The Daily Bible Readings for MONDAY, October 19, 2020

 

The Daily Readings
MONDAY, October 19, 2020
Psalm 63:1-8; Exodus 40:34-38; Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

Psalm 37:4

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

When you make the Lord your joy, the desires that grow in your heart are usually the ones He plants. These are the things that bring lasting peace and satisfaction—not the things we think we want or strive to achieve apart from God (NASB Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible Notes).

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 63:1-8
I rejoice in the shadow of your wings

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Commentary
Early will I seek thee. The true Christian devotes to God the morning hour. He opens the eyes of his understanding with those of his body and awakes each morning to righteousness. He arises with a thirst after those comforts which the world cannot give and has immediate recourse by prayer to the Fountain of the water of life. The true believer is convinced that nothing in this sinful world can satisfy his immortal soul's wants and desires; he expects his happiness from God as his portion. When faith and hope are most in exercise, the world appears a weary desert, and the believer longs for the joys of heaven, of which he has some foretastes in the ordinances of God upon the earth.

Even in affliction, we need not want matter for praise. When this is the regular frame of a believer's mind, he values God's loving-kindness more than life. God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life. We must praise God with joyful lips; we must address ourselves to the duties of religion with cheerfulness, and speak forth the praises of God from a principle of holy joy. Praising lips must be joyful lips. David was in continual danger; care and fear held his eyes waking, and gave him wearisome nights, but he comforted himself with thoughts of God. When called to mind in the night watches, the mercies of God support the soul, making darkness cheerful. How happy will be that last morning, when the believer, waking up after the Divine likeness, shall be satisfied with all the fullness of God, and praise him with joyful lips, where there is no night, and where sorrow and sighing flee away!

Exodus 40:34-38
The cloud and the glory

40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38 For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Commentary
Even in the clearest day, the cloud covered the tabernacle; it was not a cloud that the sun scatters. This cloud was a token of God's presence to be seen day and night, by all Israel, that they might never again question, Is the Lord among us, or is he not? It guided the camp of Israel through the wilderness. While the cloud rested on the tabernacle, they rested; when it removed, they followed it. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In light and fire, the Shechinah made itself visible: God is Light; our God is a consuming Fire. Yet so dazzling was the light, and so dreadful the fire, that Moses could not enter into the tent of the congregation, till the splendor was abated. But what Moses could not do, our Lord Jesus has done, whom God caused to draw near; and who has invited us to come boldly, even to the mercy-seat. Being taught by the Holy Spirit to follow the example of Christ, as well as to depend upon him, to attend his ordinances, and obey his precepts, we shall be kept from losing our way, and be led amid the paths of judgment, till we come to heaven, the habitation of his holiness. BLESSED BE GOD FOR JESUS CHRIST!

Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20
The fall of Babylon

18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Commentary
The downfall and destruction of mystical Babylon are determined in the counsels of God. Another angel comes from heaven. This seems to be Christ himself, coming to destroy his enemies and shed abroad the light of his gospel through all nations. The wickedness of this Babylon was very great; she had forsaken the true God, and set up idols, and had drawn all sorts of men into spiritual adultery, and by her wealth and luxury kept them in her interest. The spiritual merchandise, by which multitudes have wickedly lived in wealth by mankind's sins and follies of mankind, seems principally intended. Fair warning is given to all that expect mercy from God, that they should not only come out of this Babylon but assist in her destruction. God may have people even in Babylon. But God's people shall be called out of Babylon, and called effectually, while those that partake with wicked men in their sins must receive of their plagues.

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV).

Commentaries from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible.

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 MONDAY, October 19, 2020
Psalm 63:1-8; Exodus 40:34-38; Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for MONDAY, October 19, 2020

 

Prayer of the Day
MONDAY, October 19, 2020

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

— Philippians 4:7 (MEV)

O Lord God, grant us your Spirit, that we may comprehend your peace. As we pray, help us to recognize what must come from you alone, for you are mighty and holy and your will is peace on earth. Your will is peace beyond all understanding, your peace in heaven and on earth and under the earth, your peace that opposes all sin and death and takes away every evil that can be named. We await you, O Lord our God, and you will hear us. No matter how long the battle lasts, we hold out in patience, for we are your children. We shall never lose the faith that your name shall be honored and that all things shall come into harmony with your will of peace on earth, your peace. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, October 19, 2020

 

Psalm 37:4

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Read all of Psalm 37

Listen to Psalm 37

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Refuge

 

Refuge

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

— Psalm 46:1-3

We are familiar with the idea of a refuge, a place of safety. Sometimes the term refers to efforts to protect animals, as in a wildlife refuge, a park, or enclosure where animals are protected from hunters. More often we hear of people seeking refuge as they flee violence or religious persecution. Others may be desperate to find a place of refuge during a storm that causes the sea to "roar and foam," or a severe quake, when "the earth gives way."

Even if we are not enduring violence, persecution, or raging storms, we still need a refuge, a place of safety, a place to hide. In times of illness and fear, in grief and guilt, where can we go? Those are "storms" of a different kind: trouble and worry that readily follow us into fenced enclosures and concrete strongholds. Where will we find a place to hide from troubles like that? We do not need to run anywhere or search in frantic fear for a safe place. "God is our refuge and strength." We do not have to find Him; He comes to us. He is "a present help in trouble," right beside us in all the circumstances of our lives. He is our refuge in days of grief and fear. He is our refuge even when sea and sky rage in a storm, or when mountains crumble and fall into the sea during an earthquake. God "set the earth on its foundations" (Psalm 104:5a) and told the ocean waves, "Thus far shall you come and no farther" (Job 38:11a). He created these things and still commands them.

God is our refuge, our ever-present help, because there was no refuge for His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. As the hour of His death drew near, Jesus did not try to hide or shelter Himself from the events to come. Soon He would be betrayed, arrested, and unjustly condemned to death. Yet He said, "And what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour?' But for this purpose I have come to this hour" (John 12:27b). The powers of evil roared and raged against Him as He hung helpless on the cross. Darkness deeper than any storm gathered overhead as Jesus suffered God's just judgment on human sin. In a cry of victory and obedience, Jesus called out, "It is finished!" (John 19:30b), and bowed His head and died. At His death, the earth gave way and the mountains trembled. Then, on the first Easter morning, the earth gave way once more as an angel rolled back the stone to reveal Jesus' empty tomb! By God's grace through faith in Jesus, we have a hiding place, a place of refuge and healing in the wounds of our crucified and risen Savior.

Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus, for the sake of Your dear Son be our refuge and our ever-present help in every trouble. Amen.

Dr. Carol Geisler

Reflection Questions:

1. When has your trust and dependence on God got you through a very difficult time?

2. When Jesus cried out, "It is finished!"—what did He mean by that?

3. If the earth were quaking all around you, do you think you could focus on God and His protection?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
We are familiar with the idea of a refuge, a place of safety. Sometimes the term refers to efforts to protect animals, as in a wildlife refuge, a park, or enclosure where animals are protected from hunters. More often we hear of people seeking refuge as they flee violence or religious persecution.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — WHEN HOPE FADES, FAITH EMERGES

 

WHEN HOPE FADES, FAITH EMERGES

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

— Psalm 33:20

The hope of most female refugees from North Korea fades away shortly after arriving in China. Most do not want to flee to South Korea because they lose all contact with their family, and they are not able to support them anymore. And if they go to another place in China, it is only a matter of time before they are caught by either the police or human traffickers. And who knows what happens to them then?

So, is all hope lost? “No, there is hope,” says co-worker Kun-so. She picks up a Bible. “And that hope is written in this Book. For in it are profound promises. There is a heaven. Jesus loves you. All tears will be wiped away. No more death, no more pain. The Bible can even be the key to a better life now.

“But we have to bring the hard, difficult, biblical messages to the surface. The Bible says that you have to bless those who persecute you. It means you have to love the husband that abuses you. I had seen improvement when a North Korean woman was able to love instead of hate. And I direct the women to how God feels about them, how precious they are in His eyes, about what Jesus Christ did for them on Calvary. Thanks to His sacrifice, there is hope. I can point the women to the day that will come eventually. The day that our Lord will wipe away every tear from their eyes, the day that death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

“After a while, we try to teach the women to forgive their Chinese husbands for their abuse. We tell them Jesus commands us to love our husbands. I know this is not easy to do. But we have seen that some women found the strength to do loving things for their husbands, and as a result, slowly, the husband started to change.”

Moon lost her child through a forced abortion, only days before her due date. Moon still lives with the Chinese family responsible for killing her child. But she also came into contact with a female co-worker. The worker took care of Moon as best as she could. She befriended her, prayed with her, and explained about God and His love for her.

“I will be forever grateful,” shares Moon. “Thanks to you, I came into contact with God. As I learn more and more about Him through your Bible studies, I am grateful that this wonderful Being loves me. China and North Korea have not changed. I am still a person with no rights, and there is always the threat that the police will find me and send me back to North Korea.

“My situation is terrible, humanly speaking. But I feel like I am living in a whole new world, just because I know God. And I know my baby is with Him.”

When hope fades, faith emerges.

RESPONSE: Today, I will place my hope in the Lord and trust Him to change the situations around me.

PRAYER: Pray for North Korean refugees—especially women—who suffer severely, often losing hope. Pray that they will indeed find hope in the Lord.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
The hope of most female refugees from North Korea fades away shortly after arriving in China.

Women of the Bible — Joanna

 

Joanna

Her name means: "The Lord Gives Graciously."

Her character: A woman of high rank in Herod's court, she experienced healing at Jesus' hands. She responded by giving herself totally, supporting his ministry, and following him wherever he went. The story of her healing may have been known to Herod himself.
Her joy: To find the tomb empty except for the angels who proclaimed Jesus alive.
Key Scriptures: Luke 8:1-3; 24:10 (and Matthew 14:1-12 and Luke 23:7-12 for background on Herod and his court)

Her Story

Joanna was a wealthy woman, accustomed to an atmosphere of worldliness. One didn't live in Herod Antipas's courts without learning to navigate the powerful currents of intrigue that swirled continuously around his throne. But nothing had so troubled and sickened her as the death of the prophet John. A holy man murdered for speaking the plain truth, his head was carried to Herodias on a platter, like an irresistible dish to satisfy her appetite for revenge. How sad she had been as she watched Jesus grieving his cousin's murder.

Christ had so altered Joanna's own life that she may have hoped to influence Herod on his behalf. Married to Cuza, the manager of Herod's vast estates, she was well-positioned for the task. How intently Herod would have listened as she recounted the details of her miraculous healing. But after John's death, Joanna must have wondered what would become of Jesus should he ever have the misfortune of falling into Herod's hands. And what, for that matter, would become of his followers?

Though Joanna would have realized the escalating risks that faith required, there is not the slightest evidence she flinched from them. Unlike Nicodemus, she made no effort to hide her admiration for Jesus. Along with other women, she provided for his needs from her own purse. Perhaps her gifts made it just a little easier on this teacher who had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

All we really know of Joanna, in addition to her status as Cuza's wife, is that Jesus cured her of some spiritual or physical disorder, that she was among a group of women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, that she supported his ministry out of her own means, and that she was present at Jesus' resurrection along with Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James. Whether her faith cost her dearly or little in either her marriage or at court is a matter for speculation.

Joanna was probably among the women present at the crucifixion. And like the others who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body, she must have fallen on her face in awe of the angels who greeted her with astonishing news: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

She would have run with the others to tell the disciples of the incredible discovery. Though Peter and the other disciples discounted the story as hysterical women's ravings, Joanna would hardly have doubted herself. For she was a woman who lived in an atmosphere of power, and she had just witnessed a far greater power than Herod's. She would have recognized it as the same power that had healed her.

It didn't matter that her husband served a man opposed to Christ; Joanna knew where her allegiance belonged. A woman of high rank, she became part of Christ's followers' intimate circle, casting her lot with fishermen and poor people rather than with the rich and the powerful. God honored her by making her one of the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Her Promise

Joy comes in the morning. Joanna discovered this in a miraculous way on Jesus' resurrection day. She went to his tomb, expecting to minister to his dead body and to grieve. Instead, her sorrow turned to tremendous joy. Our joy may not come this morning or tomorrow morning or even the morning after that. We face too many hardships, too many difficult situations, too much sorrow here on earth to think joy will arrive with each morning. But it will come. He has promised. At the end of the day, there will be a joyful morning for all who trust in him at the end of this life.

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.
Joanna was a wealthy woman, accustomed to an atmosphere of worldliness.

John Piper Devotional — Love’s Greatest Happiness

 

Love’s Greatest Happiness

No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

— Ephesians 5:29–30

The union between Christ and his bride is so close (“one flesh”) that any good done to her is a good done to himself. The blatant assertion of this text is that this fact motivates the Lord to nourish, cherish, sanctify, and cleanse his bride.

By some definitions, this cannot be love. Love, they say, must be free of self-interest—especially Christlike love, especially Calvary love. I have never seen such a view of love made to square with this passage of Scripture.

Yet what Christ does for his bride, this text plainly calls love: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church…” (5:25). Why not let the text define love for us, instead of bringing our definition from ethics or philosophy? According to this text, love is the pursuit of our joy in the holy joy of the beloved.

There is no way to exclude self-interest from love, for self-interest is not the same as selfishness. Selfishness seeks its own private happiness at the expense of others.

Love seeks its happiness in the happiness of the beloved. It will even suffer and die for the beloved so that its joy might be full in the life and purity of the beloved.

This is how Christ loved us, and this is how he calls us to love one another.
The union between Christ and his bride is so close (“one flesh”) that any good done to her is a good done to himself.

Un dia a la Vez — La ira

 

La ira

«Si se enojan, no pequen». No dejen que el sol se ponga estando aún enojados, ni den cabida al diablo.

— Efesios 4:26-27

La gente necia «da rienda suelta a su ira», tal y como lo dice Proverbios 29:11.

Entendemos que hay diferentes temperamentos y tenemos visibles reacciones a momentos específicos. Creo que estar de mal humor de vez en cuando es normal, lo que no debemos es ser iracundos. Todo el mundo rechaza a la persona iracunda por ser muy problemática.

¿Quién desea tener un amigo, un cónyuge, un pastor, un médico, un maestro, un hijo o un padre iracundo? ¡Eso es terrible! Una persona explosiva te puede sorprender en cualquier instante y casi siempre termina involucrado en más de un problema. Ni siquiera es aconsejable unirse a personas así, porque terminas lastimado.

Si tu cónyuge se enoja con facilidad, debes orar por un milagro. Claro, mientras no corra peligro tu vida o la vida de tus hijos. Solo Dios puede transformar semejante persona.

También la Biblia les aconseja a los padres que «no hagan enojar a sus hijos» (Efesios 6:4).

Sé que a veces los padres podemos desesperar a nuestros hijos, ya sea controlándolos, lastimándolos o insultándolos, y esta es una advertencia que nos hace Dios.

Tú y yo podemos cambiar y entregarle esta esfera de nuestra vida a Dios, quien puede hacer la obra. Él es el único que puede darnos domino propio y poner en nosotros el querer como el hacer.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Entendemos que hay diferentes temperamentos y tenemos visibles reacciones a momentos específicos. Creo que estar de mal humor de vez en cuando es normal, lo que no debemos es ser iracundos.

Devocional CPTLN — Nuestro refugio

 

Nuestro refugio

Dios es nuestro refugio y nuestra fuerza; siempre está dispuesto a ayudar en tiempos de dificultad. Por lo tanto, no temeremos cuando vengan terremotos y las montañas se derrumben en el mar. ¡Que rujan los océanos y hagan espuma! ¡Que tiemblen las montañas mientras suben las aguas!

— Salmo 46:1-3

Sabemos lo que es un refugio: un lugar seguro. A veces, el término se refiere a los esfuerzos para proteger a los animales salvajes. Más a menudo escuchamos de personas que buscan refugio cuando huyen de la violencia o la persecución religiosa. Otros pueden estar desesperados por encontrar un lugar de refugio durante una tormenta que hace que los océanos "rujan y hagan espuma" o un fuerte terremoto que hace que "las montañas se derrumben en el mar".

Pero aun si no estamos sufriendo violencia, persecución o tormentas furiosas, necesitamos un refugio, un lugar seguro. En tiempos de enfermedad y miedo, en el dolor y la culpa, ¿adónde podemos ir? Estas son "tormentas" de un tipo diferente: problemas y preocupaciones que nos siguen fácilmente a recintos vallados y fortalezas de hormigón. ¿Dónde encontraremos un lugar para escondernos de ellos? No necesitamos correr a ningún lado o buscar frenéticamente un lugar seguro. "Dios es nuestro refugio y nuestra fuerza." No tenemos que ir a buscarlo; Él viene a nosotros. Él "siempre está dispuesto a ayudar en tiempos de dificultad". Él es nuestro refugio en los días de dolor y miedo, es nuestro refugio incluso cuando el mar y el cielo se enfurecen en una tormenta, o cuando las montañas se derrumban y caen al mar durante un terremoto. Dios "puso la tierra sobre sus cimientos" (Salmo 104:5a) y le dijo a las olas del océano: "Hasta aquí llegarás, y no más lejos" (Job 38:11a).

Dios es nuestro refugio, nuestra ayuda siempre presente, porque no hubo refugio para su Hijo, nuestro Salvador Jesucristo. Cuando se aproximaba su muerte, Jesús no se escondió. Pronto sería traicionado, arrestado y condenado injustamente a muerte. Sin embargo, dijo: "¿Y acaso diré: 'Padre, sálvame de esta hora'? ¡Si para esto he venido!" (Juan 12:27b). Los poderes del mal rugieron y se enfurecieron contra él mientras colgaba indefenso en la cruz. Una oscuridad más profunda que cualquier tormenta se acumuló en el cielo mientras Jesús sufría el juicio justo de Dios por el pecado humano. Luego, en un grito de victoria y obediencia, Jesús gritó: "Consumado es" (Juan 19:30b), inclinó la cabeza y murió. A su muerte, la tierra cedió y las montañas temblaron. Luego, en la primera mañana de Pascua, la tierra cedió una vez más cuando un ángel hizo retroceder la piedra para revelar la tumba vacía de Jesús. Por la gracia de Dios mediante la fe en Jesús, tenemos un lugar de refugio y curación en las heridas de nuestro Salvador crucificado y resucitado.

ORACIÓN: Dios Todopoderoso y Padre de nuestro Señor, por el amor de tu amado Hijo sé nuestro refugio y nuestra ayuda siempre presente en cada problema. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué quiso decir Jesús cuando gritó: "¡Consumado es!"?

* Si la tierra estuviera temblando a tu alrededor, ¿te refugiarías en la protección de Dios?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Sabemos lo que es un refugio: un lugar seguro. A veces, el término se refiere a los esfuerzos para proteger a los animales salvajes. Más a menudo escuchamos de personas que buscan refugio cuando huyen de la violencia o la persecución religiosa.

Notre Pain Quotidien — Plus fort que la haine

 

Plus fort que la haine

Lisez : Luc 23.32-34,44-46
La Bible en un an : Ésaïe 59 – 61 ; 2 Thessaloniciens 3

Père, pardonne-leur, car ils ne savent ce qu’ils font.

—  Luc 23.34

Moins de vingt-quatre heures après la mort tragique de sa mère, Sharonda, Chris a déclaré cette parole puissante et remplie de grâce : « L’amour est plus fort que la haine. » Sa mère et huit autres personnes s’étaient fait tuer lors d’une étude biblique du mercredi soir à Charleston, en Caroline du Sud. Qu’est-ce qui avait façonné la vie de cet adolescent pour qu’une telle parole coule de ses lèvres et de son cœur ? Chris est un croyant en Jésus dont la mère avait « aimé tout le monde de tout son cœur ».

Dans Luc 23.26-49, nous sommes aux premières loges pour assister à l’exécution de deux criminels et d’un innocent, Jésus (V. 32). On a crucifié les trois (V. 33). Parmi les halètements, les soupirs et sûrement les gémissements des crucifiés, on a pu entendre Jésus déclarer : « Père, pardonne-leur, car ils ne savent ce qu’ils font » (V. 34). L’initiative mue par la haine des chefs religieux a mené à la crucifixion de la personnification même de l’amour. Bien que Jésus ait été à l’agonie, son amour n’a cessé de triompher.

Dans quelle situation vous ou une personne qui vous est chère avez-vous été la cible de haine, de mauvaise foi, d’amertume ou d’ignominie ? Puisse votre souffrance susciter vos prières ; puisse l’exemple de Jésus et de gens comme Chris vous encourager à choisir l’amour plutôt que la haine par le pouvoir de l’Esprit.

Père, pardonne-moi lorsque j’ai de la difficulté à pardonner aux autres.

L’amour couvre une multitude d’attitudes et de sentiments haineux.

par Arthur Jackson

© 2020 Ministères NPQ
Moins de vingt-quatre heures après la mort tragique de sa mère, Sharonda, Chris a déclaré cette parole puissante et remplie de grâce :