The Daily Bible Readings for THURSDAY, September 17, 2020

The Daily Readings

THURSDAY, September 17, 2020

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 15:22-27; 2 Corinthians 13:1-4

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day: Ephesians 5:1

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45

Remembering the wilderness

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.

43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.

Exodus 15:22-27

Bitter water made sweet

15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

2 Corinthians 13:1-4

Dissent among believers

13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

2 I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:

3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

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 THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 15:22-27; 2 Corinthians 13:1-4 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for THURSDAY, September 17, 2020

Prayer of the Day

THURSDAY, September 17, 2020

People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

— Mark 7:37

Lord our God, you fill heaven and earth with your Spirit and allow us to share in your gifts. We thank you for all you have given us, for all you are giving and will give. We are poor and needy; all people are poor and needy in spite of their striving, longing, and seeking. Only you, through your Spirit, can awaken something in us to help us go toward your goal. Keep us from being caught up in what men do. The greatest help for our hearts is what you do, and each of us can tell something about it. Each of us has received help beyond anything we had hoped or thought of. How much you have done for us! How much you are doing for the nations! Yes, we thank you for this present time. Although our lives often seem hopeless and full of sorrow, your powers are still living among men, working for their good and awaking them to new life. The time will surely come when our hearts will be released from their hunger and we can be filled with the life from above, which you give us in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, September 17, 2020

Ephesians 5:1

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Read all of Ephesians 5

Listen to Ephesians 5

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Joy, Not Envy

Joy, Not Envy

(Jesus said) "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."

— Matthew 20:1-16

What a strange story! It's clear that the vineyard owner is in a hurry to get the harvest in. He is in such a hurry that he goes out looking for workers five times in a single day! The sun is hot, and the grapes won't wait. As the day grows shorter, he doesn't even stop to haggle about their wages. That will all be settled later.

Finally it's quitting time. The owner must be in a very good mood, because he's made the decision: full wages for everybody, no matter how long they worked! The latecomers are ecstatic. They never hoped to have such a wonderful reward. But the first group, the ones from the morning—ah, they are angry. Why? Because suddenly the good wages aren't good enough for them anymore. They need one more thing—to see the latecomers suffer by comparison.

Unfortunately, this is an attitude that creeps in among Jesus' followers as well. We, too, are tempted to think we deserve to be "on top" in God's eyes for all our faithfulness. After all, we are cradle Christians, brought up in the faith! (Well, some of us were.) Surely, it's unfair of God to give the same great blessings of love and joy and forgiveness and salvation to those latecomers—to people who "had their party time" and then repented at (say) age seventy?

Against this foolishness, Jesus invites us: Come celebrate! You have the same great blessings, and God is overflowing with joy. There is enough love for everybody—enough grace, enough mercy, enough everything. Rejoice with your generous Master, and with your late-comer brothers and sisters. God's harvest is coming in!

Dear Father, help me to rejoice when You bless others and when You bless me, too. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:

1. Were you ever envious as a child? How did this affect your pleasure in the good things that belonged to you?

2. When have you really rejoiced in the good fortune of others?

3. What do you imagine the celebration in heaven will be like when all God's people are home?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What a strange story! It's clear that the vineyard owner is in a hurry to get the harvest in. He is in such a hurry that he goes out looking for workers five times in a single day! The sun is hot, and the grapes won't wait. As the day grows shorter, he doesn't even stop to haggle about their wages. That will all be settled later.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

— Matthew 5:10-11

Jesus assures his followers there is blessing in suffering for what is right. This blessing may take the form of inner peace and joy. This is the meaning of the word translated “blessed” or “happy” in Jesus’ teaching called the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).

The New Testament writer, James, indicates that pressures are blessings in disguise and should be responded to with joyfulness (James 1:2-3). The MESSAGE paraphrase translates the verses this way: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.”

Helen Berhane was severely persecuted in Eritrea’s prison system because she would not deny her faith. No matter what they did, she refused to give in. She explains:

I told the chief, “I cannot abandon my faith. If you puncture a sack of grain, the only thing that pours out is the type of grain that was in the sack. It is the same with me. I can only say what is inside me; everything that is in my heart must come out of my mouth…The more you punish me, the stronger I will be. If you keep hammering on a nail’s head it just becomes harder to pull out of the wall…”

I could not understand how they expected me to stop believing; it was impossible for me. In fact, the guards were making their own situation worse, because people began to ask what was so special about this religion that Christians refused to give it up, and they also believed. Our suffering became a glory for our faith…I am convinced that the number of Christians has doubled or tripled since they closed the churches. So perhaps God is using this terrible situation for his glory.[1]

RESPONSE: Today I will stand for what is right because I know Jesus will be glorified and I will receive a blessing.

PRAYER: Ask God to give strength and courage to those around the world being pressured to deny their faith today.

1. Helen Berhane, Song of the Nightingale (Colorado Springs: Authentic Media, 2009), pp. 70-71.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Jesus assures his followers there is blessing in suffering for what is right.

Men's Devotional Bible — On Track

On Track

1 Chronicles 23:24–32

Recommended Reading: Psalm 95:1–11; Matthew 6:5–15; Colossians 4:2–4

What if every driver decided to ignore the center yellow lines? Smash-ups would rival apocalyptic visions. Those colored splotches in the roadway keep us on track. They keep us safe.

In our spiritual journey, praise and thanksgiving are like a yellow line, keeping our hearts on track. But it doesn’t take much to veer off course, does it? Think about the Levites. They were set apart to offer thanks and praise to God every morning and every night, day in and day out, in a never-ending cycle (see 1 Chronicles 23:30). It was their job. Forced “thank yous.” Praise, praise, praise.

Imagine the temptations inherent in this routine. Did easy-to-repeat prayers take the place of petitions motivated by full hearts and genuine gratitude? Did their minds wander as the words bubbled out? “Hear me, O God. Here we go again.”

We’ve all heard of the doctor who’s in terrible physical condition or the plumber whose house has leaky pipes. When you do something for a living, as these people do, it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated to keep your own life in order. This is what it may have been like for the Levites as well.

Praise and thanks are key ingredients in a healthy relationship with God. We need them as much as we need fresh air. Praise isn’t just an outward gesture; it reveals what’s inside us—the attitude we have toward God. When we offer meaningful thanks, we acknowledge that God’s goodness deserves our recognition and awe. Every gift comes from his hand. Nothing we’ve done grants us the sun’s bright rising or peaceful slumber at night—it all comes from God’s good hand.

How do we make our delight in God genuine and true every day? Unlike the Levites, God doesn’t demand that we follow certain daily requirements. Maybe that makes the routine more difficult. We are responsible for taking the time to bow before him and offer our praise and thanks.

When we skip this routine, we become like those drivers who disregard the center line—a potential accident waiting to happen. But when we take the time to regularly focus on and praise the God who loves us, he helps us to stay on track.

To Take Away

• Spiritually, would you describe yourself as “on track” or as “an accident waiting to happen”? Why?
• Why does God want you to praise him?
• List several things in your life for which you can praise and thank God. How can you keep your prayers of praise and thanksgiving fresh?

What if every driver decided to ignore the center yellow lines?

John Piper Devotional — Worship in a Lightning Storm

Worship in a Lightning Storm

“For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.”

— Luke 17:24

I was flying at night from Chicago to Minneapolis, almost alone on the plane. The pilot announced that there was a thunderstorm over Lake Michigan and into Wisconsin. He would skirt it to the west to avoid turbulence.

As I sat there staring out into the total blackness, suddenly the whole sky was brilliant with light, and a cavern of white clouds fell away four miles beneath the plane and then vanished.

A second later, a mammoth white tunnel of light exploded from north to south across the horizon and again vanished into blackness. Soon the lightning was almost constant, and volcanoes of light burst up out of cloud ravines and from behind distant white mountains.

I sat there shaking my head almost in unbelief. O Lord, if these are but the sparks from the sharpening of your sword, what will be the day of your appearing! And I remembered the words of Christ: “As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (Luke 17:24).

Even now as I recollect that sight, the word glory is full of feeling for me. I thank God that again and again, he has awakened my heart to desire him, to see him, and to sit down to the feast of Christian Hedonism and worship the King of Glory. The banquet hall is very large.
As I sat there staring out into the total blackness, suddenly the whole sky was brilliant with light, and a cavern of white clouds fell away four miles beneath the plane and then vanished.

Un dia a la Vez — Los ángeles

Los ángeles

Fortalézcanse con el gran poder del Señor. Pónganse toda la armadura de Dios para que puedan hacer frente a las artimañas del diablo.

— Efesios 6:10-11

Ayer analizamos que los ángeles existen y la Biblia registra su existencia. Sin embargo, hay personas que se desvían con este asunto. Estudian los ángeles más que la misma Biblia. Los endiosan y hablan de los milagros que hicieron los ángeles en sus vidas. Así que dejan a Dios en un segundo plano. Debemos reconocer que los ángeles existen, pero sin olvidarnos de Dios.

Nada ni nadie debe ser más importante en nuestras vidas que Dios.

Me impresionó mucho saber que el diablo no es como lo pintan: rojo, con cuernos y cola. Resulta que el diablo era un ángel muy hermoso llamado Lucero, o Lucifer, que significa «hijo de la mañana». Su gran pecado fue su enorme egoísmo y su deseo de igualarse a Dios o estar por encima de Él. Deseaba que lo adoraran y le reconocieran como a Dios.

A raíz de esto, se formó una gran batalla en el cielo y expulsaron de allí a Lucifer y la tercera parte de ellos, a los que se les conoce como ángeles caídos. A partir de ese momento, Satanás se convirtió en el príncipe de este mundo que solo desea robar, matar y destruir.

Por eso debemos entender que el enemigo quiere siempre hacernos daño. Entonces, cuando nos quiere tentar y hacer caer, se presenta con cosas agradables y llamativas, pues quiere engañarnos.

Por eso, mi invitación hoy es a que nos pongamos la armadura de Dios, a fin de estar firme contra todas las cosas que trama el diablo en nuestra contra.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Debemos reconocer que los ángeles existen, pero sin olvidarnos de Dios.

Devocional CPTLN — Alegría en vez de envidia

Alegría en vez de envidia

Porque el reino de los cielos es semejante a un hacendado que salió muy de mañana para contratar obreros para su viña. Y habiendo convenido con los obreros en un denario al día, los envió a su viña. Salió después como a la hora tercera, y vio parados en la plaza a otros que estaban sin trabajo; y a estos les dijo: "Vayan también ustedes a la viña, y les daré lo que sea justo". Y ellos fueron. Volvió a salir como a la hora sexta y a la novena, e hizo lo mismo. Y saliendo como a la hora undécima, encontró a otros parados, y les dijo: "¿Por qué han estado aquí parados todo el día sin trabajar?". Ellos le dijeron: "Porque nadie nos ha contratado". Él les dijo: "Vayan también ustedes a la viña". Al atardecer, el señor de la viña dijo a su mayordomo: "Llama a los obreros y págales su jornal, comenzando por los últimos y terminando con los primeros". Cuando llegaron los que habían sido contratados como a la hora undécima, cada uno recibió un denario. Cuando llegaron los que fueron contratados primero, pensaban que recibirían más; pero ellos también recibieron un denario cada uno. Y al recibirlo, murmuraban contra el hacendado, diciendo: "Estos últimos han trabajado solo una hora, pero usted los ha hecho iguales a nosotros que hemos soportado el peso y el calor abrasador del día". Pero respondiendo el hacendado, dijo a uno de ellos: "Amigo, no te hago ninguna injusticia; ¿no conviniste conmigo en un denario? Toma lo que es tuyo, y vete; pero yo quiero darle a este último lo mismo que a ti. ¿No me es lícito hacer lo que quiero con lo que es mío? ¿O es tu ojo malo porque yo soy bueno?". Así, los últimos serán primeros, y los primeros, últimos».

— Mateo 20:1-16

¡Qué historia más extraña! Está claro que el dueño del viñedo tiene prisa por recoger la cosecha. ¡Tiene tanta prisa, que sale a buscar trabajadores cinco veces en un solo día! Hace calor y las uvas no esperan. A medida que el día se acorta, ni siquiera se detiene a regatear sobre sus salarios. Todo eso se resolverá más tarde.

Finalmente es hora de dejar de trabajar. El propietario debe estar de muy buen humor, porque ha tomado una decisión: ¡salario completo para todos, sin importar cuánto tiempo hayan trabajado! Los recién llegados están extasiados: nunca esperaron tener una recompensa tan maravillosa. Pero el primer grupo, los de la mañana, ah, están enojados. ¿Por qué? Porque de repente el salario prometido ya no es suficientemente bueno. Necesitan una cosa más: ver sufrir a los recién llegados.

Desafortunadamente, esta es una actitud común aun entre quienes seguimos a Jesús. Nosotros también estamos tentados a pensar que merecemos estar "en la cima" ante Dios por nuestra fidelidad. Después de todo, ¡somos cristianos de cuna, educados en la fe! (Bueno, al menos algunos de nosotros.) Y creemos que es injusto que Dios dé las mismas bendiciones de amor, gozo, perdón y salvación a quienes llegan tarde, a quienes "tuvieron su fiesta" y luego se arrepintieron siendo ya mayores.

Ante esta necedad, Jesús nos dice: ¡Vengan a celebrar! Tienes las mismas bendiciones y Dios rebosa de gozo. Hay suficiente amor para todos, suficiente gracia, suficiente misericordia, suficiente de todo. Alégrate con tu generoso Maestro y con tus hermanos y hermanas que llegaron tarde. ¡La cosecha de Dios está llegando!

ORACIÓN: Amado Padre, ayúdame a regocijarme cuando bendices a otros y cuando me bendices a mí también. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Puedes alegrarte sinceramente con la buena fortuna de los demás?

* ¿Cómo imaginas que será la celebración en el cielo cuando todo el pueblo de Dios esté en casa?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¡Qué historia más extraña! Está claro que el dueño del viñedo tiene prisa por recoger la cosecha.

Хлеб наш насущный — Не дайте себя обмануть

Не дайте себя обмануть

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Дьявол... лжец и отец лжи. — Иоанна 8:44

Фонарница – симпатичное насекомое с крапчатыми надкрыльями и ярко-красным пятном на внутренних крыльях, которое вспыхивает, когда она летает. Но эта красота обманчива. Впервые замеченная в США в 2014 году, фонарница считается инвазивным насекомым для Северной Америки, способным причинить ущерб природе и экономике. Она питается древесиной, повреждает фруктовые деревья и оставляет после себя липкую слизь. На этой слизи развивается плесень, отчего дерево либо умирает, либо перестает плодоносить.

Из библейского повествования об Адаме и Еве мы узнаем об угрозе иного рода. Змей, он же сатана, убедил первую пару ослушаться Бога и съесть запретный плод, чтобы стать «как боги» (Быт. 3:1-7). Но почему они послушали змея? Только ли его слова обольстили Еву или в нем самом было что-то привлекательное? В Библии сказано, что сатана был сотворен прекрасным (Иез. 28:12). Однако он впал в то же искушение, которым впоследствии прельстил людей: «Буду подобен Всевышнему» (Ис. 14:14; Иез. 28:9).

Вся красота, доступная сатане сегодня, используется им для обмана (Быт. 3:1; Ин. 8:44; 2 Кор. 11:14). Как он сам пал, так пытается довести до падения и других или, по крайней мере, не дать им расти. Но на нашей стороне Тот, Кто намного сильнее! Устремимся к Иисусу, нашему прекрасному Спасителю!

Когда вы обманулись, последовав за человеком или какой-то привлекательной идеей? Что помогает вам распознать обман?

Боже, помоги мне оценивать все, что я вижу и слышу, в свете евангельской истины. Благодарю Тебя за победу над злом на кресте.

автор: Алисон Киеда

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Фонарница – симпатичное насекомое с крапчатыми надкрыльями и ярко-красным пятном на внутренних крыльях, которое вспыхивает, когда она летает. Но эта красота обманчива.