The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020

Psalm 142; Obadiah 15-21; Matthew 13:10-17

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 142

God my refuge and portion

1  I cry aloud to the Lord;
     I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
2  I pour out before him my complaint;
     before him I tell my trouble.

3  When my spirit grows faint within me,
     it is you who watch over my way.
   In the path where I walk
     people have hidden a snare for me.
4  Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
     no one is concerned for me.
   I have no refuge;
     no one cares for my life.

5  I cry to you, Lord;
     I say, “You are my refuge,
     my portion in the land of the living.”

6  Listen to my cry,
     for I am in desperate need;
   rescue me from those who pursue me,
     for they are too strong for me.
7  Set me free from my prison,
     that I may praise your name.
   Then the righteous will gather about me
     because of your goodness to me.

Obadiah 15-21

Israel’s triumph at Edom’s expense

15 “The day of the Lord is near
     for all nations.
   As you have done, it will be done to you;
     your deeds will return upon your own head.
16 Just as you drank on my holy hill,
     so all the nations will drink continually;
   they will drink and drink
     and be as if they had never been.
17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
     it will be holy,
     and Jacob will possess his inheritance.
18 Jacob will be a fire
     and Joseph a flame;
   Esau will be stubble,
     and they will set him on fire and destroy him.
   There will be no survivors
     from Esau.”
      The Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev will occupy
     the mountains of Esau,
   and people from the foothills will possess
     the land of the Philistines.
   They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,
     and Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
     will possess the land as far as Zarephath;
   the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
     will possess the towns of the Negev.
21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
     to govern the mountains of Esau.
     And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Matthew 13:10-17

The purpose of parable

13:10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

   “Though seeing, they do not see;
     though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

   “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
     you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
     they hardly hear with their ears,
     and they have closed their eyes.
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
     hear with their ears,
     understand with their hearts
   and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

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, July 15, 2020
Psalm 142; Obadiah 15-21; Matthew 13:10-17

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020

Benedict of Nursia said this: “The Lord himself in the gospel teaches us the same when he says: I shall liken anyone who hears my words and carries them out in deed to one who is wise enough to build on a rock; then the floods came and the winds blew and struck that house, but it did not fall because it was built on a rock. It is in the light of that teaching that the Lord waits for us every day to see if we will respond by our deeds, as we should, to his holy guidance. For that very reason also, so that we may mend our evil ways, the days of our mortal lives are allowed us as a sort of truce for improvement. So St Paul says: Do you not know that God is patient with us so as to lead us to repentance? The Lord himself says in his gentle care for us: I do not want the death of a sinner; let all sinners rather turn away from sin and live.”

God of the Ages, through your ancient prophets and disciples, your saints of old, and your Spirit, you have told us what is good—to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with you. Help us to stand on you, our Rock of salvation, for all other ground is sinking sand. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020

James 1:21

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Read all of James 1

Listen to James 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 - Miércoles 15 de julio de 2020

¿Qué pasa con el amor?

El amor debe ser sincero. Aborrezcan el mal; aférrense al bien.

— Romanos 12:9

A veces hay que preguntarse qué pasa con el amor y si es una farsa. Es posible que digas: «Bueno, ¿y qué le pasó a Claudia? ¿Por qué habla así del amor?».

Mientras escribía este libro, me entero que una persona que decidió dar un cambio en su vida aceptando a Jesús y dándose ella misma una oportunidad, se casó por tercera vez y a los cuatro meses su pareja le pegó. ¿Te parece conocida esta historia? Claro que debe parecerte conocida. Es el pan nuestro de cada día. Lo digo con mucha tristeza, pues las parejas se casan muy enamoradas y, en cuanto se acaba la luna de miel, hay abusos.

La pregunta que me viene a la mente es esta: ¿Estamos teniendo a Dios en cuenta en nuestras decisiones, sobre todo en preguntarle si es la persona idónea? Me refiero en este caso a Mirka Dellanos, la periodista de Univisión que ha sufrido tantas desilusiones en el amor. Hace un tiempo, decide hacer un giro en su vida y tiene un encuentro personal con Jesús. Empieza a asistir a una iglesia y comienza a testificar de hacer la voluntad de Dios.

Poco después se casa de manera sorpresiva y al mes y medio el hombre estuvo en la cárcel por abuso doméstico y con restricción para no acerársele.

¿Dime si no parece una historia de novela? Sin embargo, no es así. Eso es lo que está pasando en los hogares cristianos. El enemigo no quiere parejas felices. Quiere robar el matrimonio, matar el amor y destruir la felicidad y la esperanza.

¿Con quién te vas a casar? Por favor, CONSÚLTALO con el Señor.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Dime si no parece una historia de novela?

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, July 15, 2020

HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

— Matthew 5:6

This attitude portrays a maturity of belief that shows a servant is ready for service. When completeness or wholeness is achieved, the servant receives the satisfaction of being used by God for that which they have been called, trained, and equipped.

In ancient times, wages were very low and men often could not earn enough for the family to eat well. Water was also a precious commodity. The emphasis in this Beatitude is the passionate desire for the whole, for complete righteousness as a matter of life and death. Blessed indeed is the one who's most passionate desire is to love God and to love others as they ought. Thus:

Blessed are those who long for total righteousness as a starving person longs for food and as a person perishing of thirst longs for water, for they will be truly satisfied.

People of other faiths are impressed with those who take their faith seriously. They do not respect people whose religion is merely outward form, who are just “weekend Christians.” Much of what they see is materialistic, that is, “carnal” or “worldly” (see 1 Corinthians 3). Christianity turns them off—the low regard for moral purity, the hedonism, the wishy-washiness, the unwillingness to suffer or make sacrifices, the fear of making a stand.

As Brother Andrew says, “How can Muslims respect a church that is in hiding?” Christians need to acknowledge their beliefs and be willing to suffer for their faith and convictions. A more complete righteousness will definitely have a great impact. It will earn respect for our preaching the Gospel.

During a visit to Indonesia, a coworker had the wonderful opportunity of participating in an Open Doors SSTS seminar held in an area of intense conflict. The constant presence of armed soldiers outside the building confirmed that this seminar was far more than theology – this was reality! More than 700 churches were already burnt to the ground and the church in the region was facing a severe onslaught.

On the second day of teaching, he remembers one pastor suddenly jumping up, and with all his heart cried out, “My brother, please don’t teach us to survive, teach us to be faithful.”

RESPONSE: Today I am so grateful for God’s presence in my life that I yearn for more of Him.

PRAYER: Lord I long for total righteousness so that the world will see more of Your faithfulness in me.

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 July 15, 2020 - "Comfort in Being Known"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Comfort in Being Known"

July 15, 2020

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

— Romans 8:26-27

I don't know if you've ever thought of it this way, or if I'm just strange, but there is comfort in a hospital gown. There is comfort in having someone official examine you and say, "Yes, those weird feelings you have aren't right, we need to do some testing." Though you may be terrified at the same time, at least you're no longer in the land of "What if" and "Should I see someone?" and "Maybe I'm just imagining things" and "Nobody knows." Now you are in the hands of people who know more than you about how you're put together, and the doctors are going to do whatever they can to make you better. You are known.

In the same way there is comfort in being known by God—totally known, totally visible to the One who searches hearts and minds. Oh, there's terror, too, especially if we carry guilt or shame that hasn't been dealt with yet. But there's comfort—because at last we can relax into the hands of the One who knows us better than anyone, the One who will never be fooled or make a false diagnosis. He knows what is wrong, even when we don't. He is capable of fixing it. And in spite of everything, He receives us—welcomes us—loves us—takes us to Himself.

That last is the most important, isn't it? It's incredibly painful to be exposed to someone who does not care about you—to someone who might mock you or reject you or blame you. We've all had those experiences, and some of us are so deeply scarred by them that we refuse to visit another doctor or speak to a pastor or talk to that family member. We go unknown and uncared for, because we are afraid.

But with the Lord, we need never go uncared for. He is gentle and kind, and He does not upbraid us, even when we know that our problems are 100 percent our own fault. As Isaiah says, "a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench" (Isaiah 42:3a). Jesus is the one Person who can truly promise us, "Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out" (John 6:37b).

So we can feel safe when we are fully known by God, because He will never use that against us. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, we who trust in Him have become God's own children. He has brought us to trust in Him so that we can be healed and made well. And we have the promise that the Holy Spirit prays for us, including all those needs that are so deep we don't know enough to pray for ourselves. There is comfort here for all of us who suffer and long to be known by Someone who loves us.

THE PRAYER: Lord, help me to relax in Your love and be glad that You know me. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. When you were a child, were you ever teased or rejected by others?

2. Who knows you best in your life and loves you?

3. What little things do you do to help others see that you are a safe person who will love them even when you know them?

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).
When you were a child, were you ever teased or rejected by others?

Devocional CPTLN del 15 de julio de 2020 - Consuelo en ser conocido

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Consuelo en ser conocido

15 de Julio de 2020

De igual manera, el Espíritu nos ayuda en nuestra debilidad, pues no sabemos qué nos conviene pedir, pero el Espíritu mismo intercede por nosotros con gemidos indecibles. Pero el que examina los corazones sabe cuál es la intención del Espíritu, porque intercede por los santos conforme a la voluntad de Dios.

— Romanos 8: 26-27

No sé si alguna vez lo has pensado de esta manera, pero hay un cierto consuelo en la bata de hospital. Es reconfortante que un profesional te examine y te diga: "Sí, lo que sientes no está bien, necesitamos hacer algunas pruebas". Por más aterrorizado que uno esté, al menos ya no está en la tierra de "¿Qué pasa si" o "¿Debería ver a alguien?" o "Tal vez solo estoy imaginando cosas". Ahora está en manos de médicos que harán todo lo posible para mejorarte. Eres conocido.

De la misma manera hay consuelo en ser conocido por Dios. Es cierto que también puede haber miedo, especialmente si llevamos culpa o vergüenza. Pero hay consuelo, porque al fin podemos relajarnos en las manos de Aquel que nos conoce mejor que nadie, Aquel que nunca será engañado o hará un diagnóstico falso. Él sabe lo que está mal, incluso cuando nosotros no, y es capaz de arreglarlo. Y a pesar de todo nos recibe, nos da la bienvenida, nos ama y nos lleva a sí mismo.

Esto último es lo más importante, ¿no? Es increíblemente doloroso estar expuesto a alguien que no se preocupa por uno, que hasta podría burlarse de uno. Todos hemos tenido esas experiencias, y algunos de nosotros estamos tan profundamente marcados por ellas que nos negamos a visitar a otro médico o hablar con un pastor o con un miembro de la familia. Nos volvemos desconocidos y descuidados, porque tenemos miedo.

Pero con el Señor nunca pasamos desapercibidos. Él es gentil y amable y no nos reprende, incluso cuando sabemos que nuestros problemas son 100% nuestra culpa. Como dice Isaías: "No hará pedazos la caña quebrada, ni apagará la mecha humeante" (Isaías 42:3a). Jesús es la única persona que realmente puede prometernos: "Al que viene a mí, no lo echo fuera" (Juan 6:37b).

Cuando Dios nos conoce plenamente podemos sentirnos seguros, porque Él nunca usará eso contra nosotros. A través de la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, quienes confiamos en Él nos hemos convertido en hijos de Dios. Nos ha traído a confiar en Él para que podamos ser sanados y sanados. Y tenemos la promesa de que el Espíritu Santo ora por nosotros, incluso por todas esas necesidades que son tan profundas que no sabemos lo suficiente como para orar por nosotros mismos. En Él tenemos consuelo todos los que sufrimos y anhelamos ser conocidos por Alguien que nos ama.

ORACIÓN: Señor, ayúdame a descansar en tu amor. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Quién te conoce mejor?

* ¿Cómo les demuestras a los demás que los amarás en toda circunstancia?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Quién te conoce mejor?

Ministérios Pão Diário - O melhor presente

O melhor presente

Escritura de hoje: Lucas 11:9-13
Bíblia em um ano: Salmos 13–15; Atos 19:21-41

…Procurem, e encontrarão…

— Lucas 11:9

Quando estava fazendo as malas para voltar para Londres, minha mãe me deu de presente um anel que lhe pertencia e que eu admirava. Surpresa, perguntei-lhe o porquê. Ela respondeu: “Acho que você deve aproveitar e usá-lo desde já. Por que esperar até eu morrer? Ele nem me serve mais”. Com um sorriso, recebi o presente inesperado, uma herança prematura que me traz alegria.

Ela me deu um presente material, porém Jesus promete que Seu Pai dará o Espírito Santo àqueles que o pedirem (v.13). Se pais que estão deteriorados pelo pecado podem suprir necessidades (como alimentos) de seus filhos, quanto mais nosso Pai do céu dará aos Seus filhos. Através da dádiva do Espírito Santo (João 16:13), podemos experimentar esperança, amor, alegria e paz mesmo em tempos difíceis — e podemos compartilhar estes presentes com outros.

Na infância, podemos ter tido pais incapazes de amar e cuidar de nós integralmente; talvez tenhamos tido mães e pais que foram brilhantes exemplos de amor incondicional. Ou nossa experiência pode ter sido um meio-termo. Seja o que for que tenhamos vivido com nossos pais terrenos, podemos nos firmar na promessa de que o nosso Pai celeste nos ama incessantemente. Ele concedeu aos Seus filhos a dádiva do Espírito Santo.

Por:  rebekawerner

Refletir & Orar

Pai celeste, o Teu amor por mim é maravilhoso. Ajuda-me a viver em Tua presença, compartilhando o Teu amor com os que eu encontrar.

Nosso Pai nos concede boas dádivas.

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Com um sorriso, recebi o presente inesperado, uma herança prematura que me traz alegria.