The Daily Lectionary for FRIDAY, July 17, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

FRIDAY, July 17, 2020

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Ezekiel 39:21-29; Hebrews 6:13-20

(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.

Ezekiel 39:21-29

I will restore the fortunes of Jacob

39:21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them. 22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.

25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Hebrews 6:13-20

The certainty of God’s promises

6:13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

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 17, 2020
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Ezekiel 39:21-29; Hebrews 6:13-20

The Daily Prayer for FRIDAY, July 17, 2020

The Daily Prayer

FRIDAY, July 17, 2020

Hear these words from Martin Luther King Jr.: “It is not enough to say ‘We must not wage war.’ It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it.”

Lord God, protect us from the pointing finger and malicious talk. Give us the courage to win over our enemies by our love and to wear them down with grace. Amen.

Verse of the Day for FRIDAY, July 17, 2020

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Read all of Romans 1

Listen to Romans 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 17 de julio de 2020

Todo falla… ¡Dios no!

Dios es fiel, y [...] él les dará también una salida a fin de que puedan resistir.

— 1 Corintios 10:13

Cada cierto tiempo, es común escuchar que hubo una falsa alarma en algún lugar. Esto indica que de seguro algo no andaba bien. Cuando la alarma se dispara en nuestro negocio o en nuestra casa, nos ponemos súper alertas. Ahora bien, ¿te imaginas cuando fallan las alarmas de un aeropuerto causando confusión y dejando a más de doce aviones en tierra por horas hasta recibir una orden oficial para seguir indicaciones? Eso fue lo que pasó en un aeropuerto de Estados Unidos. Gracias a Dios solo fue una falsa alarma.

Te puedo decir que a menudo Dios es una alarma en nuestra vida. Una alarma que no falla, ni se equivoca. Cuando nos da una señal de alerta, es porque hay peligro cerca. Lo lamentable es que a veces no escuchamos, y cuando nos damos cuenta, es demasiado tarde y viene el golpe.

Recuerda que Dios no quiere que tú y yo tropecemos, sino que seamos felices. Sin embargo, debemos reconocer que en muchas ocasiones nos gusta hacer lo que nos parece y no disgusta hacer lo que nos indica Dios.

Así que te recuerdo una vez más que todo falla, pero Dios no. Las alarmas de Dios para nuestra vida nos pueden evitar catástrofes que nos dolerán toda la vida.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Cada cierto tiempo, es común escuchar que hubo una falsa alarma en algún lugar. Esto indica que de seguro algo no andaba bien.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Friday, July 17, 2020

THE PURE IN HEART

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

— Matthew 5:8

As our mourning to God begins the transforming process of our new life in Christ, so our lifestyle of purity amid the impure can become the beginning of reconciliation.

This Beatitude necessitates the strictest and most honest self-examination. We are to do everything with pure, unmixed motives. This demands the death of self and the springing to life of Christ within the heart.

So, blessed are those whose motives are unmixed and who operate in purity. They shall be given a vision of God Himself. As we draw closer to Him through purity, we shall see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly. Thus:

Blessed are those whose motives are absolutely pure and whose life is characterized by purity, for they will be able to see God.

The area of moral purity is one major concern of Muslims. Great stress is laid on modesty in dressing and purity of relationships between the sexes. But Christians seem so nonchalant about such issues. Is it because we do not care about purity? No. The difference is in our starting points. In the Muslim view, purity is from the “outside in.” For the follower of Jesus, it must be from the “inside out.” Thus, Muslims seek to cleanse themselves knowing they are in need of cleansing, whereas we know Christ has already cleansed us.

But we tend to disregard the danger that dirt can pose to us and we become careless. What is important to realize is that a careless disregard for even the “appearance of evil” will lead people to wrong conclusions and cause them to stumble. It is not enough to say we are pure. We must be seen to be pure.

A co-worker in China was teaching a class of believers in which two antagonistic-looking groups of students sat across from each other, looking as if they were facing enemies. As he was sharing, some students started crying and others were repenting. He told them that if they needed to apologize to others, they should sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to work, and to move them, and to give them the courage to admit their wrongs to others. He said that God delights in pure-hearted children, and He wants to use submissive, humble people. Everyone was hugging and crying. Everyone was confessing his or her sins to each other. The cleansing brought purity to their relationships.

RESPONSE: Today I will seek to live my life in true purity before God with good motives.

PRAYER: Lord, I can only live this way if I listen and respond positively to the reproving of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to purity issues.

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 17, 2020

Josiah

His name means: "Yahweh Supports Him"

His work: Josiah was the last good king of Judah, reigning from about 640-609 BC. Like his great-grandfather Hezekiah, he instituted sweeping religious reforms in Judah. Because of his faithfulness, the prophetess Huldah assured him he would not see the destruction that would one day overtake Jerusalem and Judah.
His character: Though Josiah became king when he was only a boy, he became one of Judah's strongest spiritual leaders, a man whose devotion, obedience, humility, and repentance on behalf of the people helped for a time to restore Judah's fractured relationship with the Lord.
His sorrow: That his reforms, which were not supported by those who succeeded him, occurred too late to avert judgment on Judah.
His triumph: So strong was Josiah's influence that it extended beyond Judah to embrace the northern tribes as well.
Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 12:25-33; 13:2-3; 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35

A Look at the Man

Josiah was one of twenty kings who ruled Judah during the period of the divided kingdom. Many of the kings who preceded him had little regard for preserving the spiritual vitality of Judah, absorbed as they were in the struggle to secure their own power. And even though his reign was one of the best and brightest, Josiah was incapable of reversing Judah's steady slide toward paganism. Sadly, his reforms perished with him, and a few years later Judah suffered the punishment long prophesied.

Like few leaders in the history of the world, Josiah knew the outcome of his story in advance. God had told him, through the prophetess Huldah, that Judah would eventually suffer disaster because of its sins. Such knowledge could have prompted him to give up, to conclude that he was wasting precious time and energy on a lost cause. But instead of abandoning his reforms, Josiah stepped up his efforts. Refusing to be deflected from his life's purpose, he continued clearing away the detritus of paganism in hopes of bringing Judah back to God.

The young king must have understood a principle we often lose sight of, namely, that faithfulness is more important than success. That doing what's right, regardless of the odds, is crucial. Josiah must have known that spiritual greatness is measured not by victory but by our determination to use the power God gives us, however great or small, to further his purposes. Because of his faithfulness, the Lord spared him the pain and grief of witnessing the disaster that eventually overtook the land he loved.

Like Josiah, we sometimes face situations that seem impossible: a difficult marriage, a challenging job, a divided church, or life in a world that sometimes despises the things we cherish most. We wonder how anything good can result from the current course of affairs. Unlike Josiah, we don't know the outcome in advance. None of us can preclude the possibility that our circumstances will radically change for the better. But like him, we can remember that God never requires us to be successful, only faithful.

Reflect On: 2 Kings 22:3–20
Praise God: For hearing the prayers of the humble.
Offer Thanks: For the freedom we have to worship him.
Confess: Any self-righteousness that keeps you from identifying with the sins and failures of God’s people.
Ask God: To renew the church, so that all of his people may worship him in spirit and truth.

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.
Like few leaders in the history of the world, Josiah knew the outcome of his story in advance.

LHM Daily Devotions - July 17, 2020 - "Blessed Is the Work We Do"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Blessed Is the Work We Do"

July 17, 2020

And He (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

— Mark 16:15-16

If you have ever had the frustrating experience of having communicated to someone something you thought was perfectly clear only to discover that what you said was completely misunderstood, then you have some idea of how our Lord must have felt (humanly speaking) about His disciples. He had told them He was going to suffer and die and rise again from the dead, but they did not understand at all what was said.

So little did they understand, in fact, that even after His resurrection, when reliable witnesses told them that He had risen from the dead, His disciples still did not believe them. Finally, Mark tells us at the close of his Gospel, "Afterward He (Jesus) appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He had risen" (Mark 16:14).

Those original eleven disciples were men with human failings just like us—men whose understanding was often limited and whose faith was sometimes weak. Yet it was to these very human men that our Lord said to go and take the Good News into all of creation. It was their task to tell the world that through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection there is salvation freely available for all people everywhere.

It's a joy to know that God uses us, weak, frail human beings that we are, to announce His message of love and forgiveness to people everywhere. And how that joy is increased because we know our Lord gives us not only the task, but also the power to perform it—just as He did with His original disciples. "And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs" (Mark 16:20).

When we are involved in reaching out into all the world with the Gospel—whether through our support of our church's mission outreach programs or our support of the worldwide reach of Lutheran Hour Ministries—we have the assurance from our Lord Himself that He will bless these efforts and that this work and witness will not be in vain.

And in our own lives as His modern-day disciples, if we are faithful to our calling to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus into all the world, our efforts will be blessed as well. By God's Spirit of grace, He will work through our words and actions, leading others to Himself so they, too, can one day carry His message to the ends of the earth.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, bless our words and actions so that others may know Your love through the message we share. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you enjoy your job? Is it work that fits your skills and interests?

2. Is there an urgency in Jesus' command to spread the Gospel around the world?

3. How can we follow Jesus' command in the lives we live, here and now?

From The Lutheran Layman, March 1979 issue, "Go into All the World" by Ron Schlegel. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you enjoy your job? Is it work that fits your skills and interests?

Devocional CPTLN del 17 de julio de 2020 - Bienaventurado el trabajo que hacemos

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Bienaventurado el trabajo que hacemos

17 de Julio de 2020

Y [Jesús] les dijo: «Vayan por todo el mundo y prediquen el evangelio a toda criatura. El que crea y sea bautizado, se salvará; pero el que no crea, será condenado.»

— Marcos 16:15-16

Si alguna vez le has dicho a alguien algo que creías que estaba perfectamente claro solo para descubrir que era completamente incomprendido, entonces tienes una idea de cómo debe haberse sentido Jesús (humanamente hablando) acerca de sus discípulos. Les había dicho que iba a sufrir, morir y resucitar de entre los muertos, pero ellos no entendieron nada.

Tan poco entendieron que incluso después de su resurrección, cuando testigos confiables les dijeron que había resucitado de la muerte, no lo creyeron. Marcos nos dice al final de su Evangelio: "[Jesús] Finalmente se apareció a los once mismos, mientras ellos estaban sentados a la mesa, y les reprochó su incredulidad y obstinación, porque no habían creído a los que lo habían visto resucitado" (Marcos 16:14).

Esos once discípulos originales eran hombres con fallas como nosotros, hombres cuya comprensión a menudo era limitada y cuya fe a veces era débil. Sin embargo, fue a esos hombres que nuestro Señor encomendó que llevaran las Buenas Nuevas a toda la creación. Era su tarea decirle al mundo que a través de la vida, muerte y resurrección de Jesús hay salvación para todas las personas.

Es una alegría saber que Dios nos usa, seres humanos débiles y frágiles que somos, para anunciar su mensaje de amor y perdón a las personas en todas partes. Y cómo aumenta ese gozo porque sabemos que nuestro Señor nos da no solo la tarea, sino también el poder para llevarla a cabo, tal como lo hizo con sus discípulos originales. "Ellos salieron entonces y predicaron por todas partes, y el Señor los ayudaba confirmando la palabra con las señales que la acompañaban" (Marcos 16:20).

Cuando estamos involucrados en llegar a todo el mundo con el Evangelio, ya sea a través de nuestro apoyo a los programas de misión de nuestra iglesia o de los Ministerios de Cristo Para Todas las Naciones, Dios nos asegura que Él los bendecirá y que nuestros esfuerzos y testimonio no serán en vano.

Y en nuestra vida como discípulos, si somos fieles a nuestro llamado a proclamar el Evangelio de Jesús en todo el mundo, nuestros esfuerzos serán bendecidos también. Por el Espíritu de gracia de Dios, Él obrará a través de nuestras palabras y acciones, guiando a otros hacia Él para que ellos también puedan algún día llevar Su mensaje a los confines de la tierra.

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, bendice nuestras palabras y acciones para que otros puedan conocer tu amor a través del mensaje que compartimos. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

The Lutheran Layman, marzo de 1979, Ron Schlegel

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Tomas en serio la urgencia en el mandato de Jesús de difundir el Evangelio a todo el mundo?

* ¿Cómo podemos cumplir el mandato de Jesús en nuestra vida aquí y ahora?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Tomas en serio la urgencia en el mandato de Jesús de difundir el Evangelio a todo el mundo?

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Ánh Sáng Trong Bóng Tối

Ánh Sáng Trong Bóng Tối

Đọc: Thi Thiên 18:28–36, 46–49 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Thi Thiên 18–19; Công Vụ 20:17–38

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Chúa thắp sáng đèn của con; Giê-hô-va Đức Chúa Trời của con chiếu rọi nơi tối tăm của con.

— Thi Thiên 18:28

Một cơn giông bão dữ dội đi qua thị trấn nơi chúng tôi mới chuyển đến sống, để lại không khí ẩm ướt và bầu trời tăm tối. Tôi dẫn chú chó Callie đi dạo. Trong tâm trí tôi, những thách thức của việc gia đình di chuyển xuyên quốc gia đến chỗ ở mới ngày càng trở nên nặng nề. Thất vọng vì mọi thứ đi quá xa với những điều mình hy vọng và kỳ vọng, tôi đi chậm lại để Callie ngửi cỏ. Tôi lắng nghe con rạch chảy cạnh nhà. Những đốm sáng bé nhỏ bật sáng và tắt đi khi lơ lửng trên mảng hoa dại leo bên bờ rạch. Chúng là đom đóm.

Chúa bao phủ tôi trong sự yên bình khi tôi nhìn những đốm sáng ấy nhấp nháy xuyên qua bóng tối. Tôi nghĩ đến Thi Thiên mà Đa-vít hát: “Chúa thắp sáng đèn của con” (Thi. 18:28). Tuyên bố rằng Chúa chiếu rọi nơi tối tăm của mình, Đa-vít bày tỏ niềm tin vững chắc vào sự chu cấp và bảo vệ của Chúa. (c.29-30). Với sức Chúa ban, ông có thể đối diện với bất cứ điều gì xảy đến với mình (c.32-35). Tin cậy Chúa hằng sống ở cùng mình trong mọi hoàn cảnh, Đa-vít hứa sẽ ca ngợi Ngài giữa các nước và chúc tụng danh của Ngài (c.36-49).

Dù chúng ta đang đối diện với những cơn bão không thể lường trước của cuộc đời hay tận hưởng sự tĩnh lặng sau cơn mưa, thì sự bình an đến bởi sự hiện diện của Chúa sẽ chiếu sáng cho chúng ta trong nơi tối tăm. Chúa hằng sống sẽ luôn là sức mạnh, nơi nương náu, là Đấng bảo tồn và giải cứu chúng ta.

Câu Kinh Thánh nào giúp bạn tin rằng Chúa luôn hiện diện? Việc nương cậy vào sự tốt lành tối thượng của Chúa giúp chúng ta vượt qua giông bão bằng đức tin vững vàng như thế nào?

Lạy Cha, xin giúp chúng con tin cậy vào sự tốt lành và tình yêu của Ngài ngay cả khi chúng con không thể nhìn thấy Ngài trong hoàn cảnh tăm tối của cuộc đời.

bởi Xochitl E. Dixon

Chú Giải

Thi Thiên 18 dường như là bài ca hồi tưởng quá khứ. Qua nhiều thi thiên của Đa-vít, chúng ta thấy ông bị truy đuổi và săn lùng, trước tiên là bởi Sau-lơ và sau đó bởi Áp-sa-lôm. Trong suốt khoảng thời gian tranh chiến và nguy hiểm, Đa-vít đôi khi nghi ngờ về sự thành tín, tình yêu thương và sự chăm sóc của Chúa – tự hỏi vì sao Ngài không can thiệp thay cho ông. Tuy nhiên trong Thi Thiên 18, chúng ta thấy một Đa-vít sâu sắc hơn. Ông nhìn lại hành trình của mình và thấy những bằng chứng liên tục về sự hiện diện và bảo vệ của Chúa trong suốt quãng đường (c.1-3, 16-19, 25-29, 35-36, 47-50) – thậm chí trong những lúc mà bằng chứng đó dường như khó tìm thấy. Giờ đây, khi nhìn lại, Đa-vít khẳng định sự thành tín của Chúa, là điều ông đã từng nghi ngờ.

Bill Crowder

© 2020 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày
Một cơn giông bão dữ dội đi qua thị trấn nơi chúng tôi mới chuyển đến sống, để lại không khí ẩm ướt và bầu trời tăm tối. Tôi dẫn chú chó Callie đi dạo.