Wednesday, September 23, 2020

The Daily Bible Readings for THURSDAY, September 24, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-semicontinuous/2020/09/24?version=KJV

The Daily Readings
THURSDAY, September 24, 2020
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Isaiah 48:17-21; James 4:11-16
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day: Hebrews 10:35-36
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Many and various afflictions united against the early Christians, and they had a great conflict. The Christian spirit is not a selfish spirit; it puts us upon pitying others, visiting them, helping them, and pleading for them. All things here are but shadows. The happiness of the saints in heaven will last for ever; enemies can never take it away as earthly goods. This will make rich amends for all we may lose and suffer here. The greatest part of the saints' happiness, as yet, is in promise. It is a trial of the patience of Christians, to be content to live after their work is done, and to stay for their reward till God's time to give it is come. He will soon come to them at death, to end all their sufferings, and to give them a crown of life. The Christian's present conflict may be sharp, but will be soon over. God never is pleased with the formal profession and outward duties and services of such as do not persevere; but he beholds them with great displeasure. And those who have been kept faithful in great trails for the time past, have reason to hope for the same grace to help them still to live by faith, till they receive the end of their faith and patience, even the salvation of their souls. Living by faith, and dying in faith, our souls are safe for ever.

Today’s Readings:
Recounting God’s power
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
These are called dark and deep sayings, because they are carefully to be looked into. The law of God was given with a particular charge to teach it diligently to their children, that the church may abide for ever. Also, that the providences of God, both in mercy and in judgment, might encourage them to conform to the will of God. The works of God much strengthen our resolution to keep his commandments. Hypocrisy is the high road to apostacy; those that do not set their hearts right, will not be stedfast with God. Many parents, by negligence and wickedness, become murderers of their children. But young persons, though they are bound to submit in all things lawful, must not obey sinful orders, or copy sinful examples.

God brought water from the rock
48:17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
The Holy Spirit qualifies for service; and those may speak boldly, whom God and his Spirit send. This is to be applied to Christ. He was sent, and he had the Spirit without measure. Whom God redeems, he teaches; he teaches to profit by affliction, and then makes them partakers of his holiness. Also, by his grace he leads them in the way of duty; and by his providence he leads in the way of deliverance. God did not afflict them willingly. If their sins had not turned them away, their peace should have been always flowing and abundant. Spiritual enjoyments are ever joined with holiness of life and regard to God's will. It will make the misery of the disobedient the more painful, to think how happy they might have been. And here is assurance given of salvation out of captivity. Those whom God designs to bring home to himself, he will take care of, that they want not for their journey. This is applicable to the grace laid up for us in Jesus Christ, from whom all good flows to us, as the water to Israel out of the rock, for that Rock was Christ. The spiritual blessings of redemption, and the rescue of the church from antichristian tyranny, are here pointed to. But whatever changes take place, the Lord warned impenitent sinners that no good would come to them; that inward anguish and outward trouble, which spring from guilt and from the Divine wrath, must be their portion for ever.

We do not know what tomorrow will bring
4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they laid too great a restraint upon us. We have the law of God, which is a rule to all; let us not presume to set up our own notions and opinions as a rule to those about us, and let us be careful that we be not condemned of the Lord. “Go to now,” is a call to any one to consider his conduct as being wrong. How apt worldly and contriving men are to leave God out of their plans! How vain it is to look for any thing good without God's blessing and guidance! The frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life, ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all projects for futurity. We can fix the hour and minute of the sun's rising and setting to-morrow, but we cannot fix the certain time of a vapour being scattered. So short, unreal, and fading is human life, and all the prosperity or enjoyment that attends it; though bliss or woe for ever must be according to our conduct during this fleeting moment. We are always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with cares and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, and all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God. It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end. Omissions are sins which will be brought into judgment, as well as commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as well as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned. Oh that we were as careful not to omit prayer, and not to neglect to meditate and examine our consciences, as we are not to commit gross outward vices against light!


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 THURSDAY, September 24, 2020
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Isaiah 48:17-21; James 4:11-16 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for THURSDAY, September 24, 2020


Prayer of the Day
THURSDAY, September 24, 2020

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Dear Father in heaven, we long to be your children and to grow closer and closer to eternal life with all its goodness and truth. In your love to us your children, bless us as we walk on earth under great stress and temptation. Keep us from going astray, and let what you have placed in our hearts grow toward perfection, to your glory and your honor. May our hearts always know the joy that our struggle and suffering are not in vain, that if we are faithful, we may bring forth the fruit of righteousness. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, September 24, 2020

https://classic.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/verse-of-the-day/2020/09/24?version=KJV

Hebrews 10:35-36
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Read all of Hebrews 10

Listen to Hebrews 10

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — The Third Son

https://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions/default.asp?date=20200924

The Third Son

(Jesus said) "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him."

My husband often says that he was a very bad boy when he was a child in Vietnam. He was the youngest son of a pastor, and when his father would start preaching, he would sneak out the church door to go play. He knew his father wouldn't be able to chase him down until church was over!

We laugh about this story because all these years later, my husband is now a pastor like his father, and he can't sneak away anymore. It looks like God finally found a way to keep him in church!

Jesus tells a story about two sons who also resisted their father when he wanted them to do something. But they did it in different ways. The first son said all the wrong things—he was rude and defiant to his father's face. But then he did the right thing—he obeyed his father and went to work. The second son reversed this. He said all the right things—"Sure, Dad, I'll be happy to go"—but then he did the wrong thing—he stayed at home and didn't go.

Then Jesus offered His hearers the choice: Which son was actually obedient? Which, in the end, did what his father wanted?

Just imagine the look on the faces of Jesus' hearers. I bet they didn't want either son! Both were bad. But since they had to make a choice, they settled on the one that did the right thing in the end. Better a smart-mouth son who finally obeys than a smooth talker who never follows through!

And that's the kind of choice God faces with us, isn't it? Some of us snarl and complain, but do His will in the end. Others of us say all the right things, but do our will in the end. What a choice! I think God needs another son to choose from.

And that is what God has, doesn't He? God the Father has Jesus—the Son who both says the right things and does the right things. When God sent Him into the world to be born as our Savior, Jesus didn't give Him any backtalk. He was completely on board with the Father's plan to save us. And He followed through—preaching, teaching, healing, caring, and finally suffering and dying on a cross outside Jerusalem. Jesus did His Father's will wholeheartedly.

And what was the result? Jesus saved all of us! Through His death He brought us forgiveness for all our backtalk and snarliness and disobedience. Through His resurrection He gave us eternal life and adoption as children of God—children filled with the Holy Spirit, so now we actually want to do our Father's will. God's "third Son" is transforming all of us. Thanks be to God!

Father, thank You for Jesus, who has made us Your children. Amen.

Dr. Kari Vo

Reflection Questions:
1. When you were a child and were asked to do a job you didn't want to do, how did you respond?

2. When God asks you to do something and you don't want to, what usually happens next?

3. Is it easier or harder for you to obey God now than when you were a child?
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
My husband often says that he was a very bad boy when he was a child in Vietnam.

Standing Strong Through the Storm — THE BODY OF JESUS

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/standing-strong-through-the-storm/2020/09/24
THE BODY OF JESUS

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

In China, one small group of believers gathered weekly in the back room of a small store to worship together during the Cultural Revolution. Since they could easily be overheard by anyone entering the store, they “sang” hymns together without words or music. Someone whispered the name of the song and the group together silently moved their lips simply “thinking” the words and music.

In the Bible, the church is called “God's husbandry,” “the body of Christ,” and the “household of Christ” (I Corinthians 3:9; 12:13,27; Hebrews 3:6). It is also called His bride and a wife (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2,9; Ephesians 5:22-33). These are all simple examples given to help us understand that the Church is a spiritual entity, neither a building nor a human organization. This is probably the most common error in belief found among Christians. It is important that we realize that the church of Jesus Christ is basically and When Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus responded by promising to build His church on the solid “rock” of this great truth and that the gates of hell would not withstand it. (Matthew 16:13-18). According to the New Testament, a person who has recognized, as Peter did, that Jesus is the Christ, and who trusts in Him by faith as Savior and Lord, is “born again” (John 3:1-17).

This new birth is a spiritual experience that opens the heart to the Spirit of God. He enters that heart and dwells there. This believer is then a “priest” of God and enjoys direct access into the holy presence of God (I Peter 2:5,9; Hebrews 4:16). This relationship of an individual with Christ is clearly a spiritual relationship, and Jesus joins together individuals who have this faith in Him into a spiritual body—His church.

RESPONSE: I will cherish my relationship with Christ and His body—the Church.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your household of faith. Help me to understand its functions and walk and serve in expressing them.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
In China, one small group of believers gathered weekly in the back room of a small store to worship together during the Cultural Revolution. Since they could easily be overheard by anyone entering the store, they “sang” hymns together without words or music.

Men's Devotional Bible — Trouble

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/mens-devotional-bible/2020/09/24
Trouble

2 Chronicles 20:1–19

Recommended Reading: Numbers 20:14–21; 2 Chronicles 20:20–30; Psalm 83:1–18

Trouble comes in threes, they say. But who’s counting?

You’ve probably noticed that acknowledging and investigating troubles seem to make them multiply. Consider your house, for example. The roof starts leaking. So you climb into the attic to check it out and discover several bad spots, a rotten rafter, mold, mildew—and often the repair bills mount from there.

Obviously, ignoring problems also makes them multiply. Ignoring the leak today leads to the living room ceiling sitting in your lap tomorrow. So you face a dilemma: If your troubles multiply whether you examine or ignore them, what should you do?

King Jehoshaphat found himself face-to-face with trouble. A huge army marched toward Jerusalem, and the scouting reports didn’t hold out much hope. The problem on the horizon promised to be enormous by the time it reached the king. “Alarmed,” we read, “Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:3). He looked through the trouble. Faced with an overwhelming situation, the king immediately turned to Someone who is never overwhelmed.

As we face trouble in our own lives, our prayer can be like Jehoshaphat’s: “Lord, I know you’re in charge. So I choose to recognize this trouble as your problem, not just mine. I admit that I can’t handle this situation, yet it needs to be resolved. What do you say, Lord?”

Notice how God responded to this prayer of faith. He answered, but he didn’t promise to help Judah win the battle. Instead, he said he’d fight for his people. Could the king have anticipated this answer? There are times in our lives as well when God’s good answers surprise us. But notice also that the king still had his marching orders: God told him not to be afraid (twice), not to be discouraged (twice), to march out, to take positions and to go out and face the enemy. By the time the people had completed God’s instructions, the battle was over.

Again we face a dilemma. We often find ourselves a little too close to our troubles—so close that we end up wallowing in them. Or we find ourselves trying to avoid troubles—giving them the opportunity to pull a surprise attack. But God calls us to trust him, to look through our troubles and toward him.

To Take Away
  • How do you usually respond when faced with trouble?
  • What results have you seen when you’ve surrendered your troubles to God?
  • What problems are you facing right now that need the Jehoshaphat approach? Pray for God’s guidance, intervention and protection in the face of these situations. And watch and listen for his answers.
You’ve probably noticed that acknowledging and investigating troubles seem to make them multiply.

John Piper Devotional — Jesus’s Pursuit of Joy

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/john-piper-devotional/2020/09/24
Jesus’s Pursuit of Joy

[Look] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Does the example of Jesus contradict the principle of Christian Hedonism? Namely, that love is the way of joy and that one should choose it for that very reason, lest one be found begrudging obedience to the Almighty or chafing under the privilege of being a channel of grace or belittling the promised reward.

Hebrews 12:2 seems to say fairly clearly that Jesus did not contradict this principle.

The greatest labor of love that ever happened was possible because Jesus pursued the greatest imaginable joy, namely, the joy of being exalted to God’s right hand in the assembly of a redeemed people: “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross!”

In saying this, the writer means to give Jesus as another example, along with the saints of Hebrews 11, of those who are so eager for and confident in the joy God offers that they reject the “fleeting pleasures of sin” (11:25) and choose ill-treatment in order to be aligned with God’s will.

It is not unbiblical, therefore, to say that what sustained Christ in the dark hours of Gethsemane was the hope of joy beyond the cross. This does not diminish the reality and greatness of his love for us, because the joy in which he hoped was the joy of leading many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10).

His joy is in our redemption, which redounds to God’s glory. To abandon the cross and thus to abandon us and the Father’s will was a prospect so horrible in Christ’s mind that he repulsed it and embraced death.
Does the example of Jesus contradict the principle of Christian Hedonism?

Un dia a la Vez — Perseguidos y atacados

https://classic.biblegateway.com/devotionals/un-dia-vez/2020/09/24
Perseguidos y atacados

La hierba se seca y la flor se cae, pero la palabra del Señor permanece para siempre.

¿Darías tú vida por Dios? Nuestra respuesta debería ser afirmativa, sin siquiera dudarlo. No obstante, si lo pensáramos mejor, ¿moriríamos por Él?

¿Sabes que ese mismo decreto de muerte se lo entregó Dios a su Hijo? Determinó que muriera por nosotros para darnos vida eterna y Él le obedeció. Así que murió por pagar nuestros pecados y salvar de ese modo a la humanidad.

¡Qué precio tan caro y tan grande! Lo que ocurre es que Dios veía más allá de los sufrimientos y, aunque sabía que sería doloroso, era un sacrificio a favor de sus hijos.

Si lo analizamos, toda la vida los cristianos han sufrido persecución y ataques. En el peor de los casos, los asesinan solo por seguir a Cristo. Según lo registra el Manual de Instrucciones, eso no dejará de pasar.

Cada vez podremos tener más oposición, más ataques, secuestros, torturas de pastores y misioneros, pues estamos en un mundo donde se levantan falsos profetas y mucha gente no sabrá a quién seguir. Sin embargo, recordemos que aunque las cosas de este mundo se pongan peor, la batalla ya se ganó. Tú y yo no debemos olvidar quién es Dios y lo que está escrito en la Biblia: «El cielo y la tierra pasarán, pero mis palabras jamás pasarán» (Mateo 24:35).

Así que no te canses de seguir a Jesús, ya que la recompensa está en los cielos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
¿Darías tú vida por Dios?

Devocional CPTLN — El tercer hijo


El tercer hijo

Jesús les preguntó: «¿Qué les parece? Un hombre tenía dos hijos, y se acercó al primero y le pidió: "Hijo, ve hoy a trabajar en mi viña." El primero le respondió: "No quiero"; pero después se arrepintió y fue. Luego, se acercó al otro hijo, y le pidió lo mismo. Éste le respondió: "Sí, señor, ya voy"; pero no fue. ¿Cuál de los dos hijos hizo la voluntad de su padre?» Ellos respondieron: «El primero». Entonces Jesús les dijo: «De cierto les digo, que los cobradores de impuestos y las rameras les llevan la delantera hacia el reino de Dios. Porque Juan se acercó a ustedes para encaminarlos en la justicia, y no le creyeron; mientras que los cobradores de impuestos y las rameras sí le creyeron. Pero ustedes, aunque vieron esto, no se arrepintieron ni le creyeron.»

Mi esposo suele decir que cuando era niño en Vietnam, no se portaba muy bien. Era el hijo menor de un pastor, y cuando su padre empezaba a predicar, se escapaba por la puerta de la iglesia para ir a jugar. ¡Sabía que su padre no podría perseguirlo hasta que terminara la iglesia! Nos reímos de esta historia porque ahora mi esposo es un pastor como su padre, y ya no puede escabullirse. ¡Parece que Dios finalmente encontró la manera de mantenerlo en la iglesia!

Jesús cuenta una historia sobre dos hijos que también se resistieron a su padre cuando él quería que hicieran algo. Pero lo hicieron de diferentes formas. El primer hijo dijo todas las cosas incorrectas: fue grosero y desafiante ante su padre, pero luego hizo lo correcto: obedeció y se puso a trabajar. El segundo hijo hizo al revés. Dijo todas las cosas correctas: "Claro, papá, estaré feliz de irme", pero luego hizo lo incorrecto, se quedó en casa y no fue.

Entonces Jesús preguntó: ¿Qué hijo fue realmente obediente? ¿Cuál, al final, hizo lo que quería su padre? Imagínense la expresión de los rostros de los oyentes. ¡Apuesto a que no querían a ningún hijo! Ambos eran malos. Pero como tenían que tomar una decisión, al final se decidieron por el que hizo lo correcto. ¡Mejor un hijo que al principio se niega pero finalmente obedece, que un charlatán que no cumple lo que promete!

Esa misma elección es la que Dios enfrenta con nosotros. Algunos gruñimos y nos quejamos, pero al final hacemos Su voluntad. Otros decimos todo lo correcto, pero al final hacemos lo que nosotros queremos. ¡Qué elección! Creo que Dios necesita otro hijo para elegir. Y eso es lo que tiene. Dios el Padre tiene a Jesús, el Hijo que dice lo correcto y hace lo correcto. Cuando Dios lo envió al mundo para nacer como nuestro Salvador, Jesús estuvo completamente de acuerdo con el plan del Padre. Y siguió adelante: predicando, enseñando, curando, cuidando y finalmente sufriendo y muriendo en una cruz. Jesús hizo la voluntad de su Padre de todo corazón.

¿Cuál fue el resultado? ¡Jesús nos salvó a todos! A través de su muerte nos trajo el perdón por todas nuestras críticas, sarcasmos y desobediencia. A través de su resurrección nos dio la vida eterna y la adopción como hijos de Dios, hijos llenos del Espíritu Santo que ahora realmente queremos hacer la voluntad de nuestro Padre. El "tercer Hijo" de Dios nos está transformando a todos. ¡Gracias a Dios!

ORACIÓN: Padre, gracias por Jesús, que nos ha hecho tus hijos. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:
* ¿Qué sucede cuando Dios te pide que hagas algo y tú no quieres?

* ¿Te resulta más fácil o más difícil obedecer a Dios ahora que cuando eras niño?
© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
Mi esposo suele decir que cuando era niño en Vietnam, no se portaba muy bien.

Хлеб наш насущный — Слишком грешна?

https://russian-odb.org/2020/09/24/%d1%81%d0%bb%d0%b8%d1%88%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%bc-%d0%b3%d1%80%d0%b5%d1%88%d0%bd%d0%b0/

Слишком грешна?

Читать сейчас: Неемии 9:17, 27-31 | Библия за год: Песнь песней 4-5; 1 Коринфянам 14:1-20
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Ты Бог, любящий прощать... и многомилостивый.

«Если я дотронусь до Библии, то обожгусь», – сказала моя преподавательница английского языка в колледже. У меня сжалось сердце. В повести, которую мы читали на занятии, была отсылка к Библии. Я достала свою Библию, чтобы найти указанное место. Она это заметила и произнесла упомянутые выше слова. Моя преподавательница, судя по всему, считала себя слишком грешной, чтобы ее можно было простить. Но мне не хватило смелости рассказать ей о Божьей любви, о том, что, согласно Писанию, мы всегда можем искать прощения грехов.

В Книге Неемии есть прекрасный пример покаяния и прощения. Израильтяне долгое время были в изгнании по причине своих грехов. Но теперь им разрешили вернуться в Иерусалим. Когда они собрались вместе, книжник Ездра начал читать им Божий закон (Неем. 7:73-8:3). Люди исповедовали свои грехи, веря, что Бог, несмотря ни на что, их не оставил и не покинул (Неем. 9:17, 19). Он «выслушивал их с небес», когда они взывали, и в Своем сострадании и милосердии был удивительно терпелив к ним (ст. 27-31).

Подобным образом Бог терпелив и с нами. Он не оставит нас, если мы исповедаем свои грехи и обратимся к Нему. Как бы мне хотелось вернуться в то время и рассказать своей преподавательнице, что независимо от ее прошлого Иисус хочет простить ее и ввести в Свою семью. То же самое Он чувствует и по отношению к нам. Мы можем прийти к Нему за прощением. Он обязательно простит!
Вы знаете кого-то, кто считает себя слишком грешным, чтобы Иисус мог его простить? Как истина о том, что Он пришел «призвать не праведников, но грешников» (Мк. 2:17), может изменить такое мышление?
Небесный Отец, благодарю Тебя за прощение моих грехов и обещание, что Ты можешь простить любого грешника.


© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
«Если я дотронусь до Библии, то обожгусь», – сказала моя преподавательница английского языка в колледже.