The Daily Bible Readings for THURSDAY, November 12, 2020

 

The Daily Readings
THURSDAY, November 12, 2020
Psalm 123; Judges 2:6-15; Revelation 16:1-7
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

Colossians 1:9

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

It is God’s desire that we would walk in His will and obey Him. And knowing His plan for our lives is a treasure because it prevents us from wasting our time and talents on things that will not matter in eternity. So when we pray for others, it is appropriate that we ask for His purpose to be fulfilled in them and that they would see every situation from His viewpoint—because this is life at its very best, and there’s absolutely nothing that compares with it.

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 123
Our eyes look to God

1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Commentary
Our Lord Jesus has taught us to look unto God in prayer as our Father in heaven. In every prayer a good man lifts up his soul to God; especially when in trouble. We desire mercy from him; we hope he will show us mercy, and we will continue waiting on him till it come. The eyes of a servant are to his master's directing hand, expecting that he will appoint him his work. And also to his supplying hand. Servants look to their master or their mistress for their portion of meat in due season. And to God we must look for daily bread, for grace sufficient; from him we must receive it thankfully. Where can we look for help but to our Master? And, further, to his protecting hand. If the servant is wronged and injured in his work, who should right him, but his master? And to his correcting hand. Whither should sinners turn but to him that smote them? They humble themselves under God's mighty hand. And lastly, to his rewarding hand. Hypocrites look to the world's hand, thence they have their reward; but true Christians look to God as their Master and their Rewarder. God's people find little mercy with men; but this is their comfort, that with the Lord there is mercy. Scorning and contempt have been, are, and are likely to be, the lot of God's people in this world. It is hard to bear; but the servants of God should not complain if they are treated as his beloved Son was. Let us then, when ready to faint under trials, look unto Jesus, and by faith and prayer cast ourselves upon the mercy of God.

Judges 2:6-15
After Joshua’s death

2:6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.

13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

Commentary
We have a general idea of the course of things in Israel, during the time of the Judges. The nation made themselves as mean and miserable by forsaking God, as they would have been great and happy if they had continued faithful to him. Their punishment answered to the evil they had done. They served the gods of the nations round about them, even the meanest, and God made them serve the princes of the nations round about them, even the meanest. Those who have found God true to his promises, may be sure that he will be as true to his threatenings. He might in justice have abandoned them, but he could not for pity do it.

Revelation 16:1-7
God’s judgments are true and just

16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Commentary
We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.

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, November 12, 2020
Psalm 123; Judges 2:6-15; Revelation 16:1-7 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for THURSDAY, November 12, 2020

 

Prayer of the Day
THURSDAY, November 12, 2020

For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night…But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4–5 (NIV)

Lord our God, we hold to you and to your promise. Though much is hidden from us, your voice comes clearly to us proclaiming, "Watch and pray. You are to await the day of Jesus Christ your Lord, and you can rejoice now in the midst of strife, distress, fear, and need." We thank you for your powerful Word. However long the time of waiting may be, your Word remains eternally and will be fulfilled. Your name shall be honored in the proclamation of your Word, your kingdom shall come, and your will shall be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, November 12, 2020

 

Colossians 1:9

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

It is God’s desire that we would walk in His will and obey Him. And knowing His plan for our lives is a treasure because it prevents us from wasting our time and talents on things that will not matter in eternity. So when we pray for others, it is appropriate that we ask for His purpose to be fulfilled in them and that they would see every situation from His viewpoint—because this is life at its very best, and there’s absolutely nothing that compares with it.

Read all of Colossians 1

Listen to Colossians 1

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Different—or the Same?

 

Different—or the Same?

(Jesus said) "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"

— Matthew 25:14-23

Have you ever wondered about the different amounts in this story? The master gives one servant five talents, another two, and yet another just one. The servants, of course, are us, and the master is Jesus. He has left us to invest everything He has given us—our gifts and talents, our blessings, and most of all, the Gospel message of His salvation. When Jesus comes back, He will settle accounts with us.

So far, so good. But it's clear that we servants aren't all starting with the same amount of assets, either in the parable or in real life. Some of us are born with good health and high intelligence, in loving families in safe communities. Some of us have exactly the opposite. Is that fair?

It's easy to get cranky with God and say, "No, it's not fair. So-and-so has more than me. I am angry, and I refuse to do my job as a servant."

But if we do that, we are missing the point of the story. Look again. The first two servants do exactly the same thing: they put the money to work and they make a profit. Each has a different size profit, of course, as you'd expect. But when the master comes back, his joy is identical. He says exactly the same thing to both of them: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

This is how it is for us as well. It doesn't matter if we are the apostle Paul, or the poorest, sickest, most disadvantaged creatures on earth. In God's eyes, what we have is a little, no more. What matters is our faithfulness to the Savior who died and rose for us. And what we have to look forward to—ah, now that will be wonderful! When Jesus returns, He will set us over much, and we will enter into Jesus' own joy. That is His plan for every single one of us.

Lord, help me to be faithful to You, always looking forward to Your joy. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:

1. When have you taken something small—money, seeds, a talent—and turned it into much?

2. What do you have, and how are you serving the Lord with it?

3. What did Jesus start out with, and what profit has He made through His faithful service to God the Father?

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever wondered about the different amounts in this story? The master gives one servant five talents, another two, and yet another just one. The servants, of course, are us, and the master is Jesus.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — HOPE IN THE FACE OF REJECTION

 

HOPE IN THE FACE OF REJECTION

Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

— Mark 10:29-30

A young lady from India who received Standing Strong Through the Storm (SSTS) training shares her poignant story:

Though I long to see my family, I cannot go home. I haven’t been home in three years, ever since my family poured hot water on me to show their hostility. They were extremely upset when I accepted Christ as my Saviour as a teenager. I stopped worshipping idols and other gods that my family worshipped. I began to pray and read the Bible every day. My family, who kept food from me, even poured hot meals on me. They tore Bibles from my hand and burned them, six of them.

I was severely beaten for attending church services. One time so badly that I was half dead. While I was still on my sickbed, I heard the voice of God saying, “Leave your family whom you love and follow me.” It was a very difficult decision for me, but I agreed to do His word. So I told my father that I would be leaving for Bible College to study and learn about Jesus. On hearing my words, he was furious and said that if I was to do my own will, then I could leave for good. He demanded money that he had spent for my upbringing. It broke my heart.

Learning of the terrible condition I was in, an evangelist reached out to me with help and brought me to a Bible College supported by Open Doors. After a year, I went home expecting my family to accept me. But they remained unchanged.

Two years later, my father attended my Bible College graduation in secret, coming in late to the back and leaving early. He did not want to speak to me. My family has only given me pain and sorrow, and I think about it and weep.

But I believe in God’s promise, “Let your heart not be troubled, believe in God and also in me, there are many rooms in my father’s house…I will come back and take you with me” (John 14:1-3). So one day, I will be with Him in His heavenly home where there will be no more sorrow, crying, or pain.

RESPONSE: Today, I will be encouraged that no matter what happens, following Jesus gives me hope.

PRAYER: Pray for many believers, like the young lady above, who endure the pain of rejection.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
A young lady from India who received Standing Strong Through the Storm (SSTS) training shares her poignant story:

Men's Devotional Bible — Word Choice

 

Word Choice

Proverbs 15:1–15

Recommended Reading: Psalm 34:13–14; James 3:1–12

The ability to master our mouths, watch our words, and tame our tongues demonstrates a level of spiritual and emotional maturity. The opposite is true, as well. An inability to control our speech shows immaturity, and it can inflict great harm on our relationships.

Solomon addresses the importance of controlling our words by contrasting positive and negative speech. In each case, the effects end up as opposites: peacefulness or wrath, knowledge or folly, healing, or a crushed spirit. In other words, when we fail to control our tongue, we don’t just fail to give or be a blessing. We also cause a wound that can rupture a relationship.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, states that he asks audiences whether they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about or to anyone. Invariably, a few people answer “yes,” but most call out “no!” He responds, “Those who can’t answer ‘yes’ have a serious problem. If you can’t go 24 hours without drinking liquor, you’re addicted to alcohol. If you can’t last 24 hours without smoking, you’re addicted to nicotine. And if you can’t make it 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, you’ve lost control of your tongue.”

How can you tell whether your tongue is under control? You won’t say anything about an individual that you can’t say directly to that person. You resist the urge to exaggerate. You consciously examine your thoughts and remove gossip and rumors from your conversations. You keep in confidence a personal matter that someone else shares with you. Further, you learn to speak positive words. Appropriate words communicate affirmation, comfort, and healing.

When was the last time you said something to another person that you instantly regretted? Maybe it was something intended as a joke that was instead taken as an offense, or perhaps it was a sharp word spoken in anger that you wish you could have taken back. Think of a specific situation, and then challenge yourself to rectify the hurt. While you may not be able to take back the words themselves, you can humbly submit yourself to that person and begin to rebuild the relationship.

To Take Away

• Do you think most men struggle with controlling their words? Why or why not?
• How would others evaluate your speech? Would they say that your words more frequently heal or wound?
• What steps can you take to gain tighter control over your tongue?

The ability to master our mouths, watch our words, and tame our tongues demonstrates a level of spiritual and emotional maturity. The opposite is true, as well.

John Piper Devotional — How Satan Serves God

 

How Satan Serves God

You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord…

— James 5:11

Behind all disease and disability is the ultimate will of God. Not that Satan is not involved—he is probably always involved in one way or another with destructive purposes (Acts 10:38). But his power is not decisive. He cannot act without God’s permission.

That is one of the points of Job’s sickness. The text makes it plain that when disease came upon Job, “Satan…struck Job with loathsome sores” (Job 2:7). His wife urged him to curse God. But Job said, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (v. 10). And again, the author of the book commends Job by saying, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

In other words: This is a right view of God’s sovereignty over Satan. Satan is real and may have a hand in our calamities, but not the final hand, and not the decisive hand.

James makes clear that God had a good purpose in all Job’s afflictions: “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

So Satan may have been involved, but the ultimate purpose was God’s, and it was “compassionate and merciful.”

This is the same lesson we learn from 2 Corinthians 12:7, where Paul says that his thorn in the flesh was a messenger of Satan and yet was given for the purpose of his own holiness: “To keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me”—to keep me from exalting myself!

Now, humility is not Satan’s purpose in this affliction. Therefore, the purpose is God’s, which means that here Satan is being used by God to accomplish his good purposes in Paul’s life.
Behind all disease and disability is the ultimate will of God.

Un dia a la Vez — Oración de compromiso

 

Oración de compromiso

A ti, oh Dios de mis padres, te doy gracias y te alabo, porque me has dado sabiduría y fuerza.

— Daniel 2:23, RV-60

Señor, te agradecemos de todo corazón que nos permitieras estudiar estos veintiún principios de vida. Para muchos, son del todo nuevos, pero gracias a tu Palabra tan sencilla y práctica para seguir, sabremos tomar decisiones adecuadas.

Te pedimos perdón por las esferas en las que encontramos que estábamos fallando.

Gracias porque me hiciste ver la realidad y ahora puedo enderezar mis caminos y hacer cambios radicales.

Reconozco, Dios mío, que te necesito. Sin ti la vida es imposible de llevar.

Ayúdame, mi Jesús, a buscarte cada día y a aplicar tu Palabra en mi vida. ¡Te amo!

En el nombre de Jesús oramos, amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración de compromiso: Señor, te agradecemos de todo corazón que nos permitieras estudiar estos veintiún principios de vida.

Devocional CPTLN — ¿Diferentes o iguales?

 

¿Diferentes o iguales?

[Dijo Jesús] Porque el reino de los cielos es como un hombre que al emprender un viaje, llamó a sus siervos y les encomendó sus bienes. Y a uno le dio cinco talentos, a otro dos, y a otro uno, a cada uno conforme a su capacidad; y se fue de viaje. El que había recibido los cinco talentos, enseguida fue y negoció con ellos y ganó otros cinco talentos. Asimismo el que había recibido los dos talentos ganó otros dos. Pero el que había recibido uno, fue y cavó en la tierra y escondió el dinero de su señor. Después de mucho tiempo vino* el señor de aquellos siervos, y arregló cuentas con ellos. Y llegando el que había recibido los cinco talentos, trajo otros cinco talentos, diciendo: «Señor, me entregaste cinco talentos; mira, he ganado otros cinco talentos». Su señor le dijo: «Bien, siervo bueno y fiel; en lo poco fuiste fiel, sobre mucho te pondré; entra en el gozo de tu señor». Llegando también el de los dos talentos, dijo: «Señor, me entregaste dos talentos; mira, he ganado otros dos talentos». Su señor le dijo: «Bien, siervo bueno y fiel; en lo poco fuiste fiel, sobre mucho te pondré; entra en el gozo de tu señor».

— Mateo 25:14-23

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado acerca de las diferentes cantidades en esta historia? El amo le da a un siervo cinco talentos, a otro dos y a otro solo uno. Los sirvientes, por supuesto, somos nosotros, y el amo es Jesús, quien nos ha dejado para invertir todo lo que nos ha dado: nuestros dones y talentos, nuestras bendiciones y, sobre todo, el mensaje de su salvación. Cuando Jesús regrese, saldará cuentas con nosotros.

Hasta ahora todo está bien. Pero está claro que no todos los siervos comenzamos con la misma cantidad de cosas, ya sea en la parábola o en la vida real. Algunos de nosotros nacemos con buena salud y gran inteligencia, en familias amorosas y comunidades seguras, mientras que otros lo hacemos con exactamente lo contrario. ¿Es eso justo? Es fácil ponerse mal con Dios y decir: "No, no es justo. Él tiene más que yo. Estoy enojado y me niego a hacer mi trabajo como sirviente".

Pero si hacemos eso, estamos perdiendo el sentido de la historia. Miremos de nuevo. Los dos primeros sirvientes hacen exactamente lo mismo: ponen el dinero a trabajar y obtienen ganancias. Cada uno tiene un beneficio de tamaño diferente, como era de esperar. Pero cuando el maestro regresa, su alegría es idéntica. A ambos les dice exactamente lo mismo: "Bien, siervo bueno y fiel; en lo poco fuiste fiel, sobre mucho te pondré; entra en el gozo de tu señor".

Así es también con nosotros. No importa si somos el apóstol Pablo o las criaturas más pobres, enfermas y desfavorecidas de la tierra. A los ojos de Dios lo que tenemos es un poco, nada más. Lo que importa es nuestra fidelidad al Salvador que murió y resucitó por nosotros. Y lo que tenemos que esperar, ¡será maravilloso! Cuando Jesús regrese nos pondrá por encima de mucho y entraremos en el gozo de Jesús. Ese es su plan para cada uno de nosotros.

ORACIÓN: Señor, ayúdame a serte fiel, esperando siempre tu gozo. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

1. ¿Qué cosas te ha dado Dios y cómo estás sirviendo al Señor con ellas?

2. ¿Con qué empezó Jesús y qué provecho obtuvo a través de su servicio fiel a Dios el Padre?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Alguna vez te has preguntado acerca de las diferentes cantidades en esta historia?

Хлеб наш насущный — Долгий путь

 

Долгий путь

Читать сейчас: Исход 13:17-18 | Библия за год: Иеремии 51-52; 1 Тимофею 2

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Бог не повел [народ] по дороге земли филистимской, хотя она была ближе.

—— Исход 13:17

Коллеги один за другим получали повышение, а Бенджамин, не в силах ничего с собой поделать, слегка завидовал. «Ты еще не менеджер? Ведь ты заслужил!» – говорили друзья. Но Бен решил доверить свою карьеру Богу. «Если Он так решил, то я буду просто хорошо делать свое дело», – отвечал он.

Несколько лет спустя Бена наконец повысили. К этому времени накопленный опыт позволил ему действовать уверенно и пользоваться уважением подчиненных. А некоторые из его коллег все еще испытывали затруднения, поскольку заняли руководящие места, будучи недостаточно подготовленными. Бен понял, что Бог повел его «окружной дорогой», чтобы лучше подготовить к этой работе.

Когда Бог вывел израильтян из Египта (Исх. 13:17-18), Он тоже выбрал более длинный путь, потому что короткий был сопряжен с риском. Долгая дорога, – отмечают толкователи, – давала им больше времени для физического, умственного и духовного укрепления, что было важно ввиду предстоящих сражений.

Короткий путь не всегда лучший. Иногда Бог позволяет нам пройти длинным путем, будь то в карьере или в других делах. Благодаря этому мы сможем лучше подготовиться к дальнейшему путешествию. Когда события происходят не так быстро, как хотелось бы, доверимся Богу, Который ведет нас и направляет.

Как Бог мог укреплять вас, направляя на более длинный путь? Как вы можете напомнить себе, что нужно полагаться на Него?

Любящий Боже, Ты знаешь, что я чувствую, когда все идет недостаточно быстро. Даруй мне терпение, чтобы доверять Тебе и Твоим мудрым планам.

автор: Лесли Ко

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Коллеги один за другим получали повышение, а Бенджамин, не в силах ничего с собой поделать, слегка завидовал.