The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, August 13, 2020

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, August 13, 2020

Psalm 133; Genesis 41:14-36; Revelation 15:1-4

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

(Semicontinuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 133

How good it is to live in unity

1  How good and pleasant it is
     when God’s people live together in unity!

2  It is like precious oil poured on the head,
     running down on the beard,
   running down on Aaron’s beard,
     down on the collar of his robe.
3  It is as if the dew of Hermon
     were falling on Mount Zion.
   For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
     even life forevermore.

Genesis 41:14-36

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams

41:14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

22 “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

Revelation 15:1-4

All nations will worship God

15:1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

   “Great and marvelous are your deeds,
     Lord God Almighty.
   Just and true are your ways,
     King of the nations.
4  Who will not fear you, Lord,
     and bring glory to your name?
   For you alone are holy.
   All nations will come
     and worship before you,
   for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

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, August 13, 2020
Psalm 133; Genesis 41:14-36; Revelation 15:1-4

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, August 13, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, August 13, 2020

In 1957, following the Supreme Court’s decision against racial segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, African-American students in Arkansas were admitted to Little Rock High School for the first time.

This is a prayer of Charles de Foucauld: “Father, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I will thank you. I am ready for all; I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, as in all your creatures. And I’ll ask nothing else, my Lord.”

Lord, you came as a child to lead us toward your kingdom. We thank you for the dreams of the young. Fill us with wonder and give us a childlike audacity, even in the face of trials and persecution, to believe in another world despite the evidence around us, and to watch the evidence change. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, August 13, 2020

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Read all of Ephesians 2

Listen to Ephesians 2

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

LHM Daily Devotions — The Hidden Heart of God

The Hidden Heart of God

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before Him, saying, "Lord, help me." And He answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

— Matthew 15:21-28

Let's face it. This is a weird story. Here comes a Canaanite woman, asking for help—just like everybody else in Jesus' life. But Jesus doesn't say a single word! That's not like Him. He doesn't usually ignore people.

Maybe that's the reason why His disciples felt comfortable saying the rude thing they did. They said, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." They didn't say, "Lord, please help her," even though that would have gotten rid of her just as quickly. But she was a Gentile, and maybe they didn't feel the need to be kind to her.

And Jesus keeps saying strange things. He says, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel," and after she keeps begging, He says, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." I can't believe it! Is this Jesus talking? If He said this to me, I would probably run home in tears.

Not this lady! She has a little girl to take care of. As long as Jesus doesn't say straight out no, she's going to keep begging Him.

I wonder if that's the kind of faith Jesus was looking for? It didn't matter what test He set before her, she just kept coming. And Jesus rewarded that. "O woman, great is your faith!" And He healed her daughter.

Sometimes it seems like God's heart is hidden from us. We know from the Bible that He is kind and loving, but the circumstances of our lives seem to be saying exactly the opposite. We pray and cry out, and things just get worse. We are tempted to give up—to stop praying—even to leave the faith.

Let's not do that! Let's keep crying out to God—begging Him—harassing Him, even, until He helps us. Isaiah encouraged people to do that, too. He said, "You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest" (Isaiah 62:6b-7a, NIV). Again, He said, "I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in Him" (Isaiah 8:17).

We know what the heart of God is like. It is the heart of Jesus, who loved us so much that He became a human being like us, and lived among us. It is the heart of someone who would do anything, even suffer and die, to rescue His people. It is the heart of someone who gives good gifts, even everlasting life, to those who trust in Him.

Is God hiding His face from you? Call out to Him anyway—because you know His heart in Jesus.

Lord, hear my cry for help, and let me always trust in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever had a friend or relative behave in a way you didn't understand?

2. Have you ever felt that God was hiding from you?

3. What do you do when you feel like God is hiding or not listening?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved.
Have you ever had a friend or relative behave in a way you didn't understand?

Standing Strong Through the Storm — ENCOURAGEMENT

ENCOURAGEMENT

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

— Romans 15:4

In Eritrea, Helen Berhane, with more than twenty other young women, was imprisoned in a shipping container that held only eighteen people. In her book, Song of the Nightingale, she shares what happened:

“When [the guard] had locked us in and left, many of the women were furious and upset and began to complain and cry. I tried to find ways to encourage them and to make our situation more bearable. I encouraged everyone to sit on the floor in a circle, and I began to speak to them.

‘Remember that the walls of Jericho came down because of praises. If we keep complaining, we cannot win. Instead, we must continue to pray, praise, and sing. Satan wants to use discouraging words as a weapon against us, so we must continue to praise God in all circumstances.’

I could see some of the women nodding.

I continued, ‘When the Israelites were approaching the Promised Land, they sent spies ahead. Many of them returned, saying that the people were so huge the Israelites could not hope to beat them, and so they cried all night. But crying and complaining cannot solve our problems. Let us be like Caleb and Joshua. The larger our enemies are, the more of a feast they will make for us! Just think about the woman who suffered from bleeding and who believed that if she only touched the hem of Jesus’ robe, she would be healed. In the crowd, she was the one who had faith, and it was rewarded. We should not be like these people endlessly fighting amongst themselves. We should just reach out to Jesus and have faith.’

This helped us to feel more accepting of our situation, and so we got into the habit of talking about the Bible, praying, and singing in the container every day.”[1]
RESPONSE: Today I will pray, sing, and talk about the Bible rather than focus on my discouraging situations and relationships.

PRAYER: Lord, may I use Your Word as an encouragement to endure with hope in You.

1. Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale (Colorado Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), pp. 38-39.

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 — Trashed Potential

Trashed Potential

Judges 16:1–31

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 29:23; Romans 6:12–14; Ephesians 6:11–18

You knew that guy in high school—the guy with all the money, the looks, the clothes, and the fastest car. He was the popular one, the guy everyone liked to hang out with, the one who was a lock for being voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” But instead of taking advantage of all these advantages, he decided to spend his time chasing girls and partying, to the dismay of his parents and the ruin of his GPA.

Trust Fund Babies. College playboys. Frat-house social committee chairmen. To direct these terms at other guys is to accuse them of riding Daddy’s coattails and to call into question their work ethic and the seriousness with which they take life. Those who have less in the world can only scratch their heads and wonder what they could do with the same perks.

Now, this is a stereotype, to be sure. A few bad apples don’t spoil the whole barrel in this case. But as we can’t think back on that one guy and not wonder what happened, so also we can’t read the story of Samson and not wonder what went haywire.

Mighty Samson, who has never lost a battle, is captured by a woman, tortured by his enemies, and enslaved until his death. The mighty warrior who has killed scores of his enemies with rudimentary tools and with his bare hands trips up on the most obvious of ploys. The one who was to be dedicated to God’s service for the purpose of saving his people ends up in bondage to the very people he was intended to conquer.

What was he thinking? How could he have subjected himself to this kind of trickery? Didn’t Delilah ask him repeatedly about the secret of his strength, and couldn’t he see where this was leading? Did he forget that the Philistines had come into her house and tried to capture him on a number of occasions? Or did he just enjoy playing this game, knowing he couldn’t lose?

The sad fact is that Samson was just as human as you and I. He allowed his eyes to lead him astray, and he allowed his pride to strategize for him. In some sense he was a victim of his own success—and he learned the hard way that even a slugger with a perfect batting average can strike out when it matters most.

So what can we learn from Samson’s story today? Were you the one in high school who squandered your advantages and made foolish choices? Can you think back on times when you deliberately disobeyed what you knew to be God’s will for your life—and paid the price? If so, gain encouragement from the end of Samson’s story. God gave him a second chance to show that he was God’s man, and Samson struck a crippling blow to his enemies. God also gives us more chances than we can count to return to him and rededicate ourselves to his mission in the world.

To Take Away

• Why was it so easy for Samson to ignore his greatest weaknesses?
• How would you describe your greatest weakness?
• How could God help you turn your weakness into a quality he can use in his great strength?

You knew that guy in high school—the guy with all the money, the looks, the clothes and the fastest car. He was the popular one, the guy everyone liked to hang out with, the one who was a lock for being voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” But instead of taking advantage of all these advantages, he decided to…

Un dia a la Vez — Recojamos los estragos (primera parte)

Recojamos los estragos (primera parte)

Alaba, alma mía, al Señor, y no olvides ninguno de sus beneficios. Él perdona todos tus pecados y sana todas tus dolencias.

— Salmo 103:2-3

Al igual que los fuertes vientos derriban árboles, rompen techos y desordenan el lugar por donde pasan, lo mismo sucede con nosotros. A veces permitimos que lleguen a nuestra vida los vientos representados por malos hábitos, amistades que no nos aportan nada positivo y decisiones que destruyen lo que nos ha dado Dios y lo que Él construyó con tanto amor. Además, puede ser que en muchos casos veamos y experimentemos los vientos de poca intensidad y que creamos que no corremos peligro, pero esos también hacen daño y dejan consecuencias.

Recuerda que nosotros no tenemos el control de nuestra vida. Somos seres humanos que nos dejamos llevar por las circunstancias. Así que cuando queremos apartarnos del problema, estamos en pleno torbellino.

Incluso, hay vientos que nos golpean tan fuerte que no nos dan la oportunidad de refugiarnos, ya que hemos permitido que impacte nuestra vida de frente. Entonces, cuando pasa esa tempestad de pruebas y desolación, nos damos cuenta de lo que hicimos y solo vemos los estragos y la destrucción. Esto nos duele en el alma, pues no evitamos lo que estamos viviendo. Ante eso nos preguntamos: «¿Quién podrá ayudarnos? ¿Acaso será Dios?».

Sin duda, hay esperanza aun en medio de las pruebas y nos podremos levantar con la ayuda y la dirección del Señor.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Al igual que los fuertes vientos derriban árboles, rompen techos y desordenan el lugar por donde pasan, lo mismo sucede con nosotros.

Devocional CPTLN del 13 de agosto de 2020 — El corazón escondido de Dios

ALIMENTO DIARIO

El corazón escondido de Dios

13 de Agosto de 2020

Cuando Jesús salió de allí, se fue a la región de Tiro y de Sidón. De pronto salió una mujer cananea de aquella región, y a gritos le decía: «¡Señor, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de mí! ¡A mi hija la atormenta un demonio!» Pero Jesús no le dijo una sola palabra. Entonces sus discípulos se acercaron a él y le rogaron: «Despídela, pues viene gritando detrás de nosotros.» Él respondió: «Yo no fui enviado sino a las ovejas perdidas de la casa de Israel.» Entonces ella vino, se postró ante él, y le dijo: «¡Señor, ayúdame!» Él le dijo: «No está bien tomar el pan que es de los hijos, y echarlo a los perritos.» Ella respondió: «Cierto, Señor. Pero aun los perritos comen de las migajas que caen de la mesa de sus amos.» Entonces, Jesús le dijo: «¡Ah, mujer, tienes mucha fe! ¡Que se haga contigo tal y como quieres!» Y desde ese mismo instante su hija quedó sana.

— Mateo 15:21-28

Seamos sinceros. Esta es una historia rara. Aparece una mujer cananea pidiendo ayuda, como todos los demás en la vida de Jesús, ¡pero Jesús no dice una sola palabra! Él no es así, no suele ignorar a las personas. Quizás esa es la razón por la cual sus discípulos se sintieron cómodos diciendo lo grosero que dijeron: "Despídela, pues viene gritando detrás de nosotros". No le dijeron: "Señor, por favor, ayúdala", a pesar de que con eso se habrían librado de ella con la misma rapidez.

Jesús también dice cosas extrañas: "Yo no fui enviado sino a las ovejas perdidas de la casa de Israel", y después de que ella sigue rogando, "No está bien tomar el pan que es de los hijos, y echarlo a los perritos". ¡Es de no creer! ¿Es Jesús quien está hablando? Si me dijera a mí algo así, probablemente saldría corriendo a casa llorando. ¡Pero no esta mujer! Ella tiene una niña que cuidar, así que mientras Jesús no diga directamente que no, seguirá rogándole.

Me pregunto si ese es el tipo de fe que Jesús estaba buscando. Por más impedimentos que él le pusiera, ella seguía insistiendo. Y Jesús la recompensó eso. "¡Ah, mujer, tienes mucha fe!" Y sanó a su hija.

A veces parece que el corazón de Dios está escondido de nosotros. Sabemos por la Biblia que Él es amable y amoroso, pero las cosas que nos pasan parecen decir lo contrario. Oramos y lloramos, pero las cosas empeoran. Estamos tentados a rendirnos, a dejar de orar, incluso a abandonar la fe.

¡No hagamos eso! Sigamos clamando a Dios, rogándole, acosándolo incluso hasta que nos ayude. Isaías alentó a la gente a hacerlo cuando dijo: "Ustedes, los que invocan al Señor, no se den descanso ni tampoco lo dejen descansar" (Isaías 62:6b-7a). Y también dijo: "Yo esperaré al Señor, que escondió su rostro de la casa de Jacob. En él confiaré" (Isaías 8:17).

Sabemos cómo es el corazón de Dios: nos amó tanto, que se hizo hombre y vivió entre nosotros. Es el corazón de alguien que haría cualquier cosa, incluso sufrir y morir, para rescatar a su pueblo. Es el corazón de alguien que da buenos regalos, incluso la vida eterna, a quienes confían en él.

¿Está Dios escondiendo su rostro de ti? Llámalo de todos modos, porque en Jesús conoces su corazón.

ORACIÓN: Señor, escucha mi grito de auxilio y enséñame a confiar siempre en ti. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Alguna vez has sentido que Dios se estaba escondiendo de ti?

* ¿Qué haces cuando sientes que Dios se esconde o no te escucha?

© 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 has sentido que Dios se estaba escondiendo de ti?

Хлеб наш насущный - Большое дело

Большое дело

Читать сейчас: Неемии 6:1-4 | Библия за год: Псалтирь 86-87; 1 Иоанна 3

Скачать MP3

«Я занят большим делом, не могу сойти; дело остановилось бы, если бы я оставил его и сошел к вам».

— Неемии 6:3

Сотрудник службы охраны нашел и оторвал кусочек клейкой ленты, не позволявшей двери закрываться со щелчком. Через некоторое время он решил проверить дверь и обнаружил, что лента снова наклеена. Он позвонил в полицию, которая по прибытии арестовала пятерых взломщиков.

Работая в здании Уотергейт в Вашингтоне, где размещалась штаб-квартира крупной политической партии, молодой охранник содействовал раскрытию самого большого политического преступления того времени просто благодаря тому, что серьезно относился к своей работе и хорошо ее исполнял.

Неемия начал восстанавливать стену вокруг Иерусалима – задача, к которой он отнесся в высшей степени серьезно. Когда работа приближалась к завершению, противники предложили ему встретиться в близлежащей деревне. За дружелюбным приглашением скрывалась коварная ловушка (Неем. 6:1-2). Ответ Неемии показывает глубину его убеждений: «Я занят большим делом, не могу сойти; дело остановилось бы, если бы я оставил его и сошел к вам» (ст. 3).

Хоть Неемия и обладал авторитетом, он едва ли мог считаться великим героем. Он не был ни сильным воином, ни поэтом или пророком, ни царем или мудрецом. Он был виночерпием, которого назначили наместником. Но он верил, что делает важное дело для Бога. Давайте будем серьезно относиться к делу, которое Он нам поручил, и исполнять его хорошо. А Господь даст нам силу и пошлет все необходимое.

К какому труду призвал вас Бог? Почему важно относиться к нему серьезно и считать «большим делом»?

Боже, помоги мне сосредоточиться на том большом деле, которое Ты мне поручил, и довести его до конца.

автор: Гленн Пакиам

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Сотрудник службы охраны нашел и оторвал кусочек клейкой ленты, не позволявшей двери закрываться со щелчком. Через некоторое время он решил проверить дверь и обнаружил, что лента снова наклеена.