The Daily Bible Readings for TUESDAY, October 20, 2020

 

The Daily Readings
TUESDAY, October 20, 2020
Psalm 63:1-8; Numbers 12:1-9; Revelation 18:21-24
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

Psalm 51:12

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Although we can never lose our salvation once we genuinely come to Christ by faith, we can lose the joy of our salvation through our sin. Only through confession and reliance on His Spirit can we return to peace with the Lord and contentment in our souls (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 fulness of God, and praise him with joyful lips, where there is no night, and where sorrow and sighing flee away!

Numbers 12:1-9
Aaron’s and Miriam’s jealousy

12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.

3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.

Commentary
The patience of Moses was tried in his own family, as well as by the people. The pretense was that he had married a foreign wife, but their pride was probably hurt, and their envy stirred up by his superior authority. Opposition from our near relations, and from religious friends, is most painful. But this is to be looked for, and it will be well if we can preserve the gentleness and meekness of Moses in such circumstances. Moses was thus fitted to the work he was called to. God not only cleared Moses but praised him. Moses had the spirit of prophecy in a way which set him far above all other prophets, yet he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he; and our Lord Jesus infinitely excels him, Hebrews 3:1. Let Miriam and Aaron consider whom it was they insulted. We have reason to be afraid of saying or doing anything against the servants of God. And those are presumptuous indeed who are not afraid to speak evil of dignities, 2 Peter 2:10. The removal of God's presence is the surest and saddest token of God's displeasure. Woe to us, if he departs! he never departs, till by sin and folly we drive him from us.

Revelation 18:21-24
Babylon will be found no more

18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth

Commentary
That which is a matter of rejoicing to God's servants on earth is a matter of rejoicing to the angels in heaven. The apostles, who are honored and daily worshiped at Rome in an idolatrous manner, will rejoice in her fall. The fall of Babylon was an act of God's justice. And because it was a final ruin, this enemy should never molest them any more; of this, they were assured by a sign. Let us take warning from the things which brought others to destruction, and let us set our affections on things above when we consider the changeable nature of earthly things.

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 TUESDAY, October 20, 2020
Psalm 63:1-8; Numbers 12:1-9; Revelation 18:21-24 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for TUESDAY, October 20, 2020

 

Prayer of the Day
TUESDAY, October 20, 2020

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

— Psalm 33:8–10 (NIV)

Lord our God, we gather together in your presence and ask you to let your light shine in our hearts to strengthen us in times of need and trouble. May we come to know that through all the storms and distress of the world, you are mighty in protecting and sheltering those who trust in you. May we realize the power of your kingdom. Even if all the kingdoms of the world rise in rebellion, you are with us. You are with those who have set their hope on your kingdom and who go on hoping that even in evil days something must happen through your great and holy rule. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, October 20, 2020

 

Psalm 51:12

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Read all of Psalm 51

Listen to Psalm 51

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Give Him Glory

 

Give Him Glory

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."

— Revelation 14:6-7

I don't know about you, but when I think of Judgment Day, I'm not usually looking forward to it. It sounds so scary. All the people who have ever lived, standing before God, with nowhere left to hide and no way of concealing any of the bad things they have said or thought or done ... Yikes!

And yet, that is not what the angel is saying in today's reading. He says, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come." Give Him glory—why? Glory is something we usually give on account of good things. For example, you win a race at the Olympics, and we give you glory. You save a city from fire or flooding, and we give you glory. But this?

The angel is right, of course. Because God's Judgment Day is a good thing for those of us who belong to Jesus—for all of us who have been forgiven, washed clean, made fresh and new. When we come to that day, we will not need to be afraid. We have already been acquitted—found "not guilty"—pardoned, set free, rescued from all our evils. Jesus has done that for us, through His suffering and death on the cross. His death and resurrection have taken us out of judgment and brought us into the glorious relief and safety of the children of God. This is for everyone, without exception—everyone who trusts in Jesus.

So what does God's judgment mean for us, then? It means an end to evil—the final uprooting of wickedness—the moment we open our eyes after a long, terrible nightmare. It is like the doctor pronouncing you healthy after a long illness—like the police calling to say they caught the perpetrator who did you harm—like a text or voice message that lets you know your family is safe and well after an earthquake or hurricane. It is the final mopping up of God's war against evil, which Jesus won for us when He died on Calvary, and rose again from the dead three days later.

Now begins the new life, the new heavens and earth. Now begins happiness, peace, and joy—a life that no human being has had since Adam and Eve messed up in the Garden of Eden. This is the life God intended for humanity—a life that is whole, abundant, blessed, joyful. And it is ours from the Day of Judgment forward. Why? Because of Jesus.

Dear Lord, help me to look forward to Judgment Day, trusting and rejoicing because You have already had mercy on me. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel when you're facing an examination?

2. Do you feel differently when you know that you've already passed the course? Why or why not?

3. What do you look forward to the most about God's new heaven and earth?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
I don't know about you, but when I think of Judgment Day, I'm not usually looking forward to it. It sounds so scary.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — FACING TRIALS

 

FACING TRIALS

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

— James 1:2-4

In his letter to the early Christians, James lists the qualities that many kinds of trials develop in us.

She stood outside the church doorway, intrigued by the love and joy displayed by those inside. The missionary had asked her to come in, but she had politely declined. This was a hostile area in the Philippines, and her father had strictly forbidden her to have anything to do with “those Christians.”

Unknown to the little Filipino girl, the missionary was praying fervently for her soul. Finally, one Sunday morning, the little girl accepted the invitation to attend the Sunday school class. There she also opened her heart to Jesus and became a child of God. The missionary presented her with a beautiful white dress, representing the fact that Jesus had washed all her sins away.

The next Sunday, the little girl was nowhere to be found. Concerned for the girl, the missionary traveled to her home village. Arriving at her home, she found the young, new believer lying in the dirt. Her white dress was torn, filthy, and soaked in blood. The girl’s father hadn’t shared the missionary’s joy in his daughter’s new-found faith. He had beaten her in a drunken rage, repeatedly kicked her, and left her to die.

The missionary gently lifted the fragile girl and carried her back to the church, where a doctor rushed to help. But there was nothing he could do. He removed the ragged dress and cleaned her up, but her injuries were too severe. The missionary stayed with her, trying to comfort her during her final hour.

Upon regaining consciousness, the little girl made an unusual request. She insisted on holding in her hand the white dress the missionary had given her. They explained that it was torn and soaked with blood and dirt. With the simple faith of a child, she whispered, “I just want Jesus to know that I was willing to bleed for Him.”

RESPONSE: Today, I acknowledge that struggles and trials are exactly what I need in my life. Without them, I would be crippled. I would never fly!

PRAYER: Lord, cause my suffering to make what I really believe to be evident to others.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
In his letter to the early Christians, James lists the qualities that many kinds of trials develop in us.

John Piper Devotional — Prayer’s First Priority

 

Prayer’s First Priority

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

— Matthew 6:9

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches that the first priority in praying is to ask that our heavenly Father’s name be hallowed.

Notice that this is a petition or a request. It is not a declaration (as I thought it was for years). It is a request to God that he would see to it that his own name be hallowed.

It is like another text, Matthew 9:38, where Jesus tells us to pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send out laborers into his own harvest. It never ceases to amaze me that we, the laborers, should be instructed to ask the farm owner, who knows the harvest better than we do, to add on more farmhands.

But isn’t this the same thing we have here in the Lord’s Prayer—Jesus telling us to ask God, who is infinitely jealous for the honor of his own name, to see to it that his name be hallowed?

Well, it may amaze us, but there it is. And it teaches us two things.

1. One is that prayer does not move God to do things he is disinclined to do. He has every intention to cause his name to be hallowed. Nothing is higher on God’s priority list.
2. The other is that prayer is God’s way of bringing our priorities into line with his. God wills to make great things the consequence of our prayers when our prayers are the consequence of his great purposes.

Bring your heart into line with the jealousy of God to hallow his name, and you will pray with great effect. Let your first and all-determining prayer be for the hallowing of God’s name, and your prayers will plug into the power of God’s jealousy.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches that the first priority in praying is to ask that our heavenly Father’s name be hallowed.

Un dia a la Vez — Oración por cambios de vida

 

Oración por cambios de vida

Quien encubre su pecado jamás prospera; quien lo confiesa y lo deja, halla perdón. ¡Dichoso el que siempre teme al Señor!

— Proverbios 28:13-14

Señor Jesús, gracias por este nuevo día y por tu amor y paciencia para conmigo.

Hoy, mi Dios, confieso que necesito tener cambios radicales en mi vida. Sé que muchas cosas de mi carácter y de mi temperamento me están ocasionando situaciones incómodas que se me van de las manos y me causan más problemas con mis seres queridos y las personas que me rodean.

Por eso, Señor, necesito que me ayudes a cambiar. Estoy dispuesto a entregarme a ti

y permitir que obres en mi vida.

Acudo a tu misericordia que es nueva cada día, porque ya no puedo más.

Te pido perdón por mis pecados y quedo en tus manos, mi Jesús.

Limpia mi vida, hazme de nuevo, y concédeme que logre restablecer las relaciones con mi familia y me puedan perdonar.

Te lo suplico en el nombre de tu Hijo, Jesucristo, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por cambios de vida: Señor Jesús, gracias por este nuevo día y por tu amor y paciencia para conmigo…

Devocional CPTLN — Démosle gloria

 

Démosle gloria

Luego vi otro ángel, el cual volaba en medio del cielo. Tenía el evangelio eterno, para predicarlo a los habitantes de la tierra, es decir, a toda nación, raza, lengua y pueblo. Ese ángel decía con fuerte voz: "Teman a Dios, y denle gloria, porque la hora de su juicio ha llegado. Adoren al que hizo el cielo y la tierra, el mar y los manantiales de agua".

— Apocalipsis 14:6-7

No sé ustedes, pero cuando pienso en el Día del Juicio Final, no lo espero con ansias. ¡Suena tan aterrador! Todas las personas que alguna vez han vivido estaremos de pie ante Dios, sin ningún lugar donde escondernos y sin forma de ocultar ninguna de las cosas malas que hemos dicho, pensado o hecho... ¡Ay!

Y, sin embargo, eso no es lo que dice el ángel en la lectura de hoy. Él dice: "Teman a Dios, y denle gloria, porque la hora de su juicio ha llegado". Denle gloria... ¿por qué? Gloria es algo que solemos dar por algo muy bueno. Por ejemplo, a quien gana una carrera en los Juegos Olímpicos, o a quien salva una ciudad del fuego o de inundaciones. ¿Pero esto?

El ángel tiene razón, por supuesto. Porque el Día del Juicio de Dios es algo bueno para aquellos de nosotros que pertenecemos a Jesús, ya que hemos sido perdonados, lavados y renovados. Cuando lleguemos a ese día no tendremos por qué tener miedo. Ya hemos sido absueltos, declarados "no culpables", perdonados, liberados, rescatados de todos nuestros males. Jesús ha hecho eso por nosotros a través de su sufrimiento y muerte en la cruz. Su muerte y resurrección nos sacaron del juicio y nos llevaron al glorioso alivio y seguridad de los hijos de Dios. Esto es para todos, sin excepción: todos los que confían en Jesús.

Entonces, ¿qué significa el juicio de Dios para nosotros? Significa el fin del mal, el desarraigo final de la maldad, el momento en que abrimos los ojos después de una larga y terrible pesadilla. Es como cuando el médico nos declara curados después de una enfermedad prolongada, como cuando la policía llama para decir que atrapó a quien nos hizo daño, como un mensaje de texto que nos dice que nuestra familia está a salvo después de un terremoto o huracán. Es la limpieza final de la guerra de Dios contra el mal, que Jesús ganó para nosotros cuando murió en el Calvario y resucitó de entre los muertos tres días después.

Entonces comienza la nueva vida, los nuevos cielos y tierra. Entonces comienza la felicidad, la paz y el gozo, una vida que ningún ser humano ha tenido desde que Adán y Eva se equivocaron en el Jardín del Edén. Esa es la vida que Dios quiso para la humanidad: una vida plena, abundante, bendecida y gozosa. Y va a ser nuestra a partir del Día del Juicio. ¿Por qué? Por Jesús.

ORACIÓN: Querido Señor, ayúdame a esperar el Día del Juicio confiando y regocijándome porque ya has tenido misericordia de mí. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Cómo te sientes cuando piensas en el día del juicio final?

* ¿Qué esperas más del cielo y la tierra nuevos 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.
No sé ustedes, pero cuando pienso en el Día del Juicio Final, no lo espero con ansias. ¡Suena tan aterrador!

Nuestro Pan Diario — Cicatrices de oro

 

Cicatrices de oro

La escritura de hoy: 2 Corintios 12:1-10
La Biblia en un año: Isaías 59–61; 2 Tesalonicenses 3

Si es necesario gloriarse, me gloriaré en lo que es de mi debilidad.

— 2 Corintios 11:30

En Holanda, un grupo de diseñadores de moda ofrecen un taller de «reparaciones en oro». Inspirados en la técnica japonesa Kintsugi, que repara porcelanas rotas con laca rociada de oro, los participantes remiendan la indumentaria haciendo resaltar el arreglo en lugar de disimularlo. Llevan «una prenda preferida, pero rota, y la remiendan con oro». El resultado del arreglo es un adorno: una «cicatriz de oro», que resalta los lugares donde la ropa estaba desgarrada o raída.

Quizá Pablo tenía algo así en mente cuando dijo que se gloriaría en las cosas que mostraban su debilidad. Aunque había tenido enormes revelaciones, no se jactaba de eso (2 Corintios 12:6). Dice que lo que le impedía jactarse y ser autosuficiente era un «aguijón» en la carne (v. 7). Nadie sabe exactamente a qué se refería, pero le rogaba a Dios que se lo quitara. Pero Él le dijo: «Bástate mi gracia; porque mi poder se perfecciona en la debilidad» (v. 9).

Así como las roturas en prendas viejas pueden convertirse en muestras de belleza al ser reparadas por los diseñadores, las áreas rotas y débiles de nuestras vidas pueden convertirse en lugares donde puede brillar el poder y la gloria de Dios. Él nos recompone, transforma, y convierte nuestras debilidades en algo hermoso.

De:  Amy Peterson

Reflexiona y ora
Dios, que mis debilidades sean motivo de glorificar tu nombre.
¿Cuáles son algunas debilidades que tratas de esconder? ¿Cómo ha revelado Dios su poder a través de tu debilidad?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
En Holanda, un grupo de diseñadores de moda ofrecen un taller de «reparaciones en oro».