The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, July 16, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, July 16, 2020

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Isaiah 44:1-5; Hebrews 2:1-9

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

You have searched me and known me

1  You have searched me, Lord,
     and you know me.
2  You know when I sit and when I rise;
     you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3  You discern my going out and my lying down;
     you are familiar with all my ways.
4  Before a word is on my tongue
     you, Lord, know it completely.
5  You hem me in behind and before,
     and you lay your hand upon me.
6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
     too lofty for me to attain.

7  Where can I go from your Spirit?
     Where can I flee from your presence?
8  If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
     if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9  If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
     if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
     your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
     and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
     the night will shine like the day,
     for darkness is as light to you.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
     test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
     and lead me in the way everlasting.

Isaiah 44:1-5

God’s blessing on Israel: “Do not fear”

1  “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,
     Israel, whom I have chosen.
2  This is what the Lord says—
     he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
     and who will help you:
   Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
     Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3  For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
     and streams on the dry ground;
   I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
     and my blessing on your descendants.
4  They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
     like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5  Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
     others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
   still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
     and will take the name Israel.

Hebrews 2:1-9

Warning to pay attention

2:1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:

   “What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
     a son of man that you care for him?
7  You made them a little lower than the angels;
     you crowned them with glory and honor
8    and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

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 16, 2020
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Isaiah 44:1-5; Hebrews 2:1-9

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, July 16, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, July 16, 2020

South African Reverend Professor Peter Storey, former Methodist Bishop said, “American preachers have a task more difficult, perhaps, than those faced by us under South Africa’s apartheid, or Christians under Communism. We had obvious evils to engage; you have to unwrap your culture from years of red, white and blue myth. You have to expose, and confront, the great disconnection between the kindness, compassion and caring of most American people, and the ruthless way American power is experienced, directly and indirectly, by the poor of the earth. You have to help good people see how they have let their institutions do their sinning for them. This is not easy among people who really believe that their country does nothing but good, but it is necessary, not only for their future, but for us all.”

Lord, grant us the ability to think with your mind, to hear with your ears, to see with your eyes, to speak with your mouth, to walk with your feet, to love with your heart. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, July 16, 2020

Colossians 2:9-10

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

Read all of Colossians 2

Listen to Colossians 2

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, 16 de julio de 2020

Conoce a tu pareja

Los leoncillos se debilitan y tienen hambre, pero a los que buscan al Señor nada les falta.

— Salmo 34:10

El Señor me está inquietando en gran medida con esto del matrimonio. Aunque esté casada, sé que muchas personas están pasando crisis matrimoniales muy fuertes.

He visto que no solo las parejas se casan en la adolescencia sin saber lo que quieren para el futuro, sino que muchos otros se casan por cubrir un error llamado «embarazo». Así que no hay tiempo de conocer a fondo a las parejas que, en vez de ser parejas, son «disparejas». No hay tiempo para conocer comportamientos durante el noviazgo, y si ven reacciones violentas, no las tienen en cuenta en el momento de tomar la decisión de casarse.

Cuando te casas pensando que todo va a hacer color de rosa, que no es verdad porque también la convivencia tiene sus ajustes, súmale a esto personas que después de casadas muestran reacciones violentas, celos enfermizos y cambios bruscos de ánimo. ¡Es muy preocupante!

Hoy te invito a que, si estás soltero, disfrutes de tu soltería. No entres en el afán absurdo de casarte por casarte y no esperar la persona adecuada en el tiempo de Dios. No obstante, si estás en la época de noviazgo y consideras la posibilidad de casarte, ora para que sea Dios el que te dé luz verde. En el caso de que seas casado, como yo, necesitamos consagrarnos a Dios guardando el matrimonio en oración constante, de modo que cada obstáculo que se levante lo superemos con su favor.

No entreguemos al enemigo nuestros hogares, sino defendámoslo, a fin de que Dios sea el centro de la relación y nuestro Consejero.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
El Señor me está inquietando en gran medida con esto del matrimonio. Aunque esté casada, sé que muchas personas están pasando crisis matrimoniales muy fuertes.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, July 16, 2020

THE MERCIFUL

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

— Matthew 5:7

As we in humility recognize our “poverty of spirit,” God in His mercy forgives and equips us. Having received mercy, we are expected to show it to others.

The biblical term merciful is related to the word for empathy, which means the ability to get right inside another person’s skin until we see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings. This is what Jesus did for us in His incarnation. Thus:

Blessed are those who empathize with others until they are able to see with the eyes of others, think with their thoughts, and feel with their feelings. The one who does this will find others do the same for him or her and will know that God did this for them in Christ Jesus.

How do we see our non-Christian friends? Can we see Muslims, for example, as real people groping in the semi-darkness, under the mere glimmer of light that a crescent moon provides, thinking that is all the light there is?

As we see them, mercy would be an appropriate word to describe our feeling and attitude as well as actions toward them. Just as we would go to the aid of a blind man heading in the wrong direction, so mercy should similarly drive us to go after them and show those who are willing to listen, the way to more complete light.

If we are secure in the knowledge that Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, then we do not need to prove anything but patiently and gently show others the way.

A relatively young man decided to work for the Lord in China. His father was not a Christian and very strongly opposed him. The son decided to attend a series of Christian meetings in one of the areas where he was serving. His father opposed so strongly that they quarreled before he left for the meetings. Then the son suddenly died while he was at the meetings.

The Christians there prayed and showed much concern. They knew that the news of the death would be hard for the father, so they asked a doctor to be there just in case the father needed him. When the father arrived and saw the love of the Christians, he gave his life to the Lord.

RESPONSE: Today I will see others as Jesus sees them and I will empathize with them as though in their skin.

PRAYER: Lord, help grow closer to You so that I will act like You, forgiving others, and being sympathetic.

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 16, 2020

Bless the Blesser

Numbers 6:22–27

Recommended Reading: Psalm 80:1–19; Ephesians 1:3–14; 1 John 1:5–7

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

Not so much what moves someone to do something goofy, like wearing plaid knickers on the golf course or pouring ketchup on an otherwise perfectly good plate of scrambled eggs. Instead, you wonder what motivates a guy to bring coffee to a harried coworker during a normal workday or to take the kids out for dinner so his wife can enjoy an uninterrupted bubble bath. What causes someone to take an action that remains forever unknown to all but a few?

What motivated the person who carefully and skillfully etched the priestly blessing that would later be identified as Numbers 6:24–26 onto two small silver scrolls, each barely an inch long?

“The LORD bless you and keep you …”

Did this anonymous silversmith realize that he was recording the very words of Almighty God?

“The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you …”

Did he know that his work would survive thousands and thousands of years, until rediscovered one day in a burial cave in modern Jerusalem?

“The LORD turn his face toward you …”

Did this artisan know that what he inscribed on finger-sized scraps of silver would, in the 21st century, become the oldest known record of any written Scripture text?

“… and give you peace.”

And did he know that, as you read these words, you would need God’s blessing to provide heavenly light and grace and peace in your life this very day?

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

To Take Away

• What incites you to take small actions that benefit other people but seem to offer no reward for you?
• How have others shown kindness to you recently?
• In what specific ways has God blessed you, kept you and turned his face toward you during the past year? How can you pass on the blessing?

Do you ever wonder what motivates people?

LHM Daily Devotions July 16, 2020 - "Waiting for Judgment"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Waiting for Judgment"

July 16, 2020

He (Jesus) put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ... And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

— Matthew 13:24-26, 36b-40

"I want to fix it now!" Have you ever said something like that? In Jesus' story about the wheat and the weeds, you can just hear His workers saying this: "Oh, no! Look at all the weeds! Let's go pull them up right now. Then they won't cause any more trouble."

That's really similar to what a lot of us think in our hearts when we see bad behavior in the church or in the world. We say to ourselves, "That man is an evildoer! That woman is doing terrible harm! Lord, why don't You just judge them now? I would be happy to help You, if You like."

But in the story, the farmer says not to do it. He says, "If you try to pull out the weeds, you will uproot the wheat as well." The weeds and the wheat are growing too close together. Their roots are interlaced. Yank one up, and you will probably yank up the other.

Similarly, Jesus says to us that we should not rush to carry out judgment. Sure, we may have identified an evildoer (although even that is not completely sure, because only the Lord really knows the heart). However, we may not pass final judgment and declare someone damned to hell. We may not treat them like hopeless cases, people who can never repent and be forgiven. Why?

Because even if we are right about them, their lives are interlaced with the lives of God's children. They have families, neighbors, and co-workers dependent on them. What happens to them will have an effect on the people around them, whether we like it or not. By rushing to judgment, we could do serious harm to the faith of little ones, people for whom Jesus died and rose—people who cannot protect themselves against our good intentions.

So what can we do? Well, we can pray. That won't do any harm. Who knows? They might even repent and be forgiven! And of course, it is right for us to rebuke the sin, and to try to stop further evil actions, and to try to bring the person to repentance. And if we are judges or elders or other people who have the responsibility for carrying out justice, we should do the job God has called us to do. But final judgment is reserved to God on the last day. We can be sure that God's judgment will be correct and will do no harm to others.

THE PRAYER: Lord, give me wisdom when I am handling difficult situations where innocent people might be harmed. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever looked closely at a plant's roots? What are they like?

2. Where in the world do you see good and evil growing close together? How does this cause difficulty?

3. How do you prevent your righteous anger from running away with you?

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).
Have you ever looked closely at a plant's roots? What are they like?

Devocional CPTLN del 16 de julio de 2020 - Esperando juicio

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Esperando juicio

16 de Julio de 2020

Jesús les contó otra parábola: «El reino de los cielos es semejante a un hombre que sembró buena semilla en su campo; pero, mientras dormían los trabajadores, vino su enemigo y sembró cizaña entre el trigo, y se fue. Cuando el trigo brotó y dio fruto, apareció también la cizaña... Luego de despedir a la gente, Jesús entró en la casa. Sus discípulos se le acercaron y le dijeron: «Explícanos la parábola de la cizaña en el campo.» Él les dijo: «El que siembra la buena semilla es el Hijo del Hombre. El campo es el mundo, la buena semilla son los hijos del reino, y la cizaña son los hijos del maligno. El enemigo que la sembró es el diablo, la cosecha es el fin del mundo, y los segadores son los ángeles. Y así como se arranca la cizaña y se quema en el fuego, así también será en el fin de este mundo.

— Mateo 13:24-26, 36-40

"¡Quiero arreglarlo ahora!" ¿Alguna vez has dicho algo así? En la historia de Jesús sobre el trigo y la cizaña, podemos escuchar a los trabajadores decir: "¡Oh, no! ¡Mira toda la cizaña! Vamos a quitarla ahora mismo así no causa más problemas".

Así es como muchos de nosotros pensamos cuando vemos a alguien comportándose mal: "¡Ese hombre es malo! ¡Esa mujer está haciendo un daño terrible! Señor, ¿por qué no los juzgas ahora? Si quieres, estaré encantado de ayudarte".

Pero en la historia, el dueño dice que no lo hagan "porque al arrancar la cizaña podrían también arrancar el trigo". Las malas hierbas y el trigo están creciendo demasiado juntos. Sus raíces están entrelazadas. Arrancas a uno y probablemente arrancarás al otro.

Del mismo modo, Jesús nos dice que no debemos apresurarnos a juzgar. No nos corresponde a nosotros emitir un juicio final y declarar a alguien condenado al infierno, porque incluso si tenemos razón acerca de ellos, sus vidas están entrelazadas con la vida de los hijos de Dios. Tienen familias, vecinos y compañeros de trabajo que dependen de ellos. Lo que les suceda tendrá un efecto en las personas que los rodean, nos guste o no. Al apresurarnos a juzgar, podríamos dañar gravemente la fe de personas por quienes Jesús murió y resucitó, personas que no pueden protegerse contra nuestras buenas intenciones.

Entonces, ¿qué podemos hacer? Podemos rezar. Eso no hará ningún daño. ¿Quién sabe? ¡Incluso podrían arrepentirse y ser perdonados! Y, por supuesto, es correcto para nosotros reprender el pecado, tratar de detener más acciones malvadas y tratar de llevar a la persona al arrepentimiento. Pero el juicio final está reservado a Dios en el último día. Podemos estar seguros de que el juicio de Dios será correcto y no hará daño a los demás.

ORACIÓN: Señor, dame sabiduría cuando estoy manejando situaciones difíciles en las que personas inocentes podrían verse perjudicadas. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿En dónde o en qué situaciones ves que el bien y el mal crecen juntos? ¿Cómo causa esto dificultad?

* ¿Cómo controlas tu ira justa?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿En dónde o en qué situaciones ves que el bien y el mal crecen juntos? ¿Cómo causa esto dificultad?

Хлеб наш насущный - Дорогостоящая радость

Дорогостоящая радость

Читать сейчас: Матфея 13:44-46 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 15-16; Деяния 20:1-16

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Подобно Царство Небесное сокровищу, скрытому на поле, которое, найдя, человек утаил, и от радости о нем идет и продает всё, что имеет, и покупает поле то.

— Матфея 13:44

При звуках знакомой мелодии мы все вшестером засуетились. Некоторые стали обуваться, а другие, как были, босиком ринулись к двери. Через несколько секунд мы уже бежали по дорожке к фургончику с мороженым. Погода радовала первым теплым днем лета, и не было лучшего способа это отпраздновать, чем холодным, сладким лакомством. Есть дела, которые мы делаем не по обязанности или необходимости, а просто потому, что они приносят радость.

В двух притчах о Небесном Царстве (Мф. 13:44-46) ударение делается на продаже всего ради приобретения чего-то лучшего. Можно подумать, что это притчи о самопожертвовании, однако это не так. В первой притче прямо говорится, что человек продал все свое имущество и купил поле «от радости». Им двигала не вина и не долг, а радость.

Иисус – не просто одна из областей нашей жизни. Он претендует на все. Герои обеих притч продали все (ст. 44). Но главное в том, что результатом этих продаж стало приобретение. Что такое христианская жизнь? Нести крест? Да, несомненно. Но при этом если мы умрем, то будем жить. Теряя душу ради Христа, мы ее приобретаем. Когда мы «продаем все», то находим большее сокровище – Спасителя Иисуса! Движущая нами сила – радость. Отклик – подчинение.

А награда – сокровище познания Христа.

Каким образом вы испытывали радость от взаимоотношений со Христом? Что вам следует отдать Ему?

Господь Иисус, открой мне глаза, чтобы видеть сокровище, которым являешься Ты! Направь мое сердце к Тебе, источнику настоящей радости, и дай не сводить с Тебя глаз.

автор: Гленн Пакиам

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
При звуках знакомой мелодии мы все вшестером засуетились. Некоторые стали обуваться, а другие, как были, босиком ринулись к двери.