. Amén.

Paul Schreiber

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué significa para ti aprender de Jesús y tomar su yugo?

* ¿En qué momentos tu ego o intelecto se interponen en tu camino de fe? ¿Qué puedes hacer para que tu fe sea simple como la de un niño?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué significa para ti aprender de Jesús y tomar su yugo?

Хлеб наш насущный - Говорящие бананы

Говорящие бананы

Читать сейчас: Деяния 11:19-26 | Библия за год: Иов 22-24; Деяния 11

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[Варнава] убеждал всех держаться Господа искренним сердцем.

— Деяния 11:23

Никогда не сдавайся! Будь причиной чьей-то улыбки! Ты чудесен! Неважно, откуда ты пришел; важно, куда ты идешь! Школьники в Вирджинии-Бич находили эти и похожие на них тексты на бананах у себя в столовой. Менеджер Стейси Трумэн, жертвуя собственным временем, писала ободряющие записки на фруктах, которые дети назвали «говорящие бананы».

Это проявление заботы напоминает мне отношение Варнавы к новообращенным в древней Антиохии (Деян. 11:22- 24). Варнава был известен своей способностью вдохновлять. Человек с добрым сердцем, исполненный веры и Святого Духа, он убеждал уверовавших «держаться Господа искренним сердцем» (ст. 23). Я представляю, как он проводил время с теми, кому хотел помочь, говоря примерно так: «Продолжайте молиться. Доверьтесь Господу. В трудное время будьте ближе к Богу». 

Новообращенные, словно маленькие дети, часто нуждаются в поддержке и ободрении. У них большой потенциал, но они только начинают его раскрывать. Возможно, они не вполне осознают, что Бог хочет сделать в них и через них. К тому же враг всячески пытается угасить в них веру.

Те из нас, кто идет за Христом уже долгое время, понимают, какой трудной бывает жизнь для Него. Пусть Господь сделает нас способными принимать и оказывать поддержку. И пусть Божий Дух направит нас и напомнит об этой духовной истине.

Как Бог поддерживал вас в прошлом? Как Он хочет действовать через вас, чтобы вдохновить кого-то еще?

Небесный Отец, пошли мне сегодня того, кого я смогу поддержать. Покажи мне, что нужно сказать и какую оказать помощь, чтобы прославить Тебя.

автор: Дженифер Бенсон Шульдт

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Школьники в Вирджинии-Бич находили эти и похожие на них тексты на бананах у себя в столовой: