The Daily Bible Readings for MONDAY, November 2, 2020

 

The Daily Readings
MONDAY, November 2, 2020
Psalm 128; Joshua 4:1-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

Peter uses the wonderful descriptions that were originally applied to Israel to portray the position we enjoy as believers in Christ (Ex. 19:5, 6). As the church, we do not replace Israel as God’s people. Rather, we have been “grafted in” to His family through Christ (Rom. 11:17). Just as Israel was called to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 28:14), we are, too. We are chosen, royal, and holy people who have the opportunity to represent Him to a lost and dying world.

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 128
It shall be well with you

1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

Commentary
Sometimes called the Marriage Song, Psalm 128 has been associated with weddings for centuries. Christian marriage builds on this rich legacy. Those desiring to flourish in their marriage can meditate on this psalm (in addition to studying other Scriptures about marriage). According to the psalmist, wisdom for marriage and family begins with the fear of the Lord (v. 4). A marriage blessed by the Lord is one in which a husband and wife choose to walk in the Lord’s ways (v. 1). Pray for the marriages in your sphere of influence. Ask that these marriages know the blessing and peace of the Lord (vv. 1, 4–6).

Joshua 4:1-24
Another story of the crossing

4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:

13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14 On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,

16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.

18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

Commentary
Verses 1-9 — The works of the Lord are so worthy of remembrance, and the heart of man is so prone to forget them, that various methods are needful to refresh our memories, for the glory of God, our advantage, and that of our children. God gave orders for preparing this memorial.

Verses 10-19 — The priests with the ark did not stir till ordered to move. Let none be weary of waiting, while they have the tokens of God's presence with them, even the ark of the covenant, though it be in the depths of adversity. Notice is taken of the honor put upon Joshua. Those are feared in the best manner, and to the best purpose, who make it appear that God is with them and that they set him before them.

Verses 20-24 — It is the duty of parents to tell their children betimes of God's words and works that they may be trained up in the way they should go. In all the instruction parents give their children, they should teach them to fear God. Serious godliness is the best learning. Are we not called, as much as the Israelites, to praise the loving-kindness of our God? Shall we not raise a pillar to our God, who has brought us through dangers and distresses in so wonderful a way? For hitherto, the Lord hath helped us, as much as he did his saints of old. How great the stupidity and ingratitude of men, who perceive not His hand, and will not acknowledge his goodness, in their frequent deliverances!

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Words to the church

2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

20 For ye are our glory and joy.

Commentary
Verses 13-16 — We should receive the word of God with affections suitable to its holiness, wisdom, truth, and goodness. The words of men are frail and perishing, like themselves, and sometimes false, foolish, and fickle; but God's word is holy, wise, just, and faithful. Let us receive and regard it accordingly. The word wrought in them, to make them examples to others in faith and good works, and in patience under sufferings, and in trials for the sake of the gospel. Murder and persecution are hateful to God, and no zeal for anything in religion can excuse it. Nothing tends more to any person or people's filling up the measure of their sins than opposing the gospel and hindering the salvation of souls. The pure gospel of Christ is loathed by many, and the faithful preaching of it is hindered in many ways. But those who forbid the preaching it to sinners, to men dead in sin, do not by this please God. Those have cruel hearts, are enemies to God's glory, and to the salvation of his people, who deny them the Bible.

Verses 17-20 — This world is not a place where we are to be always, or long together. In heaven, holy souls shall meet and never part more. And though the apostle could not come to them yet, and thought he might never be able to come, yet our Lord Jesus Christ will come; nothing shall hinder that. May God give faithful ministers to all who serve him with their spirit in the gospel of his Son, and send them to all who are in darkness.

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 MONDAY, November 2, 2020
Psalm 128; Joshua 4:1-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for MONDAY, November 2, 2020

 

Prayer of the Day
MONDAY, November 2, 2020

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

— Colossians 3:1–2 (NIV)

Lord our God, we thank you for sending into our lives so much that turns our thoughts to things above  and enables us always to look to you. Through Jesus Christ send us what is of heaven. Send what is of heaven into every single life and into the lives of the nations, so that something good may arise and the glory does not go to the Devil but to your Spirit, your heavenly Spirit alone. In their stubbornness people intend to do evil, but you can turn it all to the good. You can change everything. This is our faith. We hope in you, and we want to put our lives in your hands. Bless us with heavenly riches and power. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, November 2, 2020

 

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

Peter uses the wonderful descriptions that were originally applied to Israel to portray the position we enjoy as believers in Christ (Ex. 19:5, 6). As the church, we do not replace Israel as God’s people. Rather, we have been “grafted in” to His family through Christ (Rom. 11:17). Just as Israel was called to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 28:14), we are, too. We are chosen, royal, and holy people who have the opportunity to represent Him to a lost and dying world.

Read all of 1 Peter 2

Listen to 1 Peter 2

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Poor and Needy

 

Poor and Needy

May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You! May those who love Your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!

— Psalm 70:4-5

There is quite a contrast in this psalm. "God is great." "I am poor and needy." All too often we get that wrong, turning it around to imagine that we are great, or at least very close to being so. While we may not actually think that God is poor and needy, we may think we are doing Him a favor by offering Him our worship and praise. Or we may at times prefer that He remain in the background until we really need Him. The sad fact of the matter is that we do need Him at all times, whether we are willing to admit it or not. Yet before we knew our need, before we were born, before He created the world, God determined to save us. He sent His Son, Jesus our Lord, who came to seek and to save the lost. We were poor and needy, lost in sin, but "while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

The Word of God reveals our need and, at work in the Word, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. We gaze into God's holy Law as into a mirror, as the Spirit shows us our sin: the wrong we do and the good we leave undone. The Word reveals our lack of righteousness and our status before God as fallen sinners. We recognize God's just judgment against sin; we know that death is the wage our sins have earned for us. But the Word of the Gospel reveals that the God who is great took it upon Himself to remedy our hopeless situation. God the Son became, in our place, "poor and needy." He took our sin onto Himself and hung in weakness and shame on the cross. He suffered the penalty of death that was God's just judgment against sin. Jesus gives us the righteousness that we, in our poverty, lacked. He gives us His own purity, His right standing before God. Through faith in Jesus' Name, we receive the inheritance due a firstborn Son, a wealth of glory that will be ours for all eternity.

"Hasten to me, O God." Through the death and resurrection of His Son, God rescued us from sin, death, and Satan, and still today our Lord stands ready to help us. He is ever-present with His mercy and forgiveness. He hears our prayers and hastens to us as our help and our deliverer. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). We were poor and needy, but now by God's grace through faith in Jesus, the glory of the Kingdom is ours. These gifts are ours, not through our own efforts or achievements (we are not as great as we think!), but through the redeeming death and triumphant resurrection of Jesus, God's Son, who at the right time hastened to save us.

God our Savior, in every time of need, be our Help and our Deliverer. Amen.

Dr. Carol Geisler

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you ever sense that you are "poor and needy" in respect to the things of God?

2. What adjectives would you use to describe God based on your own experience?

3. Do you ever assign God to the sidelines, preferring to tackle life's issues by yourself? When you see yourself doing that, what's your reaction?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
There is quite a contrast in this psalm. "God is great." "I am poor and needy."

Standing Strong Through the Storm — STEADFAST TO THE END

 

STEADFAST TO THE END

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

— 1 Peter 5:10

Christians in northern Nigeria have suffered severely from physical attacks destroying Christian churches, houses, and shops. Hundreds of believers have been badly injured; many macheted to death, some burnt alive, and even more shot dead.

Despite all that has happened in northern Nigeria, the Body of Christ is not discouraged, declaring instead, they are willing to continue carrying the cross. One Christian articulated their commitment: “We will be steadfast to the end.”

Another leader declared, “They destroyed our church buildings, houses, and business centers, but the good Lord is comforting us. The Christians are growing in strength and total submission to God. Our challenge now is how to rebuild our churches and continue with the fellowship to encourage each other.”

The affected families of pastors and church members have gone through unimaginable hardship. After all they labored for all their lives, were destroyed within minutes. Many families were left unattended, while some were able to move to refugee camps. Others live under trees with their children, gazing at their destroyed houses and life belongings, shedding tears and calling for help in this desperate situation.

A lady who was crying inconsolably told Open Doors, “I have nowhere to go. All I have labored for is gone, I cannot afford to feed my children, and life is difficult. I almost gave up, but I will continue to wait on God to come to my rescue.”

“It is difficult to fathom the scale of destruction, but we have accepted it in good faith,” said one pastor’s wife who had lost her home. “It is nothing short of the fulfillment of the Gospel. We love these Muslims even though they hate us. They are not our enemies. We are only against the person behind their actions. We so much pray that they change their ways and accept Christ so that we will rejoice together when we get to heaven.”

The believers in the affected areas are now confronted with the challenge of rebuilding their churches and lives while facing the call of sharing love and total forgiveness.

A pastor who lost his church building commented, “We are always ready to pay the price for our faith—this added strength to our faith, no going back. We are going to encourage our people to see this from God’s perspective. We want the world to know that what has happened in northern Nigeria is even beyond politics. It is purely religious, and we need your prayers.

“Christ was rejected here on earth to the point that they crucified Him on the cross for our sins; therefore, no amount of sacrifice for Christ would be too much. All we can do now is pray for the aggressors because they do not know what they are doing. We will be steadfast to the end.”

RESPONSE: Today, I will receive God’s restorative help in being strong, firm, and steadfast.

PRAYER: Pray for brothers and sisters in northern Nigeria facing constant challenges to their faith.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Christians in northern Nigeria have suffered severely from physical attacks destroying Christian churches, houses, and shops. Hundreds of believers have been badly injured; many macheted to death, some burnt alive, and even more shot dead.

Women of the Bible — Martha

 

Martha

Her name means: "Lady" (the feminine form of "Lord")

Her character: Active and pragmatic, she never seemed at a loss for words. Though Jesus chastened her for allowing herself to become worried and upset by small things, she remained his close friend and follower.
Her sorrow: To have waited, seemingly in vain, for Jesus to return in time to heal her brother, Lazarus.
Her joy: To watch as Jesus restored her brother to life.
Key Scriptures: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-12:3

Her Story

Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus, lived together in Bethany, a village just two miles from Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives' eastern slope. All three were intimate friends of Jesus.

During one of his frequent stays in their home, Martha became annoyed with Mary, her indignation spilling over like water from a boiling pot. Instead of helping with the considerable chore of feeding and housing Jesus and his entourage of disciples, Mary had been spending her time sitting happily at his feet. Feeling ignored and unappreciated, Martha marched over to Jesus and demanded: "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

But Jesus wouldn't oblige. Instead, he reprimanded her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."

Jesus' tender rebuke must have embarrassed and startled her, calculated as it was to break the grip of her self-pity and reveal what was really taking place under her own roof and in her own heart. Perhaps this competent woman realized for the first time just how much she had been missing. Distracted by the need to serve Jesus, she had not taken time to enjoy him, to listen, and learn from him. Her anger at Mary may have stemmed more from envy than from any concern about being overworked, for her sister had made her way into the circle of men to sit at the feet of the Teacher and learn from him.

Martha's story, of course, points to what is really important in life. She seemed confused and distracted, conned into believing her ceaseless activity would produce something of lasting importance. But Martha does more than simply instruct through her mistakes. She shows what it is like to have a relationship with Jesus so solid and close that no posturing or hiding is necessary. Martha seemed free to be herself in his presence. Where else should she have taken her frustration and anger, after all, but to Jesus?

Martha seems to have worked out her faith directly and actively, questioning, challenging, asking Jesus to rectify whatever had gone wrong. Like that of Jacob, her spirituality wrestled all night with an angel, or Job, who questioned God amid his suffering, or Peter, who stumbled brashly forward into faith despite his mistakes.

In a later scene, after her brother died, we see Martha running to meet Jesus as soon as she heard he was near. Her greeting to Jesus was tinged with a complaint: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." But faith, too, was present: "I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

"Your brother will rise again," Jesus assured her.

"I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day, " Martha replied.

"I am the resurrection and the life, " Jesus said. "Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord, " she told him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

But right after her tremendous expression of faith, Martha's practical side reasserted itself. When Jesus asked for the stone to be removed from Lazarus's tomb, she objected, raising the concern on everyone's mind: "But, Lord, there will be a terrible stink. Lazarus has been there for four days!" How amazed she must have been when instead of the stench of death, Lazarus himself emerged from the tomb.

The more we delve into Martha's story, the more familiar it seems—as familiar as the face gazing at us in the bathroom mirror. A woman who placed too much importance on her own activity and not enough on sitting quietly before Jesus, she pleaded for fairness without realizing that her version of fairness was itself unfair. Her commonsensical approach to life made faith difficult. But she also loved Jesus and was confident of his love for her. How else could she have found the courage to keep pressing him for answers to her many questions? Martha offers a warmly human portrait of what it means to have Jesus as a friend, allowing him to stretch her faith, rebuke her small vision of the world, and show her what the power of God can do.

Her Promise

Martha meets Jesus again in John 11 after the death of her brother, Lazarus. With characteristic forthrightness, she tells Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if he had come earlier. Her statements open the way for Jesus to declare for all to hear—including us today—that he alone is the resurrection and the life. If we believe in him, even if we die, we live. What a promise! What comfort! Through Jesus, death no longer has any power over us.

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.
Active and pragmatic, she never seemed at a loss for words.

John Piper Devotional — Rejoicing in Pain

 

Rejoicing in Pain

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven…”

— Matthew 5:11–12

Christian Hedonism says that there are different ways to rejoice in suffering as a Christian. All of them are to be pursued as an expression of the all-sufficient, all-satisfying grace of God.

One way of rejoicing in suffering comes from fixing our minds firmly on the greatness of the reward that will come to us in the resurrection. The effect of this kind of focus is to make our present pain seem small in comparison to what is coming: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18). In making the suffering tolerable, rejoicing over our reward will also make love possible.

“Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35). Be generous with the poor “and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14)

Another way of rejoicing in suffering comes from the effects of suffering on our assurance of hope. Joy in affliction is rooted in the hope of resurrection, but our suffering experience also deepens the root of that hope.

For example, Paul says, “We exult in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces proven genuineness, and genuineness produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4).

Here, Paul’s joy is not merely rooted in his great reward, but in the effect of suffering to solidify his hope in that reward. Afflictions produce endurance, and endurance produces a sense that our faith is real and genuine, strengthening our hope that we will indeed gain Christ.
Christian Hedonism says that there are different ways to rejoice in suffering as a Christian.

Un dia a la Vez — Tesoros en el cielo

 

Tesoros en el cielo

Porque donde esté tu tesoro, allí estará también tu corazón.

— Mateo 6:21

¡Es increíble cómo a nuestro Dios le interesa que seamos personas equilibradas y rectas en la vida! Por eso le agradezco mucho que nos dejara la Biblia. A través de su lectura he podido conocer los principios de vida y la manera más fácil de ser feliz.

Hoy en día, se escucha muy a menudo esta frase bíblica: «No os hagáis tesoros en la tierra» (Mateo 6:19, rv-60). Eso significa que nuestro ídolo no debe ser el dinero y que no debemos apegarnos a las riquezas.

Fíjense que no se trata de que Dios no esté de acuerdo en que seamos prósperos. Lo que Él no quiere es que ese sea nuestro tesoro y nuestra vida. Así que ten en cuenta que cuando partamos de este mundo, no nos llevaremos nada en lo absoluto. Por lo tanto, es más importante pensar en nuestra vida eterna.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¡Es increíble cómo a nuestro Dios le interesa que seamos personas equilibradas y rectas en la vida!

Devocional CPTLN — Pobre y afligido

 

Pobre y afligido

Pero que se alegren en ti todos los que te buscan; que los que aman tu salvación digan siempre: «¡Grande es nuestro Dios!» Pero yo estoy pobre y afligido; ¡ven pronto, oh Dios, en mi ayuda! Tú eres mi ayuda; ¡eres mi libertador! ¡No tardes, Señor!

— Salmo 70:4-5

Este salmo presenta un gran contraste: Dios es grande, mientras que yo estoy pobre y afligido. Sin embargo, a menudo creemos que es al revés: nosotros somos los geniales que, al adorar y alabar a Dios, le hacemos un favor. O a veces preferimos que Él permanezca en un segundo plano hasta que realmente lo necesitemos. La triste realidad es que lo necesitamos en todo momento, estemos dispuestos a admitirlo o no. Ya antes de que supiéramos nuestra necesidad, antes de que naciéramos, Dios decidió salvarnos enviando a su hijo Jesús a buscar y salvar a los perdidos. Éramos pobres y necesitados, perdidos en el pecado, pero "cuando aún éramos débiles, Cristo murió por los pecadores" (Romanos 5:6).

La Palabra de Dios revela nuestra necesidad y el Espíritu Santo nos convence del pecado, justicia y juicio. La Ley de Dios nos sirve de espejo a través del cual el Espíritu nos muestra nuestro pecado, el mal que hacemos y el bien que dejamos sin hacer. La Palabra revela nuestra falta de justicia y nuestra condición de pecadores caídos ante Dios, cuyo pago es la muerte. Pero el Evangelio nos revela que ese Dios grande se encargó de remediar nuestra desesperada situación. Dios Hijo se convirtió, en nuestro lugar, en "pobre y afligido". Él tomó nuestro pecado sobre sí mismo y colgó en debilidad y vergüenza en la cruz, donde sufrió la pena de muerte que el justo juicio de Dios exigía contra el pecado. Jesús nos cubre con su justicia y pureza, su justa posición ante Dios. Por fe en él recibimos la herencia de gloria que será nuestra por toda la eternidad.

"¡Ven pronto, oh Dios, en mi ayuda!". A través de la muerte y resurrección de su Hijo, Dios nos rescató del pecado, la muerte y Satanás y está listo para ayudarnos, siempre presente con su misericordia y perdón. Jesús dijo: "Bienaventurados los pobres en espíritu, porque de ellos es el reino de los cielos" (Mateo 5:3). Éramos pobres y afligidos pero ahora, por la gracia de Dios mediante la fe en Jesús, la gloria del Reino es nuestra, no por nuestros propios esfuerzos o logros (¡no somos tan grandes como pensamos!), sino por la muerte redentora y la resurrección triunfante de Jesús, el Hijo de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Dios nuestro Salvador, en todo momento de necesidad sé nuestra ayuda y nuestro libertador. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué adjetivos usarías para describir a Dios basado en tu propia experiencia?

* ¿Prefieres resolver tus problemas por ti mismo, o buscas la ayuda 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.
Este salmo presenta un gran contraste: Dios es grande, mientras que yo estoy pobre y afligido.

Notre Pain Quotidien — Dieu entend tout

 

Dieu entend tout

Lisez : 1 Rois 18.25-27,30-38
La Bible en un an : Jérémie 30 – 31 ; Philémon

[Que] l’on sache aujourd’hui que tu es Dieu.

— 1 Rois 18.36

L’un des plus longs retards postaux enregistrés dans l’Histoire a duré quatre-vingt-neuf ans. En 2008, une propriétaire de maison au Royaume-Uni a reçu une invitation à une fête expédiée en 1919 à la personne qui résidait à son adresse avant elle. Un facteur de la Royal Mail l’a déposée dans sa boîte à lettres, mais la raison de ce si long retard demeure un mystère.

Même les meilleurs efforts de communication nous déçoivent parfois, mais la Bible nous indique clairement que Dieu entend toujours ses fidèles serviteurs. Dans 1 Rois 18, Élie démontre le contraste marqué entre le dieu païen Baal et Jéhovah. Dans une épreuve de force visant à prouver qui était le Dieu vivant, après que les prophètes de Baal ont prié pendant des heures, Élie s’est moqué d’eux. « Criez à haute voix, puisqu’il est dieu ; il pense à quelque chose, ou il est occupé, ou il est en voyage ; peut-être qu’il dort, et il se réveillera », leur lança-t-il (V. 27). Puis Élie a prié Jéhovah de lui répondre afin que son peuple revienne à la foi, et Dieu a alors clairement déployé sa puissance.

Bien que Dieu ne réponde pas toujours immédiatement à nos prières comme il l’a fait pour Élie, nous pouvons avoir l’assurance qu’il les entend (PS 34.18). Il chérit nos prières à tel point qu’il les garde devant lui dans des « coupes d’or » comme de précieux parfums (AP 5.8). Dieu répondra à chaque prière selon sa sagesse et sa façon de faire parfaites. Au ciel, aucune lettre ne se perd.

Père, je te loue de ce que mes prières sont toujours précieuses à tes yeux.

Dieu exauce toujours nos prières en son temps, et pas forcément selon notre échéancier.

par Monia Genier

© 2020 Ministères NPQ
L’un des plus longs retards postaux enregistrés dans l’Histoire a duré quatre-vingt-neuf ans. En 2008, une propriétaire de maison au Royaume-Uni a reçu une invitation à une fête expédiée en 1919 à la personne qui résidait à son adresse avant elle.