The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, July 10, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, July 10, 2020

Psalm 119:105-112; Deuteronomy 32:1-10; Romans 15:14-21

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 119:105-112

Your word is a lamp to my feet

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
       a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
       that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much;
       preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
       and teach me your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
       I will not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
       but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
       they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees
       to the very end.

Deuteronomy 32:1-10

Jacob personification of Israel

1  Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
     hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
2  Let my teaching fall like rain
     and my words descend like dew,
   like showers on new grass,
     like abundant rain on tender plants.

3  I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
     Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4  He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
     and all his ways are just.
   A faithful God who does no wrong,
     upright and just is he.

5  They are corrupt and not his children;
     to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
6  Is this the way you repay the Lord,
     you foolish and unwise people?
   Is he not your Father, your Creator,
     who made you and formed you?

7  Remember the days of old;
     consider the generations long past.
   Ask your father and he will tell you,
     your elders, and they will explain to you.
8  When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
     when he divided all mankind,
   he set up boundaries for the peoples
     according to the number of the sons of Israel.
9  For the Lord’s portion is his people,
     Jacob his allotted inheritance.

10 In a desert land he found him,
     in a barren and howling waste.
   He shielded him and cared for him;
     he guarded him as the apple of his eye.

Romans 15:14-21

Sanctified by the Holy Spirit

15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:

   “Those who were not told about him will see,
     and those who have not heard will understand.”

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 FRIDAY, July 10, 2020
Psalm 119:105-112; Deuteronomy 32:1-10; Romans 15:14-21

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, July 10, 2020

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, July 10, 2020

Toyohiko Kagawa (1888—1960)

Toyohiko Kagawa was a Japanese pacifist, Christian reformer, evangelist, and labor activist. He wrote, spoke, and worked at length on ways to employ Christian principles in the ordering of society. His vocation to help the poor led him to live among them, and he established schools, hospitals, and churches. He was also an innovator and a critical thinker, in everything from economics and theology to cutting-edge gardening techniques. One of his great lines is, “I read in a book that a man called Christ went about doing good. It is very disconcerting to me that I am so easily satisfied with just going about.”

John Wesley, an eighteenth-century British evangelist and church reformer, said, “I believe the merciful God regards the lives and tempers of men more than their ideas. I believe he respects the goodness of the heart, rather than the clearness of the head.”

Lord God, thank you that we are unable to save ourselves and that each time we try, we fail. Have mercy on us. Be the strength in our weakness. Clear our heads of the foolishness of believing we can be our own gods. Steer our hearts to utter dependence on you. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, July 10, 2020

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Read all of Philippians 1

Listen to Philippians 1

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 - Viernes 10 de julio de 2020

Semana de pacto con Dios: La lengua

La lengua es un miembro muy pequeño del cuerpo, pero hace alarde de grandes hazañas. ¡Imagínense qué gran bosque se incendia con tan pequeña chispa!

— Santiago 3:5

Dicen los que saben que la lengua es uno de los órganos más pequeños del cuerpo. Con la lengua también se hace referencia al sistema de comunicación o idioma de una comunidad. Este órgano posee las glándulas gustativas que nos ayudan a disfrutar los alimentos. Sin embargo, la lengua también se menciona en la Biblia como una advertencia que nos ha dejado Dios para que la usemos bien, ya que puede causar mucho daño, como es en el caso de la murmuración. Dios califica la murmuración o chisme como pecado.

Con la lengua se puede destruir a una persona. Menos mal que solo nos dio una lengua. ¿Te imaginas si tuviéramos más?

Hoy, al igual que toda esta semana, estamos viendo cómo cada uno de estos miembros de nuestro cuerpo se creó con un propósito divino, pero que a veces los hombres les hemos dado un mal uso.

Del mismo modo que en los demás devocionales, aclaro que no todos usan mal la lengua.

Hay otras personas que bendicen con sus palabras y no se prestan para hablar ni hacerles daño a los demás.

Señor, hoy me comprometo a guardar mi lengua y a honrarte con ella.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy, al igual que toda esta semana, estamos viendo cómo cada uno de estos miembros de nuestro cuerpo se creó con un propósito divino, pero que a veces los hombres les hemos dado un mal uso.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, July 10, 2020

EMPTINESS AND FILLING

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

— Psalm 42:1

Ron Boyd-MacMillan writes in his epic volume, Faith That Endures:

I remember interviewing a former Muslim extremist in Egypt. He had converted to Christ in his early twenties and led a Church for Muslim converts. This is illegal in Egypt, and the fellowship was betrayed to the police. Soon this young man found himself in prison. He was tortured. An electric cattle prod was pushed into his mouth. He was whipped and hung from the ceiling with his hands tied behind his back. But all this paled into insignificance compared to what other prisoners called “the experience.” He was pushed into a stone box, a cube about five feet square. No light. No latrine. And he was left there for a month, food being passed through a grate every few days. Most prisoners went mad as a result of “the experience”—but not him.

He found Christ there, and the words he used to describe his experience are still the most brilliant description of the process of how persecution actually delivers more of God:

“In great suffering, you discover a different Jesus than you do in normal life. Normally we are able to hide from ourselves who we really are and what we are really like. The ego is well defended. But pain changes all that. Pain and suffering bring up to the surface all the weak points of your personality. You are too weak to mount the usual defenses, and you just have to gaze at what you are really like. I was a wreck in that cell. I was reduced to tears all the time. Crying, weeping, sobbing, and wailing in the never-changing utter darkness.

“I came face-to-face with how awful I really was. I saw all the horrible things I had done, all the horrible things I was. I kept seeing myself again and again. But just as I was about to collapse into complete despair and self-loathing—and probably die—an incredible realization burst into the cell like an exploding star. It was this: Jesus loved me even right then, as I sat in my own filth, weak, helpless and broken, empty, and sinful. Even in that state, He loved me, and Christ rushed in and filled me, and the filling was so great because I was so empty.”[1]

RESPONSE: Today I realize that God can use persecution to draw people closer to Himself.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord that You fill us when we are truly empty. Help me not to hide my real condition from myself and before You.

1. Ron Boyd-MacMillan, Faith That Endures (Grand Rapids: Fleming Revell, 2006), p. 319-320.

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

Men of the Bible - Friday, July 10, 2020

Hezekiah

His name means: "Yahweh Has Strengthened"

His work: He became coregent of Judah with his father, Ahaz, in 729 BC, six years before the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians. He reigned on his own for twenty-nine years, during which time he reopened the temple and restored Jerusalem as the center of worship, destroying the pagan altars and high places his father had built.
His character: Hezekiah is one of only four kings that the Bible compares favorably with King David, saying, "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah…. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook."
His sorrow: That Judah and Israel had fallen away from the Lord, worshiping the gods of the nations around them.
His triumph: Hezekiah reformed the religious practices of Judah and with the Lord's help withstood the Assyrian invaders.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 28:19-25; 29:1-10

A Look at the Man

Hezekiah's character stands in sharp contrast to the character of the other two kings who appear in the story. His father, Ahaz, trusted not in the God of Israel, but in the gods of other nations, particularly Assyria, believing them to be the source of its great power. By currying favor with idols, he must have hoped to increase his own power. But the reverse happened, and Judah grew weaker, not stronger.

Sennacherib was like him, trusting the power of his empire and then attempting to undermine Judah's trust in God. Three times his spokesman advised the people, "Don't trust Hezekiah when he tells you your god will save you. It's a fantasy! Your god is no different than the gods of all the other nations, none of whom have been able to resist us." Then, to entice them further, he promised to take them to a land of ease, a place with olive trees and honey, admonishing them to "choose life and not death."

It's no accident that Sennacherib's words directly contradict the counsel of Moses just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, a land filled with milk and honey. At the end of his ministry, Moses warned them: "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

By attempting to persuade the people of Judah that everything good in life comes from trusting in the power of human beings, Sennacherib urged them toward the path of least resistance. Fortunately for Judah, Hezekiah recognized the lie and continued to trust in the Lord, thus inviting God's help and assuring Judah's survival.

Though the details of our stories differ vastly from the story of this ancient king, the principles are identical. We are still assailed by voices assuring us that the good life consists of amassing wealth, accumulating personal power, achieving success, and forging the kind of relationships we desire. But to mistake earthly blessings for the life that only God can give is to place our future in jeopardy. The choice is ours to make—today, tomorrow, and the day after that. The joy we seek lies in loving the Lord our God, listening to his voice, and holding fast to him.

Reflect On: 2 Kings 19:15–28
Praise God: Because he is the Lord of heaven and earth.
Offer Thanks: That no human being can ever overrule his sovereign power.
Confess: Any unbelief that makes you doubt God’s willingness to exercise his power on your behalf.
Ask God: To give you a greater desire to live for his glory and his glory alone.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Hezekiah is one of only four kings that the Bible compares favorably with King David.

LHM Daily Devotions - July 10, 2020 - "Steady Love Through Life's Tremors"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Steady Love Through Life's Tremors"

July 10, 2020

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

— Lamentations 3:22-23

Many people live quietly in desperation—unhappy with their lives, fearful of the future, and yet certain there has to be more to life than what they're experiencing. Even more people have occasional periods of deep depression, where life seems to lose its savor, and it's hard to do even daily tasks.

These periods of depression are not uncommon even for Christians, and they do not automatically signal the loss of one's faith. Some people think Christianity is supposed to quickly solve all our problems. To admit, then, to being downcast or fearful or troubled would be showing great weakness or sin, or so some would think.

This is not so, however. Even mighty figures in Scripture battled depression and despair. Read about Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when he wanted to sit down and die because of loneliness and dismay with his ministry. Listen to the writers of Psalms 6, 38, 88, 102, and elsewhere. They were terribly downcast and speak of their questionings, even to God. Think, too, of the apostle Paul who admits his weaknesses and distresses in 2 Corinthians 11.

We are saints through Jesus Christ, but we are also sinners in a sinful world. The way out of depression and doubt opens up for us only when we admit our weakness and despair—as the biblical writers did. We'll never conquer life's depressions by denying that we have them.

Remember the God you have and the beautiful promises He makes to you. The whole Bible trumpets the fact that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. God reached down into this damaged world for the very purpose of lifting up broken and downcast people. Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead for our future benefit in heaven; He also did it so we might have hope now in this world.

Consider passages like 1 Peter 1:3-5 which speak of the living hope that God has for your future and mine in union with Christ. If God is so confident about us, can we not also press on in faith, no matter how desperate life seems at the moment?

It was this remembering of the love and mighty deeds of God that helped David in his worst times (see Psalms 13:5-6; 25:15-21). Meditating and resting on the promises of God in Christ can be another step out of depression and anguish.

Also remember that you don't have to deal with your problems alone. Jesus promises, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), and He is faithful to His promises.

This is our greatest hope—to entrust our lives to the One who gave His for us, so that we may live in victory over this world. In this, Jeremiah (another biblical figure who endured great hardship) reminds us that God is near—especially in times of trouble: "I called on Your Name, O LORD ... You came near when I called on You; You said, 'Do not fear!'" (Lamentations 3:55a, 57).

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us when we're full of worries and slipping in our faith to call on You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you battle bouts of depression and low feelings?

2. How can it be said that God's mercies are new every morning?

3. Have you ever helped someone who was greatly depressed work through their problems?

From The Lutheran Layman, February 1978 issue, "Depression: A Prescription for You" by Rev. Jim Barton. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you battle bouts of depression and low feelings?

Devocional CPTLN del 10 de julio de 2020 - Amor constante ante los temblores de la vida

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Amor constante ante los temblores de la vida

10 de Julio de 2020

Por la misericordia del Señor no hemos sido consumidos; ¡nunca su misericordia se ha agotado! ¡Grande es su fidelidad, y cada mañana se renueva!

— Lamentaciones 2:22-23

Muchas personas viven en silencio, desesperadas, infelices con sus vidas, con ocasionales períodos de depresión, temerosas del futuro y, sin embargo, seguras de que tiene que haber más en la vida de lo que están experimentando.

Los cristianos también podemos sufrir de depresión, y ello no indica automáticamente la pérdida de la fe. Sin embargo, algunos piensan que la fe debe resolver todos nuestros problemas por lo que, el admitir estar abatido, temeroso o con problemas, sería mostrar una gran debilidad o falta de fe.

Pero no es así. En las Escrituras vemos a personas poderosas luchar contra la depresión y la desesperación. En 1 Reyes 19 se nos narra cuando el profeta Elías quería dejarse morir a causa de la soledad y la consternación con su ministerio. Los escritores de los Salmos 6, 38, 88, 102 estaban terriblemente abatidos y planteaban sus cuestionamientos a Dios. Y hasta el apóstol Pablo admite sus debilidades y angustias en 2 Corintios 11.

Somos santos por medio de Jesucristo, pero también somos pecadores viviendo en un mundo pecaminoso. El camino para salir de la depresión y la duda se abre para nosotros solo cuando admitimos nuestra debilidad y desesperación, como lo hicieron los escritores bíblicos. Nunca venceremos las depresiones de la vida negando que las tengamos.

Recuerda al Dios que tienes y las hermosas promesas que te hace. Toda la Biblia anuncia el hecho de que Cristo Jesús vino al mundo para salvar a los pecadores. Dios vino a este mundo dañado con el solo propósito de restaurar personas rotas y abatidas. Cristo murió por nuestros pecados y resucitó de la muerte para nuestro beneficio futuro en el cielo. También lo hizo para que tengamos esperanza ahora, en este mundo.

Considera pasajes como 1 Pedro 1:3-5 que hablan de la esperanza viva que Dios tiene para tu futuro y el mío en unión con Cristo. Si Dios tiene tanta confianza en nosotros, ¿no podemos seguir adelante con fe, sin importar cuán desesperada parezca la vida en este momento? Fue este recuerdo del amor y las grandes obras de Dios lo que ayudó a David en sus peores momentos (ver Salmo 13:5-6; 25:15-21). Meditar y descansar en las promesas de Dios en Cristo puede ser otro paso para salir de la depresión y la angustia.

También recuerda que no tienes que lidiar solo con tus problemas. Jesús promete: "Vengan a mí todos ustedes, los agotados de tanto trabajar, que yo los haré descansar" (Mateo 11:28), y Él es fiel a sus promesas.

Esta es nuestra mayor esperanza: confiar nuestra vida a Aquel que dio la suya por nosotros, para que podamos vivir en la victoria sobre este mundo. Jeremías (otra figura bíblica que soportó grandes dificultades) nos recuerda que Dios está cerca, especialmente en tiempos de problemas: "Invoqué, Señor, tu nombre... el día que te invoqué, viniste a mí y me dijiste: «No tengas miedo.»!" (Lamentaciones 3:55a, 57).

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, ayúdanos cuando las preocupaciones nos hagan dudar de nuestra fe. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

The Lutheran Layman, febrero de 1978, Rev. Jim Barton

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Por qué podemos decir que las misericordias de Dios son nuevas cada mañana?

* ¿Alguna vez has ayudado a alguien que estaba muy deprimido a resolver sus problemas?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Por qué podemos decir que las misericordias de Dios son nuevas cada mañana?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Không Lợi Dụng

Không Lợi Dụng

Đọc: Công Vụ 16:22–34 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Gióp 41–42; Công Vụ 16:22–40

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Chớ làm hại mình! Chúng tôi đều còn cả đây!

— Công Vụ 16:28

Một số tù nhân đang thu gom rác bên đường để giảm án tù thì James, người giám sát của họ ngã quỵ. Họ vội vã tới giúp và nhận ra anh cần được cấp cứu. Một tù nhân mượn điện thoại của James để gọi giúp đỡ. Bộ phận cảnh sát trưởng sau đó cảm ơn các tù nhân vì đã giúp giám sát viên của họ nhanh chóng được chữa trị, đặc biệt khi họ có thể bỏ mặc anh trước mối nguy hại lớn vì bị đột quỵ – hoặc lợi dụng tình huống này để trốn thoát.

Hành động tử tế của các tù nhân cũng giống như Phao-lô và Si-la khi bị cầm tù. Sau khi họ bị lột trần, bị đánh đập và bỏ tù, một trận động đất dữ dội đã xảy ra đến nỗi xiềng của họ rớt ra và các cửa mở tung (Cv. 16:23-26). Khi tỉnh lại, viên cai ngục nghĩ rằng các tù nhân đã bỏ trốn, vì vậy ông định tự sát (lĩnh trước hình phạt vì để tù nhân trốn thoát). Khi Phao-lô kêu lớn: “Chúng tôi đều còn cả đây!” (c.28) viên cai ngục đã rất xúc động bởi hành động lạ thường của những tù nhân – đến nỗi ông tò mò về Đức Chúa Trời mà họ thờ phượng, cuối cùng ông đã tin nhận Ngài (c.29, 34).

Cách chúng ta đối xử với người khác bày tỏ những gì mình tin và coi trọng. Khi chọn làm điều tốt thay vì gây tổn hại, hành động của chúng ta sẽ khiến họ thắc mắc về Chúa mà chúng ta biết và yêu mến.

Bạn từng không lợi dụng để đạt được lợi ích riêng trong tình huống nào? Quyết định đó có ích cho người khác ra sao?

Lạy Chúa kính yêu, xin giúp con đưa ra những lựa chọn khiến người khác muốn biết về Ngài.

bởi Kirsten Holmberg

Chú Giải

Câu chuyện của người cai ngục trong Công Vụ 16:19-34 thật thú vị. Người này có thể là một nô lệ được giao nhiệm vụ canh gác nhà tù. Theo luật pháp La Mã, người cai ngục nào để tù nhân trốn thoát thì phải chịu xử tử (xem 12:19). Rõ ràng là thà tự tử còn hơn bị tử hình. Nhưng Phao-lô đã kịp ngăn cản người cai ngục (16:28). Do đó, người cai ngục hỏi Phao-lô làm thế nào để ông có thể được cứu. Ông và người nhà của mình đã đặt niềm tin nơi Chúa để nhận được sự cứu rỗi và họ đã chịu báp-têm (c.31-34).

Julie Schwab

© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Một số tù nhân đang thu gom rác bên đường để giảm án tù thì James, người giám sát của họ ngã quỵ.