The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, August 3, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, August 3, 2020

Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 31:22-42; Romans 1:8-15

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
(Semicontinuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 17:1-7, 15

I shall see your face

1  Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
     listen to my cry.
   Hear my prayer—
     it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2  Let my vindication come from you;
     may your eyes see what is right.

3  Though you probe my heart,
     though you examine me at night and test me,
   you will find that I have planned no evil;
     my mouth has not transgressed.
4  Though people tried to bribe me,
     I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
5  My steps have held to your paths;
     my feet have not stumbled.

6  I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
     turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7  Show me the wonders of your great love,
     you who save by your right hand
     those who take refuge in you from their foes.

15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
     when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Genesis 31:22-42

Laban overtakes Jacob

31:22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

Romans 1:8-15

A harvest among the Gentiles

1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

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 MONDAY, August 3, 2020
Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Genesis 31:22-42; Romans 1:8-15

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, August 3, 2020

The Daily Prayer

MONDAY, August 3, 2020

In his book From Brokenness to Community, Jean Vanier writes, “Those with whom Jesus identifies himself are regarded by society as misfits. And yet Jesus is that person who is hungry; Jesus is that woman who is confused and naked. Wouldn’t it be extraordinary if we all discovered that? The face of the world would be changed. We would then no longer want to compete in going up the ladder to meet God in the light, in the sun and in beauty, to be honored because of our theological knowledge. Or if we did want knowledge, it would be because we believe that our knowledge and theology are important only so long as they are used to serve and honor the poor.”

O God of the poor and meek, form us into people who do not conform to the patterns of this world but rather conform to the norms of your upside-down kingdom. Give us eyes to see you in those who suffer. Move us to the margins of this world, and help us to find you there, in your most distressing disguises. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, August 3, 2020

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Read all of 1 Samuel 16

Listen to 1 Samuel 16

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 - Lunes 03 de agosto de 2020

La unción

Pero tenemos este tesoro en vasos de barro, para que la excelencia del poder sea de Dios, y no de nosotros.

— 2 Corintios 4:7, RV-60

Cuando uno llega a los caminos de Dios, empieza a escuchar ciertas palabras que no conocemos y que a menudo repetimos, sin tener idea.

¿Qué es la unción? No es importante solo conocer el significado de la palabra como tal, sino también el modo de manifestarse en nuestras vidas.

La unción, según la describe la misma Biblia, es Dios haciendo cosas en la gente que solo Él puede hacer y que lo lleva a cabo por medio de nosotros, pero con su poder. A menudo vemos pastores y líderes que hacen cosas que solo son posibles con el poder de Dios y ahí es cuando decimos: «Esa persona tiene unción». El significado en la Biblia de la unción es «derramar, esparcir sobre algo». Mediante la unción Dios consagra al ungido para una función en particular dentro de sus propósitos y lo capacita para el servicio. Por lo tanto, Dios es el que prepara a esas personas.

Mi consejo es que no cuestiones cuando veas personas haciendo cosas que te sorprenden porque es Dios en ellas. Ahora bien, no todo el mundo tiene el poder para hacerlo. Hay muchas iglesias en las que se manipula a la gente y no hay ninguna unción, sino un montaje. Sé que es duro, pero es la verdad. Muchas iglesias usan el nombre de Dios para hacer cosas que Él no aprueba o que sencillamente no son su voluntad. Por ejemplo, una rosa, un manto o ciertos rituales que se apartan de la cobertura de nuestro Dios. Ten mucho cuidado con la iglesia que escoges y con lo que sucede allí dando por sentado que se hace en el nombre de Dios.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Cuando uno llega a los caminos de Dios, empieza a escuchar ciertas palabras que no conocemos y que a menudo repetimos, sin tener idea.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, August 3, 2020

ENDURING PERSECUTION

“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

— Acts 9:16

These are the words of Jesus to Ananias when Saul of Tarsus had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Though Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, resorted to flight several times in his missionary work, he did not try to avoid persecution as a lifestyle practice. Indeed in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Paul outlines and describes the repeated persecution he had endured for Christ.

The Bible and history are replete with examples of those who in the will of God refused to flee but stayed and endured the persecution to the point of self-sacrifice and even martyrdom.

A few years ago I was in Thailand for some organizational meetings. One of my colleagues brought a Vietnamese pastor to meet me who was in great anguish. His story touched me deeply.

Pastor Vin was at home in Vietnam one earlier evening when a parishioner knocked on the door. He had just met a sizable group of North Korean refugees who had trekked through China and become lost in the Vietnamese jungle. They were emaciated, ragged, and fearful.

The Pastor invited the refugees to his home where they were fed and his people brought them adequate clothing. But what now? If discovered by the Vietnamese authorities, they would be repatriated to North Korea to certain death or life in a labor camp. Their only hope was to seek asylum in neighboring Cambodia which did not have an extradition agreement with North Korea.

Then came a second knock on the door. It was the parishioner again. The Vietnamese authorities had been tipped off that North Korean refugees were in the area and were actively searching for them.

Pastor Vin knew the jungle route to Cambodia and knew what he had to do. Bidding his family farewell, he set off with the group of refugees and led them safely through the jungle to the capital of Cambodia where they successfully sought asylum as refugees.

But the Vietnamese authorities soon became aware of what the pastor had done. They notified his wife that he would be arrested and imprisoned immediately upon his arrival home. He fled further west to neighboring Thailand for safety.

The night I met him in Thailand he was in tears. His wife was scheduled for surgery the next day in the hospital back home in Vietnam. She so wanted him to be there with her during this trying time. Yet he could not safely return home. He was in a quandary. We prayed together that God would be with his wife in her medical emergency and give him wisdom to know what to do.

Later I heard from our colleague that Mrs. Vin’s surgery was successful and that Pastor Vin, knowing what he would face, returned home to Vietnam. He was immediately arrested and placed under house detention. But he used his time at home discipling new believers.

Fleeing is not the only option when persecution strikes. There are times when God’s will is for us to stay and face the music!

RESPONSE: Today I will stay in tune with God’s Spirit so that I will know what responses He wants me to make.

PRAYER: Help me Lord to be aware of Your purposes in the events and challenges of my life.

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

Women of the Bible - Monday, August 3, 2020

Esther

Her name means: "Ishtar," the Babylonian Goddess of Love, or from the Persian word for "Star." Her Hebrew Name, "Hadassah," Means "Myrtle"

Her character: An orphan in a foreign land, she was willing to conceal her Jewish identity in a bid for a pagan king's affection. Esther seemed willing to make moral compromises by sleeping with the king and then taking part in a wedding that would necessarily have required her to pay homage to foreign gods. Even so, she displayed great courage in the midst of a crisis. Prior to risking her life for her people, she humbled herself by fasting and then put her considerable beauty, social grace, and wisdom in the service of God's plan.
Her sorrow: To learn that her husband, the king, had unwittingly placed her life and the life of her people in jeopardy.
Her joy: To watch mourning turn to celebration once the Jews enjoyed relief from their enemies.
Key Scriptures: Esther 1-10

Her Story

Vashti, queen of Persia, was the most powerful woman in the Middle East, yet her power was as fragile as a candle in a storm. Her husband, Xerxes, had just summoned her to appear before a festive gathering of his nobles. Vashti, however, having no intention of parading herself like a prized cow in front of a herd of drunken men, refused.

What should be done to punish her insolence? One of the king's counselors spoke for all: "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.' There will be no end of disrespect and discord."

So poor Vashti bore the brunt of every man's fears. She who had refused the royal summons was forever banished from the royal presence, and a great domestic uprising was squelched before it even began.

After a while, a search was conducted for a new queen to replace Vashti. It so happened that many Jews were living in Persia at the time. Exiled from Judah a hundred years earlier (after Jerusalem's fall in 587 bc), they had been deported to Babylon, which in turn was conquered by Persia. Mordecai and his orphaned cousin Esther were among those living in exile, 650 miles northeast of Jerusalem.

Like many other young virgins, the beautiful Esther was gathered into the king's harem. To refuse the privilege may well have meant her death. Counseled by Mordecai to keep her Jewish origins a secret, because being a Jew would probably have disqualified her from becoming queen, she spent the next twelve months awaiting her tryst with the king. When the moment came, Esther so pleased Xerxes that she became queen in Vashti's place.

Sometime later, an Amalekite named Haman rose to power in Persia. Haman was so highly placed that other officials knelt before him as a sign of respect. One man, however, the Jew Mordecai, refused to kneel. Haman became so angry that he decided to eliminate every Jew in the kingdom.

To ascertain the most favorable moment for destroying them, Haman piously consulted his gods by casting lots (or pur). A date eleven months into the future was revealed—March 7 by our reckoning. Haman immediately persuaded Xerxes to issue a decree that all the Jews in his realm were to be slaughtered on that day. By way of incentive, the decree proclaimed that anyone who killed a Jew could plunder his possessions.

Mordecai reacted immediately by contacting his cousin Esther and asking her to beg Xerxes for mercy. But Esther was afraid and replied, "For any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spare their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."

Mordecai replied, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

So Esther instructed Mordecai, "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

On the third day, Esther approached the king. As soon as Xerxes saw her, he held out the golden scepter. "What is it, Queen Esther?" he asked. "What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you."

But Esther merely invited the king and Haman to join her that evening for a banquet she had prepared especially for them. That evening the king again pressed her to ask for whatever she desired, but Esther simply invited the king and Haman to another banquet, to be held the following night.

That evening, on his way home, Haman caught sight of Mordecai, sitting smugly rather than kneeling as he passed by. Haman was outraged, but his wife consoled him by proposing an evil scheme—he need merely build a gallows and then ask the king to hang Mordecai on it the next morning.

While Haman was happily constructing a gallows for his enemy, the king was pacing the royal bedroom. Unable to sleep, he ordered one of his servants to read from the annals of the kingdom. That evening's reading just happened to be about how Mordecai had once saved the king's life by warning of a plot against him. It struck the king that Mordecai had never been properly rewarded for his loyalty.

So the next morning the king asked Haman: "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?"

Assuming the king intended to reward him in some new and marvelous way, the foolish Haman replied with a grandiose suggestion: "For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden. Then let one of the king's most noble princes robe the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!'"

"Go at once," the king commanded him. "Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew."

Haman was dumbstruck. The man who had planned to bury his enemy was suddenly forced to exalt him that very day!

That night, as the king and Haman were once again drinking wine at the queen's banquet, the king implored Esther to ask for whatever her heart desired. This time she spoke her mind: "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation."

"Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?" the king demanded.

"The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman."

And so Haman's star, which had risen to so great a height, fell suddenly, like a bolt of lightning crashing from the sky. He was hanged on the very same gallows he had built for the Jew Mordecai, and all his property was given to Esther. Furthermore, the king, because he could not revoke one of his own edicts, issued another to counteract the first one. It gave Jews throughout the empire the right to protect themselves, to destroy and plunder every enemy who might raise a hand against them on the seventh of March.

As news of the king's edict spread, many people from various nationalities became so terrified that they claimed to be Jews themselves. The very day Haman's gods had revealed as a day of reckoning for the Jews became a day of reckoning for their enemies. Ever after, the Jews commemorated these events with the Feast of Purim. As the book of Esther says, these days were celebrated "as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration."

Subject to foreign powers after the exile, God's people must have felt among the weakest elements of society. But weaker even than a Jewish man exiled to a foreign land was a Jewish woman. And weakest of all would have been a young orphan of Jewish descent. God had once again employed one of his favorite methods for accomplishing his purposes: He had raised an imperfect woman, the weakest of the weak, placing her in a position of immense strategic importance.

But it had been up to Esther to decide whether she would play the part God offered. Like Moses, she chose to identify with God's people even if it meant risking her life to do so. And even though exile was a punishment for Israel's long unfaithfulness, God showed that he was still with his people, delivering and protecting them in surprising ways, turning the table on their enemies through a series of stunning reversals. Earthly powers were at work to kill and destroy, but a heavenly power, far greater in scope, was at work to save and preserve.

Her Promise

God often uses the most unlikely characters to fulfill his purposes. He elevates a Jewish orphan to become the queen of a great empire. Esther begins as a nobody and becomes a somebody, a woman who somewhat reluctantly risks her life to make a stand.

Again, God reveals his penchant for using the most unlikely, ordinary people to accomplish His divine purposes. But, you may wonder, could God ever use you to accomplish his purposes, with all your foibles and imperfections, your lack of talent or influence? Yes, he can! He isn't looking for people who are perfect or talented or influential. He is only looking for people who are willing.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
An orphan in a foreign land, she was willing to conceal her Jewish identity in a bid for a pagan king's affection.

LHM Daily Devotions - August 3, 2020 - "He Came Down"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"He Came Down"

August 3, 2020

In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because He was angry ... He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet.

— Psalm 18:6-7, 9

Scripture speaks of many times when God "came down." He came down to inspect the tower of Babel and in judgment on human pride, confused the language of the builders and scattered them across the earth. He came down in cloud and fire on Mount Sinai to give His Law to Israel. In our psalm, the God who "dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:16b) covers Himself in darkness and comes down to rescue His servant David, descending in wrath and might that bends the heavens.

Centuries later, God once again "bowed the heavens and came down" to rescue us from a "strong enemy" who was "too mighty" for us (Psalm 18:17). God the Son left His dwelling of light and humbled Himself to be conceived in the darkness of a virgin's womb. While our infant Savior slept in a manger in Bethlehem, darkness turned bright as day as an angel announced the news of His birth to shepherds out in the nearby fields. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior," said the angel (Luke 2:11a). That glad news is for us, too. The Son of God descended from the realms of light to dwell in a sin-darkened world. He came down for you!

To rescue us, our Lord Jesus, the Light of the world, was nailed to a cross. He bore our sins in His body as thick darkness surrounded Him. There was no thundering voice from heaven to answer His desolate cry, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46b). Dying in silent darkness, Jesus scattered our enemies and rescued us from sin, death, and the devil. Three days later, in the early light of the first Easter morning, the land "trembled and quaked," as an angel descended to roll away the stone blocking the door of Jesus' tomb. The Son of God rose from the dead, leaving behind the darkness of death and the grave.

We had not even cried out in distress as the psalmist had. Trapped in sin, we were unaware of our need. Still, the Son of God came down to rescue us, for "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8b). Now He reigns in glory, ever ready to hear our cries of distress and our songs of praise. On a day still to come, the Savior will again bow the heavens and come down, not in silent darkness as in His birth in Bethlehem, but in power and glory. He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords to rescue us, to raise us from death as He was raised and take us to dwell in His presence for all eternity.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we look forward to the day of Your return. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you have a sense that God interacts with you personally, in your life?

2. Can you think of times in the Bible when God was angry? When were they and what happened?

3. Do you look forward to when God will come again on the Last Day?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do you have a sense that God interacts with you personally, in your life?

Devocional CPTLN del 03 de agosto de 2020 - Él descendió

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Él descendió

03 de Agosto de 2020

Pero en mi angustia, Señor, a ti clamé; a ti, mi Dios, pedí ayuda, y desde tu templo me escuchaste; ¡mis gemidos llegaron a tus oídos! La tierra tembló y se estremeció; las montañas se cimbraron hasta sus cimientos; ¡se sacudieron por la indignación del Señor!... El Señor inclinó el cielo, y descendió; bajo sus pies había una densa oscuridad.

— Salmo 68:6-7, 9

Muchas veces las Escrituras dicen que Dios "descendió". Descendió para inspeccionar la torre de Babel y, como juicio al orgullo humano, confundió el lenguaje de los constructores y los dispersó por la tierra. Descendió en una nube y fuego en el Monte Sinaí para dar su Ley a Israel. En nuestro salmo, el Dios que "habita en luz inaccesible" (1 Timoteo 6:16a) se cubre en la oscuridad y desciende para rescatar a su siervo David con tal ira y poder que inclina los cielos.

Siglos después, Dios una vez más "inclinó el cielo y descendió" para rescatarnos de un "poderoso enemigo" que era más fuerte que nosotros (Salmo 18:17). Dios el Hijo dejó su morada de luz y se humilló para ser concebido en la oscuridad del vientre de una virgen. Mientras nuestro pequeño Salvador dormía en un pesebre en Belén, la oscuridad se volvió brillante como el día cuando un ángel anunció la noticia de su nacimiento a pastores en los campos cercanos. "Hoy, en la ciudad de David, les ha nacido un Salvador, que es Cristo el Señor", dijo el ángel (Lucas 2:11). Esa buena noticia es para nosotros también. El Hijo de Dios descendió de los reinos de la luz para habitar en un mundo oscurecido por el pecado. ¡Él descendió por ti!

Para rescatarnos nuestro Señor Jesús, la Luz del mundo, fue clavado en una cruz. Él cargó nuestros pecados en su cuerpo mientras la espesa oscuridad lo rodeaba. No hubo una voz atronadora desde el cielo para responder a su grito desolado: "Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿por qué me has abandonado?" (Mateo 27:46b). Muriendo en una oscuridad silenciosa, Jesús dispersó a nuestros enemigos y nos rescató del pecado, la muerte y el diablo. Tres días después, a la luz de la primera mañana de Pascua, la tierra tembló cuando un ángel descendió para quitar la piedra que bloqueaba la puerta de la tumba de Jesús. El Hijo de Dios se levantó de entre los muertos, dejando atrás la oscuridad de la muerte y la tumba.

Ni siquiera habíamos gritado de angustia como el salmista. Atrapados en el pecado, no éramos conscientes de nuestra necesidad. Aun así, el Hijo de Dios descendió para rescatarnos, porque "cuando aún éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros" (Romanos 5:8b). Ahora Él reina en gloria, siempre listo para escuchar nuestros gritos de angustia y nuestras canciones de alabanza. En un día por venir, el Salvador nuevamente inclinará los cielos y descenderá, no en la oscuridad silenciosa como en su nacimiento en Belén, sino en poder y gloria. Él vendrá como Rey de reyes y Señor de señores para rescatarnos, resucitarnos de la muerte como fue resucitado y llevarnos a morar en Su presencia por toda la eternidad.

ORACIÓN: Señor Jesús, esperamos el día de tu regreso. En tu nombre oramos. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Reconoces que Dios interactúa en tu vida?

* ¿Esperas con ansias el regreso del Señor en el último día?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Reconoces que Dios interactúa en tu vida?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Le combat est fini. Vraiment.

Le combat est fini. Vraiment.

Lisez : Romains 6.1-11
La Bible en un an : Psaumes 66 – 67 ; Romains 7

Nous avons donc été ensevelis avec lui. — Romains 6.4

Pendant vingt-neuf ans après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Hiroo Onoda a refusé de croire que son pays avait capitulé. Les autorités militaires japonaises avaient envoyé Onoda dans une île lointaine des Philippines (Lubang) avec pour ordre d’espionner les forces alliées. En 1974, son commandant s’est rendu dans l’île de Lubang pour le retrouver et le convaincre que la guerre était finie.

Pendant trois décennies, Onoda a mené une piètre existence en isolement parce qu’il refusait de capituler, de croire que le conflit était terminé. Or, nous pouvons nous aussi faire une erreur similaire. Paul proclame la vérité frappante selon laquelle « nous tous qui avons été baptisés en Jésus-Christ, c’est en sa mort que nous avons été baptisés » (RO 6.3). Sur la croix, de façon puissante et mystérieuse, Jésus a anéanti les mensonges de Satan, la terreur de la mort et la poigne tenace du péché. Bien que nous soyons « morts au péché » et « vivants pour Dieu » (V. 11), nous agissons souvent comme si le mal exerçait encore du pouvoir sur nous. Nous cédons à la tentation et à la séduction du péché. Nous prêtons l’oreille aux mensonges du diable et nous négligeons de faire confiance à Jésus. Par la grâce de Dieu, nous pouvons pourtant embrasser la victoire véridique de Christ.

Même si nous continuerons de lutter contre le péché, nous obtiendrons la liberté en reconnaissant que Jésus a déjà remporté le combat. Puissions-nous vivre selon cette vérité par sa puissance.

Jésus, je sais que tu as remporté le combat contre le mal et les ténèbres. Aide-moi à vivre en conséquence.

Par sa mort sur la croix, Jésus a expié tous nos péchés passés, présents et futurs.

par Winn Collier

© 2020 Ministères NPQ
Pendant vingt-neuf ans après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Hiroo Onoda a refusé de croire que son pays avait capitulé.