The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, July 28, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

TUESDAY, July 28, 2020

Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 30:37-43; Ephesians 6:10-18

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Psalm 65:8-13

Meadows clothed with flocks

8  The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
     where morning dawns, where evening fades,
     you call forth songs of joy.

9  You care for the land and water it;
     you enrich it abundantly.
   The streams of God are filled with water
     to provide the people with grain,
     for so you have ordained it.
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
     you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
     and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
     the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
     and the valleys are mantled with grain;
     they shout for joy and sing.

Genesis 30:37-43

Jacob prospers at Laban’s expense

30:37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Ephesians 6:10-18

The allegory of the armor of God

6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

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 TUESDAY, July 28, 2020
Psalm 65:8-13; Genesis 30:37-43; Ephesians 6:10-18

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, July 28, 2020

The Daily Prayer

TUESDAY, July 28, 2020

In the second century, church father Justin Martyr described the Christian community like this: “We who formerly treasured money and possessions more than anything else now hand over everything we have to a treasury for all and share it with everyone who needs it. We who formerly hated and murdered one another…now live together and share the same table. Now we pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us.”

Lord, it takes humility to acknowledge that our ways are not your ways. Surround us with your subtle and hidden prophets, that we might have help to overcome self-deception and face the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, July 28, 2020

Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Read all of Philippians 3

Listen to Philippians 3

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 - Martes 28 de julio de 2020

Oración por sentimientos destructivos

Refrena tu enojo, abandona la ira; no te irrites, pues esto conduce al mal.

— Salmo 37:8

Jesús, este día me presento delante de ti reconociendo que me cambies, Señor. He visto cómo estos sentimientos que he venido experimentando me han estado robando la calma, la paz y me han alejado de ti.

Señor, hoy te entrego la mentira, la intriga, el odio, el rencor y cualquier otro comportamiento que te estén desagradando. Sé que llevar esto conmigo me está destruyendo y no puedo más.

Por eso, mi Dios, te necesito. Sin ti es imposible cambiar. Solo tú puedes poner en mí ese deseo de cambiar. Ayúdame, Señor, a ser firme y comenzar una nueva vida sin mentiras, sin odios y sin rencores.

Te amo, Dios mío, y te necesito. Gracias por escucharme y por darme la oportunidad de cambiar. Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por sentimientos destructivos

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, July 28, 2020

WHAT FORGIVENESS IS AND IS NOT

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

— Colossians 3:13

To understand forgiveness we must realize what forgiveness is NOT:

• Forgiveness is not forgetting. Deep hurts can rarely be wiped out of one’s awareness.

• Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Reconciliation takes two persons, but an injured party can forgive an offender without reconciliation.

• Forgiveness is not condoning. Forgiveness does not necessarily excuse bad or hurtful behavior.

• Forgiveness is not dismissing. It involves taking the offense seriously, not passing it off as inconsequential or insignificant.

• Forgiveness is not a vague notion of ‘tolerance’. This is, at best, a low-grade parody of forgiveness. At worst, it’s a way of sweeping the real issues in life under the carpet.

• Forgiveness is not pardoning. A pardon is a legal transaction that releases an offender from the consequences of an action, such as a penalty.

Throughout the Old Testament, we read that only God can forgive sins. We hear David exclaim, “He forgives all my sins…” (Psalm 103:3). We also see examples of human forgiveness—even in pain—like Joseph forgiving his brothers for selling him into slavery. Joseph gains true freedom. He then names his son Manasseh, “one who causes to be forgotten.”

In the New Testament, we see Jesus, the Lamb of God, come into to the world to die for our sins. Through His shed blood, we can once and for all receive ultimate forgiveness. This is the pure “gospel of grace.” This forgiveness is a gift. We do not deserve it but God, in His grace, reached out to provide forgiveness to a dying world.

Then we read in the verse above the impact of this on those of us who have received that forgiveness. Its ethical challenge parallels “love your enemies” and “pray for your persecutors.”

In the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God’s hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy. I simply forgive others and leave them to God.

RESPONSE: Today I will leave fairness and justice in God’s hands. I will obediently forgive others just as the Lord forgave me.

PRAYER: Lord, grant me the faith to trust You with the offenses committed against me. I will forgive.

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 28, 2020 - "Free?"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Free?"

July 28, 2020

(The Lord said) "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, My steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you."

— Isaiah 55:1-5

Some years ago, I was responsible for doing a great deal of immigration paperwork in the Vietnamese community of St. Louis. That's because it's incredibly difficult to do the paperwork correctly; there are pages and pages of stuff to fill out, and God help you if you get any of it wrong. So every Sunday at church I would sit at a desk and help people work through their applications, for free.

Now I hate paperwork. But I was flabbergasted to find out that some people, including some of my very own relatives, were not bringing their paperwork to me for help. Instead, they were going to other people in the community who spoke very little English. And those people were charging them $400 a pop—and they were getting it wrong, too!

Why would people rather go there than take their paperwork to a native speaker of English (with a Ph.D., even) who charged them nothing? Someone finally told me. They said, "You were doing it for free, so we didn't think it could be any good."

That's pretty much what we do to God, isn't it? He says to us, "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! ... Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live." God offers us life, hope, joy, forgiveness, healing, comfort, a place to belong—and we shy away like nervous shoppers. How could it be real? The price is too low.

Except that it's not. Oh, for us the price is low—in fact, it's completely free. But that's only possible because God Himself has paid that price Himself, and in full. That's what Jesus was doing when He became a human being. It cost Him something to lay aside His glory—to be born among us in poverty—to spend years meeting the needs of crowds of people—to suffer, die, and be buried. Jesus was paying that price. And He did it gladly, because He loved us.

Should we feel bad about that? No indeed! What God wants from us is simple: "Come ... come ... come!" He says. "Delight yourselves in rich food ... hear, that your soul may live ... and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, My steadfast, sure love." There is no trap to this, no hidden cost, no surprise ending. What God wants is for you to be blessed—for you to be His beloved child—for you to share the resurrection life of Jesus, our Savior. So try Him!

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to trust You in a world full of untrustworthy people. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. When did you think you were getting something good only to find out there was a secret cost attached?

2. Have you ever missed out on a good thing because it felt too good to be true?

3. How do you know that God is trustworthy?

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 did you think you were getting something good only to find out there was a secret cost attached?

Devocional CPTLN del 28 de julio de 2020 - ¿Libres?

ALIMENTO DIARIO

¿Libres?

28 de Julio de 2020

[Dice el Señor] Todos ustedes, los que tienen sed: Vengan a las aguas; y ustedes, los que no tienen dinero, vengan y compren, y coman. Vengan y compren vino y leche, sin que tengan que pagar con dinero. ¿Por qué gastan su dinero en lo que no alimenta, y su sueldo en lo que no les sacia? Escúchenme bien, y coman lo que es bueno; deléitense con la mejor comida. Inclinen su oído, y vengan a mí; escuchen y vivirán. Yo haré con ustedes un pacto eterno, que es el de mi invariable misericordia por David. Yo lo puse como testigo para los pueblos, y como jefe y maestro de las naciones. Por causa del Señor tu Dios, por el Santo de Israel que te ha honrado, llamarás a gente que no conocías; pueblos que nunca te conocieron correrán a ti.

— Isaías 55:1-5

Hace algunos años tuve que hacer muchos trámites de inmigración para la comunidad vietnamita de St. Louis. Hacer el papeleo correctamente es muy difícil: hay páginas y páginas y páginas de cosas para completar. Así que todos los domingos me sentaba en un escritorio en la iglesia y ayudaba a las personas a llenar sus solicitudes, sin cobrarles nada.

Ahora odio el papeleo. Pero me quedé estupefacta al descubrir que algunas personas, incluidos algunos de mis propios parientes, no venían a pedirme ayuda a mí, sino que iban con otras personas de la comunidad que hablaban muy poco inglés... y que les cobraban un disparate por ayudarlas a llenarlos ¡en forma equivocada!

¿Por qué preferirían de esa forma, en vez de buscar la ayuda de alguien que sabía inglés y que no les cobraba nada? Finalmente, alguien me dijo: "Como lo hacías gratis, no pensamos que pudiera ser bueno".

Eso es más o menos lo que le hacemos a Dios, ¿no? Él nos dice: "Todos los que tengan sed:
Vengan a las aguas, los que no tienen dinero, vengan y compren, y coman... Inclinen su oído, y vengan a mí; escuchen y vivirán". Dios nos ofrece vida, esperanza, alegría, perdón, sanidad, consuelo, un lugar al que pertenecer; y nosotros nos alejamos como compradores nerviosos. ¿Cómo podría ser real? ¡El precio es muy bajo!

Excepto que no lo es. Oh, para nosotros el precio es bajo, de hecho, es completamente gratis. Pero eso solo es posible porque Dios mismo ha pagado ese precio en su totalidad. Eso es lo que Jesús vino a hacer cuando se convirtió en ser humano. Le costó algo dejar a un lado su gloria, nacer entre nosotros en la pobreza, pasar años cubriendo las necesidades de multitudes de personas, sufrir, morir y ser enterrado. Jesús pagó ese precio, y lo hizo con gusto: porque nos ama.

¿Deberíamos sentirnos mal por eso? ¡De hecho no! Lo que Dios quiere de nosotros es simple: "¡Ven ... ven ... ven!" , nos dice. "Deléitense con la mejor comida... escuchen y vivirán. Yo haré con usted un pacto eterno, que es el de mi invariable misericordia". No hay ninguna trampa, ni ningún costo oculto, ni ninguna sorpresa final. Lo que Dios quiere es que seas bendecido, que seas su hijo amado, que compartas la vida de resurrección de Jesús, nuestro Salvador. ¡Así que pruébalo!

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, en un mundo lleno de personas no confiables, ayúdame a confiar en ti. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Alguna vez te has perdido algo bueno porque creías que era demasiado bueno para ser verdad?

* ¿Cómo sabes que Dios es confiable?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez te has perdido algo bueno porque creías que era demasiado bueno para ser verdad?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Confiar en Dios en la tristeza

Confiar en Dios en la tristeza

La escritura de hoy: 2 Timoteo 1:6-12
La Biblia en un año: Salmos 46–48; Hechos 28

… yo sé a quién he creído…

— 2 Timoteo 1:12

Cuando un hombre conocido como «Papá Juan» supo que tenía un cáncer terminal, él y su esposa Carolina sintieron que Dios los llamaba a compartir en línea el curso de su enfermedad. Convencidos de que Él obraría a través de su vulnerabilidad, publicaron sus momentos de alegría y tristeza durante dos años.

Cuando Carolina escribió que su esposo «había ido a los brazos extendidos de Jesús», cientos de personas respondieron, agradeciéndole su sinceridad. Una persona señaló que escuchar sobre la muerte desde un punto de vista cristiano era saludable, porque «todos tenemos que morir» algún día. Otra dijo que no podía expresar cuánto la había alentado el testimonio de ellos sobre su confianza en Dios.

Aunque él sentía a veces dolores insoportables, compartían su historia para demostrar cómo los sostenía Dios. Sabían que su testimonio daría frutos para Él, evocando las palabras de Pablo —en su sufrimiento— a Timoteo: «yo sé a quién he creído, y estoy seguro que es poderoso para guardar mi depósito para aquel día» (2 Timoteo 1:12).

Dios puede usar aun la muerte de un ser amado para fortalecer nuestra fe (y la de otros) en Él por la gracia que recibimos en Cristo Jesús (v. 9). Si estás experimentando angustia y dificultades, recuerda que Él puede darte consuelo y paz.

De:  Amy Boucher Pye

Reflexiona y ora

Padre, que pueda dar testimonio de tu obra en mí.

¿Cómo experimentaste el gozo de Dios aun en tiempos de profunda tristeza? ¿De qué manera puedes compartir con otros lo que aprendiste?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Cuando Carolina escribió que su esposo «había ido a los brazos extendidos de Jesús», cientos de personas respondieron, agradeciéndole su sinceridad.