Monday, March 16, 2020

The Daily Lectionary for TUESDAY, March 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-complementary/2020/03/17?version=NIV
Psalm 81; Genesis 29:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

The Daily Lectionary
TUESDAY, March 17, 2020
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

We drink from the rock
1  Sing for joy to God our strength;
     shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
2  Begin the music, strike the timbrel,
     play the melodious harp and lyre.

3  Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
     and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4  this is a decree for Israel,
     an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5  When God went out against Egypt,
     he established it as a statute for Joseph.

   I heard an unknown voice say:

6  “I removed the burden from their shoulders;
     their hands were set free from the basket.
7  In your distress you called and I rescued you,
     I answered you out of a thundercloud;
     I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8  Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
     if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9  You shall have no foreign god among you;
     you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
     who brought you up out of Egypt.
   Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;
     Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
     to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,
     if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies
     and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
     and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
     with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Rachel at the well
29:1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”

“We’re from Harran,” they replied.

5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

Drinking from Christ the spiritual rock
10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Daily Lectionary is 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 Lectionary for TUESDAY, March 17, 2020
Psalm 81; Genesis 29:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

The Daily Prayer for TUESDAY, March 17, 2020

https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/common-prayer-liturgy-for-ordinary-radicals/shane-claiborne/9780310326199/pd/326199?event=ESRCG
The Daily Prayer
TUESDAY, March 17, 2020

Patrick of Ireland (389—461)

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped from his home by Irish marauders and taken to Ireland, where he was sold as a slave to a chieftain and forced to herd livestock. After six years of slavery, Patrick escaped to his native Britain. Because he believed that his captivity and deliverance were ordained by God, Patrick devoted his life to ministry. While studying for the priesthood, he experienced recurring dreams in which he heard voices say, “O holy youth, come back to Erin and walk once more amongst us.” He convinced his superiors to let him return to Ireland in 432, not to seek revenge for injustice but to seek reconciliation and to spread his faith. Over the next thirty years, Patrick established churches and monastic communities across Ireland. When he was not engaged in the work of spreading the Christian faith, Patrick spent his time praying in his favorite places of solitude and retreat.

This prayer is attributed to Patrick:
Christ be with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Lord, if only we made ourselves as open and available as your saints of old, who knows what you might do through us! Speak to us in visions and dreams, make your will known to us, and be patient with us. Amen.

Verse of the Day for TUESDAY, March 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/03/17?version=NIV

Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
  he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
  for his name’s sake.
Read all of Psalm 23

Listen to Psalm 23

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Lenten Prayer for TUESDAY, March 17, 2020 - Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent


40 Days of Lenten Prayers
Day 18 - Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

God of infinite love,
I thank you for this reminder of your love
and your call that we be more patient,
gentle and compassionate with others.
Here in the middle of Lent,
I turn to you to beg for your help.
Please soften my heart.
Help me to let go of judging others.
I ask you this, in Jesus' name.
Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Martes 17 de marzo de 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/03/17

¡Y nos quejamos!

Cumplan su tarea con alegría y sin quejarse, pues el quejarse no les trae ningún provecho.

Hace unos meses, en una de esas oportunidades que nos da la vida, conocimos a un hombre muy especial que nos llenó de enseñanzas y admiración.

Su nombre es Fredy y nació en Colombia. Se nos acercó y con mucho respeto dijo en inglés: «Flores para la dama». De inmediato, cautivó mi atención, la de mi esposo y mis princesas, pues este hombre vendía rosas desde su silla de ruedas. Sin embargo, no era solo una persona con una incapacidad de sus piernas, sino también de sus brazos y manos. Con todo, nada de eso ha sido impedimento, pues hace ya seis años que se dedica a este oficio.

Fredy nos dejó muy conmovidos por su alegría, su seguridad al hablarnos y una paz en su rostro que en pocos segundos nos mostró que todo lo que tiene es porque se lo ha dado Dios. Que a pesar del tiro que recibió en su cuello hace ya varios años y que lo dejó en una silla de ruedas, nunca se ha dado por vencido. Hoy en día vive de la venta de rosas en la bella ciudad de Homestead.

Nos dijo: «Yo no le fallo a mi Dios en la asistencia a la iglesia, ni al dar mis diezmos y mis ofrendas, y por eso me va bien en todo».

¡Impresionante! En verdad, fue una lección para cada uno de nosotros. Pudimos ver que aunque tiene grandes limitaciones, ya que no puede casi ni usar sus manos y contesta el teléfono con su lengua para presionar las teclas del celular, se le ve en paz y feliz.

¿Y tú y yo que estamos bien y sin limitaciones por qué nos quejamos?

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Su nombre es Fredy y nació en Colombia.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Tuesday, March 17, 2020

https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/03/17
GOD KNOWS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LOSE A CHILD

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Young Nam left his family behind in North Korea to search for money and food in China. Christians there helped him but on the way back he bumped into a North Korean patrol, and he was arrested on the spot. A prison official let Young Nam go after taking away all his money. Young Nam fled again to China, only to be arrested by Chinese policemen. And now he was back in the same prison with the same official who took a bat which was wrapped in newspaper. After Young Nam had taken the beating, the guards dragged him back to an overcrowded cell.

He convinced the prison official that he was not going to betray him and was released a second time. If he wanted to survive, the only option was to go back to China and stay there. He was able to secure a job working in the kitchen of a Beijing restaurant. There he met Eun Kyung who also came to work in the kitchen. Her husband had died in North Korea. Her sweet daughter died in her arms and her son was put in an orphanage. She and a bunch of other women were locked up in a house and sold into marriage to Chinese men.

Eun Kyung protested. “I have just lost my husband. Don’t force me to marry someone!” The human traffickers listened to her and placed her on a Chinese farm, where she had to work for room and board, but the family treated her very well. She ultimately came to Beijing and met Young Nam. There was chemistry between them. They took some secret Bible study classes together and they married, also in secret of course. After a while, the situation in Beijing became too tense for North Korean refugees, and the restaurant boss arranged false passports and put Young Nam and Eun Kyung on a plane to another country.

Now, Young Nam and Eun Kyung live in a small apartment far away from their home country. There is little that reminds them of their painful past unless it’s the eyes of their baby. Inevitably the eyes look similar to the eyes of the child she left behind in that wretched country with its love-wrecking system. Eun Kyung holds her few-months-old son tightly. The child is tense. Eun Kyung doesn’t seem to notice. She will protect this precious child with her life.

After their escape from China, Young Nam and Eun Kyung really got to know God by studying the Bible with a local pastor. They realized it was God who protected them. “God saved us, brought us together and gave us another child. We are very grateful for his love.”

Young Nam and Eun Kyung look to their son. For them, the child is a symbol of God’s hope and love. They know that God will not undo the past. However, God promises us that all tears will be wiped from our faces. That’s possible because the Son of God, out of love, let Himself be crucified. God Himself carried our pain. He knows what it is like to lose a child.

They conclude, “No matter what happened to us, we trust in God. We know that He is love.”

RESPONSE: Today I will forget the past, rejoice in God’s love and be thankful for all His gifts of life.

PRAYER: Thank You God that You can feel the pain of those who have lost a child. May Your love envelop them today and wipe the tears from their faces.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

LHM Daily Devotions March 17, 2020 - CRYSTAL CLEAR

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200317

"CRYSTAL CLEAR"

March 17, 2020

As He (Jesus) passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. ... (He said) "As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." Having said these things, He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

As I write this, I am facing eye surgery for a macular hole—a problem that has taken out a tiny part of my central vision. I envy this man. What a blessing to have the Creator of the universe step in and personally fix your blindness! He even did it with mud, in an echo of the original creation.

And yet, Jesus did more for this man—and for us!—than just fixing his physical vision. Take time to read John 9, the whole chapter. This man is crystal clear on who Jesus is and what He has done for him. He is the One who has rescued his eyesight and who has done a miracle that nobody has done since the beginning of the world—something only God can do. He is clear that God is with Jesus. And once Jesus meets him again in the temple, the man's vision is even sharper. He recognizes Jesus as the Son of Man and as God Himself—that's why he worshipped Him.

My physical eyesight is not so great, and yours may not be either. But if you recognize your Savior Jesus, your spiritual eyesight is 20/20. This is the Son of Man, the One that God promised to send into the world to save us all. This is the Son of God, the One who used His own blood to heal us of our spiritual blindness. And He will set us free in God's timing from all our weaknesses, even our physical problems—because Jesus is the Author of the new creation which God has promised, and in which we will live forever with Him. Because of His death and resurrection, we have the hope of total renewal, both body and soul, when Jesus comes again, according to His promise.

THE PRAYER: Father, help me to recognize and trust my Savior always. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
  1. Have you ever had eye problems? What is it like to live with them, if so?
  2. Why do you think Jesus used His spit to make mud instead of just saying the word and healing the man?
  3. How does your heart recognize Jesus?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever had eye problems? What is it like to live with them, if so?

CPTLN devocional del 17 de Marzo de 2020 - Claro como el cristal


ALIMENTO DIARIO

Claro como el cristal

17 de Marzo de 2020

Al pasar, Jesús vio a un hombre que era ciego de nacimiento... "Mientras que estoy en el mundo, soy la luz del mundo." Dicho esto, escupió en tierra, hizo lodo con la saliva y untó el lodo en los ojos del ciego; entonces le dijo: "Ve a lavarte en el estanque de Siloé (que significa 'Enviado')." El ciego fue, se lavó, y al volver ya veía.

Mientras escribo esto, me enfrento a una cirugía en la vista por una lesión macular, lesión que me ha quitado una pequeña parte de mi visión central, y por lo cual envidio al ciego de nuestra historia. ¡Qué bendición que el Creador del universo interviniera y reparara personalmente su ceguera! Y lo hizo con barro, haciendo eco a la creación original.

Pero Jesús hizo más por él, y por nosotros, que simplemente arreglar su visión física. Lee todo el capítulo 9 del evangelio de Juan. Este hombre tiene en claro quién es Jesús y lo que ha hecho por él. Él es quien le sanó la vista con un milagro que nadie más que Dios puede hacer. Está claro que Dios está con Jesús. Y cuando Jesús lo encuentra nuevamente en el templo, la visión del hombre es aún más aguda: lo reconoce como el Hijo del Hombre y como Dios, y lo adora.

Mi visión física no es tan buena, y la tuya tampoco. Pero si reconoces a tu Salvador Jesús, tu visión espiritual es excelente. Jesús es el Hijo del Hombre, el que Dios prometió enviar al mundo para salvarnos a todos. Él es el Hijo de Dios que usó su sangre para sanarnos de nuestra ceguera espiritual. Él es quien nos liberará en el tiempo de Dios de todas nuestras debilidades, incluso de nuestros problemas físicos; porque Jesús es el autor de la nueva creación en la cual viviremos para siempre con él. Por su muerte y resurrección tenemos la esperanza de una renovación total, tanto en cuerpo como en alma, cuando Jesús venga de nuevo de acuerdo con su promesa.

ORACIÓN: Padre, ayúdame a reconocer a mi Salvador y a confiar en él siempre. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
  1. ¿Por qué crees que Jesús usó su saliva para hacer barro, en lugar de solo decir una palabra y sanar al hombre?
  2. ¿Cómo reconoce tu corazón a Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Por qué crees que Jesús usó su saliva para hacer barro, en lugar de solo decir una palabra y sanar al hombre?

Nuestro Pan Diario - Aun antes de que preguntes

https://nuestropandiario.org/2020/03/17/aun-antes-de-que-preguntes

Aun antes de que preguntes

La escritura de hoy: Isaías 65:17-25
La Biblia en un año: Deuteronomio 30–31; Marcos 15:1-25

Y antes que clamen, responderé yo; mientras aún hablan, yo habré oído.

Mis amigos Robert y Colleen han tenido un matrimonio excelente durante décadas, y me encanta verlos interactuar. Uno le pasa la mantequilla al otro antes de que se la pida. El otro le vuelve a llenar el vaso en el momento exacto. Cuando cuentan historias, uno termina la frase del otro. A veces, parece que se leyeran la mente.

Es reconfortante que Dios nos conozca y se interese por nosotros más que nadie que conozcamos o amemos. Cuando Isaías describe la relación entre Dios y su pueblo en el reino venidero, alude a ternura e intimidad. Dios dice de su pueblo: «antes que clamen, responderé yo; mientras aún hablan, yo habré oído» (Isaías 65:24).

Pero ¿cómo puede pasar esto? Hay cosas por las que hemos orado durante años sin recibir respuesta. Creo que a medida que profundizamos nuestra intimidad con Dios y alineamos nuestro corazón con el de Él, aprendemos a confiar en su tiempo y cuidado. Empezamos a desear lo que Dios desea. Y al orar, pedimos —entre otras cosas— aquello que formará parte de su reino, como registra Isaías 65: no más lloro (v. 19); casas seguras, estómagos llenos y trabajo positivo para todos  (vv. 21-23); paz en la naturaleza (v. 25). Cuando el reino de Dios se establezca en plenitud, Él habrá respondido por completo todas nuestras oraciones.

De:  Amy Peterson

Reflexiona y ora
Dios, que mis deseos sean iguales a los tuyos.
¿Cómo podrías participar en extender el reino de Dios en la tierra? ¿Qué le pedirás hoy a Dios?

© 2020 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario
Mis amigos Robert y Colleen han tenido un matrimonio excelente durante décadas …