The Daily Bible Readings for WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020

The Daily Readings

WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020

Psalm 77; 2 Kings 2:1-18; Mark 11:20-25

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day: 1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 77

God’s way was in the sea

77:1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

11 I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.

18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

2 Kings 2:1-18

Prophets cross the Jordan

2:1 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

Mark 11:20-25

Forgiveness for those who forgive

11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

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, King James Version (KJV).

The Daily Bible Readings are selected from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, 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 Readings for WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020
Psalm 77; 2 Kings 2:1-18; Mark 11:20-25 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020

Prayer of the Day

WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

— John 15:26–27

Great God and Savior, you want to lead us by the hand so that in communion with you we learn how to live a true life. We thank you for everything we have already received. Guide us still, we pray. Through your Spirit lead us in all areas of our life. Grant us the Spirit, who can illumine our hearts to help us find new courage and new strength and new recognition of the truth. All our praise belongs to you, for you alone can quicken us. You alone free us from the pain of death and from all burdens, so that in spite of toil and struggle we may always be lifted up to you, our God on high, to the glory of your name on earth. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020

James 3:13

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Read all of James 3

Listen to James 3

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Off Script

Off Script

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. ... Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

— Philippians 1:12-14, 27-30

Have you ever noticed that most people go through life as if there were a script in front of them? In every situation, they have the future plotted out. "I'll say X, and then she'll say Y," they think. "I'll do A, and then he'll do B." This applies to public life as well. Police, judges, governments—they all have their scripts, and they choose their actions based on what they believe other people will do in response.

But it doesn't always work. Take our reading for today—Paul is in jail for preaching about Jesus, and he might even be executed. The local Christians know about this, and we'd expect it to have a dampening effect on their faith. Humanly speaking, they should be thinking to themselves, "Oh dear, Paul's in jail for Jesus' sake. I think I'd better back off on my witnessing, or I'll wind up in a cell next door." But that's not what happened. As Paul says, "Most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."

It must have freaked out the local authorities. The Christians were going off script—instead of hiding, they were talking about Jesus more and more! Why weren't they hiding? Why weren't they afraid?

Paul knew the reason, and so did the Christians. After a lifetime of fear, the Gospel had come to them, and set them free from the fear of suffering and death. They didn't need to follow that universal human script any longer. Now they belonged to the God who Himself went off script—who chose to respond to human evil, not by rejecting and condemning us, but by saving us—at the cost of His own life. Now that was an unexpected turn! A God who would do such a thing could do anything—even rise from the dead, even adopt His enemies and make them His own children!

If that is the kind of God we have, we no longer need to be afraid of imprisonment or death. Like those first Christians, we can go off script and live like children of God in an amazed world. We can love our enemies, face our fears with trust in Jesus, putting God first instead of self. Because of Jesus, we know that God has the last word on our lives—and His word for us is mercy.

Father, help me to live in the freedom and joy of Your children. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel when someone behaves in an unexpected way around you?

2. Have you ever done anything as a Christian that confused the people around you?

3. How does this sort of confusion help others to come to faith in Jesus?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever noticed that most people go through life as if there were a script in front of them?

Standing Strong Through the Storm — LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

— Matthew 5:42

The second part of the Great Commandment (Luke 10:27) is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus then tells the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, Jesus defines our neighbor as anyone in need of help. This kind of love is very practical.

It was the middle of winter and the elderly Christian in prison had a badly infected ear. He thanked God that he had been able to keep his fur hat affording him some protection from the biting cold. At least he had a pillow at night.

One day one of his cellmates asked him for his fur hat. The Christian had been willing to share food with his cellmates but felt he could not give up his hat. After all, he had an infected ear. He needed that hat.

Through the night he wrestled with his conscience. He was haunted by this scripture: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42).

After a night of prayer, he sought forgiveness before God and was ready to hand over his hat. In the morning he learned that during the night the guards had taken the cellmate to another prison with a more severe climate.

That same morning, the guards held a routine check of the cell, and among the personal objects confiscated was the believer’s fur hat.

He had tried to keep something that he was about to lose and God wanted to see the hat used for continued good with the other prisoner. Many years later, this believer remembered that lesson in Christian maturity which the Holy Spirit taught him.

RESPONSE: Today I will live in the realization that people are more important than things.

PRAYER: Help me, Lord, to not be tied down by my possessions but be open to sharing what You have given me with others in need.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
In this story Jesus defines our neighbor as anyone in need of help.…

John Piper Devotional — The Soul’s Final Feast

The Soul’s Final Feast

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

— Psalm 27:4

God is not unresponsive to the contrite longing of the soul. He comes and lifts the load of sin and fills our heart with gladness and gratitude. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Psalm 30:11–12).

But our joy does not just rise from the backward glance in gratitude. It also rises from the forward glance in hope: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5–6).

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).

In the end, the heart longs not for any of God’s good gifts, but for God himself. To see him and know him and be in his presence is the soul’s final feast. Beyond this, there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience:

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

“Delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4).
God is not unresponsive to the contrite longing of the soul. He comes and lifts the load of sin and fills our heart with gladness and gratitude.

Un dia a la Vez — Ángeles a nuestro alrededor

Ángeles a nuestro alrededor

Ningún mal habrá de sobrevenirte, ninguna calamidad llegará a tu hogar. Porque él ordenará que sus ángeles te cuiden en todos tus caminos.

— Salmo 91:10-11

Hablar de los ángeles son palabras mayores y la verdad es que no voy a entrar en ese tema de explicarte cómo son. Lo único que puedo decirte es que la Biblia registra más de cien versículos donde los ángeles tuvieron su aparición en diferentes momentos de la historia bíblica.

En el mundo actual, hay personas que dicen que han tenido experiencias con ángeles, que los han visto. Aunque yo no he visto ninguno, sí creo que Dios nos envía ángeles que nos protegen de todo mal y peligro.

En realidad, es importante que te acostumbres a orar y a pedirle a Dios que les ordene a sus ángeles que estén alrededor de nuestras casas, autos e hijos. En mi caso, confío en que a pesar de que no los veo, están siempre conmigo. Además, sé que en muchas ocasiones me han librado del peligro.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hablar de los ángeles son palabras mayores y la verdad es que no voy a entrar en ese tema de explicarte cómo son. Lo único que puedo decirte es que la Biblia registra más de cien versículos donde los ángeles tuvieron su aparición en diferentes momentos de la historia bíblica.

Devocional CPTLN — No estaba en el guion

No estaba en el guion

Quiero que sepan, hermanos, que las circunstancias en que me he visto, han redundado en un mayor progreso del evangelio, de tal manera que mis prisiones por la causa de Cristo se han hecho notorias en toda la guardia pretoriana y a todos los demás. La mayoría de los hermanos, confiando en el Señor por causa de mis prisiones , tienen mucho más valor para hablar la palabra de Dios sin temor... Solamente compórtense de una manera digna del evangelio de Cristo, de modo que ya sea que vaya a verlos, o que permanezca ausente, pueda oír que ustedes están firmes en un mismo espíritu, luchando unánimes por la fe del evangelio. De ninguna manera estén atemorizados por sus adversarios, lo cual es señal de perdición para ellos, pero de salvación para ustedes, y esto, de Dios. Porque a ustedes se les ha concedido por amor de Cristo, no solo creer en Él, sino también sufrir por Él, teniendo el mismo conflicto que vieron en mí, y que ahora oyen que está en mí.

— Filipenses 1:12-14, 27-30

¿Has notado alguna vez que la mayoría de la gente va por la vida como si siguiera un guion? Tienen el futuro planeado para cualquier situación. "Yo diré X, y luego ella dirá Y", piensan. "Yo haré A, y luego él hará B." Esto también se aplica a la vida pública. Policías, jueces, gobiernos: todos tienen sus propios guiones y eligen sus acciones basándose en lo que creen que harán las otras personas.

Pero no siempre funciona así. Tomemos nuestra lectura de hoy: Pablo está en la cárcel por predicar acerca de Jesús, y hasta podría ser ejecutado. Los cristianos locales lo saben, por lo que pensamos que esto los va a afectar. Humanamente hablando, deberían estar pensando: "Dios mío, Pablo está en la cárcel por amor de Jesús. Creo que será mejor que me retracte de mi testimonio o terminaré en una celda al lado suyo". Pero eso no es lo que pasa. Como dice Pablo: "La mayoría de los hermanos, confiando en el Señor por causa de mis prisiones, tienen mucho más valor para hablar la palabra de Dios sin temor".

Las autoridades locales se deben haber asustado. Los cristianos no seguían el guion: en vez de esconderse, ¡hablaban cada vez más de Jesús! ¿Por qué no se escondían? ¿Por qué no tenían miedo?

Pablo conocía la razón, y los cristianos también. Después de vivir con miedo, el Evangelio los había liberado del miedo al sufrimiento y la muerte. Ya no necesitaban seguir ese guion humano universal. Ahora pertenecían al Dios que se salió del guion, que eligió responder a la maldad humana no rechazándonos y condenándonos, sino salvándonos a costa de su propia vida. ¡Ese fue un giro inesperado! Un Dios que haría tal cosa podría hacer cualquier cosa, incluso resucitar de entre los muertos, incluso adoptar a sus enemigos y convertirlos en sus hijos.

Si esa es la clase de Dios que tenemos, ya no debemos tener miedo de la cárcel o la muerte. Como esos primeros cristianos, podemos salirnos del guion y vivir como hijos de Dios en un mundo asombrado. Podemos amar a nuestros enemigos, enfrentar nuestros miedos con confianza en Jesús, poniendo a Dios primero en lugar de a nosotros mismos. Gracias a Jesús sabemos que Dios tiene la última palabra sobre nuestra vida, y su palabra para nosotros es misericordia.

ORACIÓN: Padre, ayúdame a vivir en la libertad y la alegría de tus hijos. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Has hecho alguna vez algo como cristiano que haya confundido a quienes te rodean?

* ¿De qué manera ese tipo de confusión ayuda a otros a llegar a la fe en Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Has notado alguna vez que la mayoría de la gente va por la vida como si siguiera un guion?

Ministérios Pão Diário — O jeito certo de falar com Deus

O jeito certo de falar com Deus

Escritura de hoje: Mateus 6:5-15

Bíblia em um ano: Provérbios 25–26; 2 Coríntios 9

Mas, quando orarem, cada um vá para seu quarto, feche a porta e ore a seu Pai, em segredo.

— Mateus 6:6

Admiro os que registram os pedidos de oração em diários gastos pelo manuseio e que atualizam sempre toda oração e louvor em suas listas. Sou inspirada por pessoas que se reúnem para orar e por pessoas cujos joelhos desgastam o tapete ao lado da cama. Durante anos, tentei imitar esse estilo de vida, a oração perfeita e a eloquência das pessoas mais articuladas do que eu. Lutei para solucionar o que eu achava ser um mistério, uma vez que eu ansiava por aprender o jeito certo de orar.

No fim das contas, compreendi que o nosso Senhor simplesmente deseja que a oração comece e termine com humildade (Mateus 6:5). Ele nos convida a ter uma comunhão íntima por meio da qual promete nos ouvir (v.6). O Senhor nunca exige palavras e frases decoradas ou floreadas (v.7). Ele nos garante que a oração é uma dádiva, uma oportunidade de honrar Sua majestade (vv.9,10), de demonstrar nossa confiança em Sua provisão (v.11) e afirmar a segurança que temos em Seu perdão e direção (vv.12,13).

Deus nos garante ouvir e preocupar-se com cada oração proferida ou não proferida e com as orações que escorrem por nosso rosto em lágrimas silenciosas. Quando colocamos nossa confiança em Deus e em Seu perfeito amor por nós, podemos ter certeza de que orar com um coração humilde, entregue e dependente do Senhor, é sempre o jeito certo de orar.

Por:  Xochitl Dixon

Refletir & Orar

Senhor, agradeço-te por me lembrares de que tu ouves toda oração.

Invocar a Jesus como nosso Senhor e Salvador 
é o jeito certo de orar.


© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Admiro os que registram os pedidos de oração em diários gastos pelo manuseio e que atualizam sempre toda oração e louvor em suas listas. Sou inspirada por pessoas que se reúnem para orar e por pessoas cujos joelhos desgastam o tapete ao lado da cama. Durante anos, tentei imitar esse estilo de vida, a oração perfeita e a eloquência das pessoas mais articuladas do que eu. Lutei para solucionar o que eu achava ser um mistério, uma vez que eu ansiava por aprender o jeito certo de orar.