Thursday, November 26, 2020

The Daily Bible Readings for Friday, November 27, 2020

 

The Daily Readings
Friday, November 27, 2020
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Zechariah 14:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Whatever we say to one another—whether we do so through sermons, lessons, testimonies, songs, or just casual conversation—should be with the purpose of spurring each other to love God more. We cannot grow in our relationships with Jesus or mature in our walks without the encouragement, help, and instruction of others.

Today’s Readings:
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
We shall be saved
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Commentary

Verses 1-7 — He that dwelleth upon the mercy-seat, is the good Shepherd of his people. But we can neither expect the comfort of his love, nor the protection of his arm, unless we partake of his converting grace. If he is really angry at the prayers of his people, it is because, although they pray, their ends are not right, or there is some secret sin indulged in them, or he will try their patience and perseverance in prayer. When God is displeased with his people, we must expect to see them in tears, and their enemies in triumph. There is no salvation but from God's favour; there is no conversion to God but by his own grace.

Verses 17-19 — The Messiah, the Protector and Saviour of the church, is the Man of God's right hand; he is the Arm of the Lord, for all power is given to him. In him is our strength, by which we are enabled to persevere to the end. The vine, therefore, cannot be ruined, nor can any fruitful branch perish; but the unfruitful will be cut off and cast into the fire. The end of our redemption is, that we should serve Him who hath redeemed us, and not go back to our old sins.


Zechariah 14:1-9
God will come to rule
14:1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
Commentary

The Lord Jesus often stood upon the Mount of Olives when on earth. He ascended from thence to heaven, and then desolations and distresses came upon the Jewish nation. Such is the view taken of this figuratively; but many consider it as a notice of events yet unfulfilled, and that it relates to troubles of which we cannot now form a full idea. Every believer, being related to God as his God, may triumph in the expectation of Christ's coming in power, and speak of it with pleasure. During a long season, the state of the church would be deformed by sin; there would be a mixture of truth and error, of happiness and misery. Such is the experience of God's people, a mingled state of grace and corruption. But, when the season is at the worst, and most unpromising, the Lord will turn darkness into light; deliverance comes when God's people have done looking for it.


1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
A life pleasing God to the end
4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Commentary

Verses 1-8 — To abide in the faith of the gospel is not enough, we must abound in the work of faith. The rule according to which all ought to walk and act, is the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ. Sanctification, in the renewal of their souls under the influences of the Holy Spirit, and attention to appointed duties, constituted the will of God respecting them. In aspiring after this renewal of the soul unto holiness, strict restraint must be put upon the appetites and senses of the body, and on the thoughts and inclinations of the will, which lead to wrong uses of them. The Lord calls none into his family to live unholy lives, but that they may be taught and enabled to walk before him in holiness. Some make light of the precepts of holiness, because they hear them from men; but they are God's commands, and to break them is to despise God.

Verses 9-12 — We should notice in others what is good, to their praise, that we may engage them to abound therein more and more. All who are savingly taught of God, are taught to love one another. The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men; and men's teaching is vain and useless, unless God teach. Those remarkable for this or any other grace, need to increase therein, as well as to persevere to the end. It is very desirable to have a calm and quiet temper, and to be of a peaceable and quiet behaviour. Satan is busy to trouble us; and we have in our hearts what disposes us to be unquiet; therefore let us study to be quiet. Those who are busy-bodies, meddling in other men's matters, have little quiet in their own minds, and cause great disturbances among their neighbours. They seldom mind the other exhortation, to be diligent in their own calling, to work with their own hands. Christianity does not take us from the work and duty of our particular callings, but teaches us to be diligent therein. People often by slothfulness reduce themselves to great straits, and are liable to many wants; while such as are diligent in their own business, earn their own bread, and have great pleasure in so doing.

Verses 13-18 — Here is comfort for the relations and friends of those who die in the Lord. Grief for the death of friends is lawful; we may weep for our own loss, though it may be their gain. Christianity does not forbid, and grace does not do away, our natural affections. Yet we must not be excessive in our sorrows; this is too much like those who have no hope of a better life. Death is an unknown thing, and we know little about the state after death; yet the doctrines of the resurrection and the second coming of Christ, are a remedy against the fear of death, and undue sorrow for the death of our Christian friends; and of these doctrines we have full assurance. It will be some happiness that all the saints shall meet, and remain together for ever; but the principal happiness of heaven is to be with the Lord, to see him, live with him, and enjoy him for ever. We should support one another in times of sorrow; not deaden one another's spirits, or weaken one another's hands. And this may be done by the many lessons to be learned from the resurrection of the dead, and the second coming of Christ. What! comfort a man by telling him he is going to appear before the judgment-seat of God! Who can feel comfort from those words? That man alone with whose spirit the Spirit of God bears witness that his sins are blotted out, and the thoughts of whose heart are purified by the Holy Spirit, so that he can love God, and worthily magnify his name. We are not in a safe state unless it is thus with us, or we are desiring to be so.



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 B. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2021, we will be in Year C. The year which ended at Advent 2020 was Year A. 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 Friday, November 27, 2020
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Zechariah 14:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18 (KJV)

Prayer of the Day for Friday, November 27, 2020

 

Prayer of the Day
Friday, November 27, 2020


Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Psalm 25:8–9 (NIV)

Lord our God, dear Father in heaven, we thank you that we may be your children, led by you. We thank you for guiding us in times of grief and never forsaking us. Now, as of old, you are with us, Lord our God, and you show us the way in every situation. Protect us in this present time, and grant us strength to go on patiently even when our lives hold much suffering and distress. We thank you for your guidance and rejoice in your help for our time. Reveal your hand in power, for soon, very soon, your right hand will change everything. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Friday, November 27, 2020

 

Verse of the Day
Friday, November 27, 2020

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Whatever we say to one another—whether we do so through sermons, lessons, testimonies, songs, or just casual conversation—should be with the purpose of spurring each other to love God more. We cannot grow in our relationships with Jesus or mature in our walks without the encouragement, help, and instruction of others.

Read all of Colossians 3

Listen to Colossians 3


The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)

Ichthus Ministries Daily Devotions — Images of God

 

Images of God

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

On a mission trip to Thailand, my wife and I took over 8,000 pictures. Unfortunately, my favorite picture is one I never captured—at least not on film. It happened too quickly to get: three people on a scooter. I had seen it often: a mother was driving; a daughter was hanging on behind; and a younger child was riding in front.

What made this picture so special was the gleeful smile on the little girl's face. That smile said, "I don't have a care or worry in the world." It was priceless, but before I could raise my camera to get the shot, the scooter was gone. So I did the next best thing, I carefully committed it to memory.

I often thought that we need to do the same thing with God's Word.

The pages of the Bible roll out picture after picture of a loving God who brings forgiveness, life, and salvation to a sinful world. My favorite biblical image is of a blood-stained, empty cross in front of an open tomb. Jesus stands in front of that tomb, speaking to a woman. He says, "Go to My brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God'" (John 20:17b).

The smile on His face says it all: "I'm alive! Sin and death are conquered. You are forgiven through faith in Me!"

Photographs increase in value when they communicate truth between the photographer and the viewer. This is true in respect to the girl's obvious joy on the scooter. It's also true for the much more significant picture that Scripture shows of God saving us from sin and death.

Indeed, the biblical images—the Spirit-inspired truths—found in God's Word are so powerful they create faith in the hearts of those touched by the Holy Spirit.

Of course, a person will never know or appreciate the love of God until he looks at the photo album of His Son Jesus. It is then, when looking at the images of God working in the Old and New Testaments, that he will see that God's picture book is a masterpiece, with a theme that stretches from cover to cover: God loved the world so much that He sent His Son Jesus to save it (see John 3:16).

Heavenly Father, create in us a longing to see You in Your Word, and to know the love with which You have loved us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Rev. Keith Ringers

Reflection Questions:
1. Do you have a favorite photo you've taken? What is it, and why?

2. What do you think might be some of the other things Jesus did that the Gospel writers didn't include?

3. Do you have a particular visual image from Scripture you like to think about? What is it?
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"A picture is worth a thousand words."

Standing Strong Through the Storm — PERSECUTION AND CHURCH GROWTH

 
PERSECUTION AND CHURCH GROWTH

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Pastor Samuel Lamb from southern China celebrated his 87th birthday in October 2011. A quarter of his life was spent imprisoned for his faith. He still preaches several times on Sunday in his large house church and most weeknights in Bible studies. His brilliant smile shines from a slight body suffering chronic disability resulting from 15 years confinement in a coal mine. “God gives me the strength I need,” he says. He has never left China, fearing that if he traveled, the authorities would not let him return.

Lamb credits God for the faith to accept what has happened in his life. It has deepened his ministry. Lamb believes that sometimes God is more glorified through sickness and poverty than through health and wealth. Christians travel thousands of miles to discuss house church ministry with Pastor Lamb, and visitors from around the world seek out his house church in Guangzhou, China, which gathers 3,000 members each week.

Pastor Lamb often refers to persecution and growth as intertwined. He is known for his quote, “Remember the lesson of the Chinese church: more persecution, more growth.” As the pastor explains, “Before I was put into prison in 1955, this church’s membership was 400; when I came out in 1978, it built up to 900 in a matter of weeks. Then after 1990, when everything was confiscated here, and the church briefly closed, we re-opened, and in a matter of weeks, we had 2,000 members. More persecution, more growth—that’s the history of the Chinese church, that’s the history of this church.”

Though the two are related, persecution in other parts of the world has not necessarily always brought church growth. North Africa is an example.

But the Bible, especially in the book of Acts, is clear that church growth will likely bring persecution. Each time the gospel made advances in Acts, persecution would break out. And in Acts 8:4, the persecuted and scattered believers went everywhere preaching the word.

RESPONSE: Today, I will accept the principle that sometimes, God is more glorified through sickness and poverty than through health and wealth.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, that You use all situations to grow Your church. Help me to be an active and eager participant.


Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Pastor Samuel Lamb from southern China celebrated his 87th birthday in October 2011. A quarter of his life was spent imprisoned for his faith.

Men of the Bible — The Prodigal Son and the Elder Brother

 
The Prodigal Son and the Elder Brother

Their work: These men worked for their father, a wealthy landowner.
Their character: Both of the brothers were sinners. One committed the sin of unrighteous living, and the other the sin of self-righteousness.
Their sorrow: Both men were alienated from their father. Geography separated the prodigal from his father, while pride separated the elder brother.
Their triumph: The father's open arms and homecoming feast welcomed the prodigal. There was no happiness for the elder brother except the misplaced belief that he was better than his wayward sibling.
Key Scriptures: Luke 15


A Look at the Men

This biblical account is one of Jesus' parables, often called "The Story of the Prodigal Son." But it's really the story of not one but three men: the prodigal son, the elder brother, and the waiting father. Each plays a critical role in the narrative.

What the younger son asked of his father was unthinkable. Inheritance was paid to a man's sons upon his death, so in prematurely requesting the birthright from his father, the boy was saying that he wouldn't care if his father were dead. His rebellion was open and shameless, a public embarrassment for the entire family. And what he did broke his father's heart.

The older boy was every father's dream. As an employee, his efforts were productive; his work ethic was flawless. Even his conduct was exemplary—and he did not hesitate to review all of these qualities in his father's hearing. He had every confidence that his virtuous behavior earned not only his father's respect and riches but his love as well.

But the elder brother carried a deep grudge. The audacity of his younger brother's words and the slack in his life ground away at the elder brother's soul like a millstone. And the special attention the young son drew from the father turned the older son's grudge into hatred.

As far as the elder brother was concerned, the moment the inheritance payment was made to his sibling, the boy's days as a member of the family were finished. Now the older son was his father's only son, and the benefits of his father's wealth would be exclusively his.

Unfortunately for the elder brother, this was not his father's disposition. The younger son, even with his inheritance paid in full, was still a member of the family. Neither open defiance nor running away would have any effect on his father's love for him. This infuriated the elder brother, but his simmering anger was about to be turned into a bubbling cauldron.

The father threw a party. It was bad enough for his absent little brother to keep their father in distress while he was in a faraway land, but to have his father throw a celebration when he returned home was more than the elder brother could bear. In his attempt to punish the father for his grace, he refused to attend the merrymaking, preferring to sulk instead.

In this parable, Jesus was declaring all of humankind "sinners," and he divided them into two groups: prodigals and elder brothers—the unrighteous and the self-righteous. And he underscored the fact that the heavenly Father—the living God—loved both and was willing to forgive both.

Contrition for his blatant sinfulness earned the younger brother full forgiveness and a party in his honor. But the older son's inability to see his self-righteousness as sin kept him from receiving the forgiveness his father would have freely extended. So he spent the night alone, overhearing the joyous celebration but experiencing none of it himself.

Reflect On: Luke 15:20–31
Praise God: For his mercy.
Offer Thanks: For the picture of the waiting father and how it tells us of the loving heavenly Father who is eager to forgive our sins of unrighteousness and self-righteousness.
Confess: Any tendency to believe that good deeds earn us a place in the kingdom.
Ask God: To change your attitude, to give you a compassion for the lost, and to make your obedience to him a response to his love rather than treating it as a way to earn his love.


Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
These men worked for their father, a wealthy landowner.

John Piper Devotional - Friday, November 27, 2020

 
How to Magnify God

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.

When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean: “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means: “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”

We are not called to be microscopes but telescopes. Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior. There is nothing and nobody superior to God. And so, the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is.

The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is. Be a telescope for the world of the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God.

This is what it means for a Christian to magnify God. But you can’t magnify what you haven’t seen or what you quickly forget.

Therefore, our first task is to see and to remember the greatness and goodness of God. So we pray to God, “Open the eyes of my heart,” and we preach to our souls, “Soul, forget not all his benefits!”

There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying.

Un dia a la Vez — Es cuestión de actitud

 
Es cuestión de actitud

«Pelearán contra ti, pero no te podrán vencer, porque yo estoy contigo para librarte», afirma el Señor.

Cada día que Dios nos regala es un desafío. Nadie que salga de casa hoy tiene la seguridad ni el convencimiento de que regresará de nuevo.

Por eso, mis amigos, es muy importante la actitud que tomamos ante la vida, los problemas y las situaciones que nunca faltan. Así que, mas allá de los problemas que enfrentamos, nuestra actitud será el termómetro de cómo asumiremos cada reto. ¿Te echarás a morir porque una enfermedad llegó a tu vida o porque te despidieron de un trabajo?

Cuando no conocemos del amor infinito de Dios, es normal que el temor nos invada y nos lleve a tener actitudes preocupantes ante la vida. Pero cuando ese Dios nos ha demostrado muchas veces que nos ama y que somos de su rebaño, no hay problema tan grande que Él no pueda resolver.

La actitud positiva ante las cosas negativas nos hace más valientes y confiados en el Señor Jesucristo. Entonces, sin que nos demos cuenta, la mirada de muchos se desviará hacia nosotros cuando atravesemos un desierto, sobre todo porque nos identifican como cristianos. Es extraño, pero aun en esos momentos podemos testificar con nuestra actitud.

Piensa por un momento en cuántas veces te han dicho que tu problema es de actitud y cuántos dolores de cabeza te ha causado.

Solo Dios, que te ama, puede ayudarte a cambiar y a ser noble y humilde, aun cuando el agua te llegue al cuello.


Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Cada día que Dios nos regala es un desafío. Nadie que salga de casa hoy tiene la seguridad ni el convencimiento de que regresará de nuevo.

Devocional CPTLN — Las imágenes de Dios

 

Las imágenes de Dios

Jesús hizo muchas otras señales en presencia de sus discípulos, las cuales no están escritas en este libro. Pero éstas se han escrito para que ustedes crean que Jesús es el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, y para que al creer, tengan vida en su nombre.

"Una imagen vale más que mil palabras."

En un viaje misionero a Tailandia, mi esposa y yo tomamos más de 8.000 fotografías. Pero mi imagen favorita es una que nunca capturé, al menos no en una foto, pues ocurrió demasiado rápido: tres personas en un scooter. Lo había visto a menudo: la madre conducía la hija iba atrás y un niño más pequeño iba adelante.

Lo que hizo que esta imagen fuera tan especial fue la sonrisa alegre en el rostro de la niña, que decía: "No tengo ninguna preocupación en el mundo". No tenía precio, pero antes de que pudiera levantar mi cámara y tomar la foto, el scooter se había ido. Así que la memoricé cuidadosamente.

Pienso que debemos hacer lo mismo con la Palabra de Dios.

Las páginas de la Biblia muestran una imagen tras otra de un Dios amoroso que trae perdón, vida y salvación a un mundo pecador. Mi imagen bíblica favorita es la de una cruz vacía y manchada de sangre frente a una tumba abierta. Jesús se para frente a esa tumba y habla con una mujer. Él dice: "ve a donde están mis hermanos, y diles de mi parte que subo a mi Padre y Padre de ustedes, a mi Dios y Dios de ustedes" (Juan 20:17b). La sonrisa en Su rostro lo dice todo: "¡Estoy vivo! El pecado y la muerte han sido conquistados. ¡Eres perdonado por fe en mí "

Las fotografías aumentan de valor cuando comunican la verdad entre el fotógrafo y el espectador. Esto es cierto con respecto a la obvia alegría de la niña en el scooter. También es cierto para el cuadro mucho más significativo que muestran las Escrituras de Dios salvándonos del pecado y la muerte. De hecho, las imágenes bíblicas (las verdades inspiradas por el Espíritu) que se encuentran en la Palabra de Dios son tan poderosas, que crean fe en los corazones de quienes son tocados por el Espíritu Santo.

Por supuesto, una persona nunca conocerá ni apreciará el amor de Dios hasta que mire el álbum de fotos de su Hijo Jesús. Es entonces que, al mirar las imágenes de Dios obrando en el Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento, verá que el libro de imágenes de Dios es una obra maestra con un tema que se extiende de punta a punta: Dios amó tanto al mundo que envió a su Hijo Jesús para salvarlo (ver Juan 3:16).

ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, crea en nosotros el anhelo de verte en tu Palabra y de conocer el amor con el que nos has amado. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Tomado del "Álbum de fotos de Dios", Rev. Keith Ringers

Para reflexionar:
1. ¿Qué otras cosas crees que hizo Jesús que los escritores de los Evangelios no incluyeron?

2. ¿Tienes una imagen visual particular de las Escrituras en la que te gusta pensar? ¿Cuál es?
© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
"Una imagen vale más que mil palabras."

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày — Đối Mặt Với Trận Chiến

 

Đối Mặt Với Trận Chiến

Đọc: I Sử Ký 16:1-11 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Ê-xê-chi-ên 30-32; I Phi-e-rơ 4

Hãy tìm cầu Đức Giê-hô-va và sức mạnh Ngài, hãy tìm kiếm mặt Ngài luôn luôn!

Cách đây không lâu tôi gặp một nhóm bạn. Khi lắng nghe cuộc trò chuyện, dường như tất cả mọi người trong phòng đều đang đối mặt với trận chiến quan trọng nào đó. Hai người trong số chúng tôi có cha mẹ đang chiến đấu với ung thư, một người có con mắc chứng rối loạn ăn uống, một người bạn khác bị đau kinh niên, và một người khác thì sắp trải qua cuộc đại phẫu. Dường như là quá sức với những người trong độ tuổi ba mươi và bốn mươi.

I Sử Ký 16 kể lại thời khắc quyết định trong lịch sử Y-sơ-ra-ên khi hòm giao ước được đem vào thành Đa-vít (Giê-ru-sa-lem). Sa-mu-ên cho chúng ta biết việc này xảy ra trong khoảng thời gian hòa bình giữa các trận chiến (II Sam. 7:1). Khi hòm giao ước tượng trưng cho sự hiện diện của Đức Chúa Trời, được đặt vào vị trí, Đa-vít đã hướng dẫn dân sự vang lên một bài ca (I Sử. 16:8-36). Cả đất nước cùng nhau hát về quyền năng làm những điều lớn lạ của Chúa, cách mà Ngài giữ lời hứa, và sự bảo vệ của Ngài trong quá khứ (c.12-22). Họ hô vang: “Hãy tìm cầu Đức Giê-hô-va và sức mạnh Ngài; Hãy tìm kiếm mặt Ngài luôn luôn” (c.11). Họ cần làm vậy, bởi vì nhiều trận chiến nữa đang đến.

Hãy tìm cầu Đức Giê-hô-va và sức mạnh Ngài. Hãy tìm kiếm mặt Ngài. Đó không phải là một lời khuyên tồi khi đối diện với bệnh tật, nan đề gia đình, và những trận chiến khác, bởi vì chúng ta không bị bỏ rơi để chiến đấu với sức lực yếu mỏn của mình. Chúa đang hiện diện; Chúa là Đấng mạnh sức; Ngài đã chăm sóc chúng ta trong quá khứ và sẽ còn làm vậy nữa.

Chúa của chúng ta sẽ đưa chúng ta vượt qua.
Bạn cần quyền năng của Chúa để đối diện với trận chiến nào ngay bây giờ? Bạn có thể trao phó khó khăn của mình lên cho Ngài như thế nào?

Lạy Chúa là Đấng làm những điều lạ lùng, con xin giao trận chiến này cho Ngài. Con tin cậy vào sức mạnh và lời hứa của Ngài.

bởi Sheridan Voysey

Chú Giải

Một khoảnh khắc riêng tư đã phá hỏng niềm vui khi Đa-vít đón hòm giao ước vào thành Giê-ru-sa-lem. Vợ của ông, Mi-canh, nói với ông rằng bà đã vô cùng xấu hổ khi thấy ông nhảy múa trên đường phố Giê-ru-sa-lem (I Sử Ký 15:29; II Sa-mu-ên 6:16-23).

Có thể Mi-canh đang nói ra nỗi đau của chính mình. Bà là con gái của vị vua đã gả bà cho Đa-vít với ý định giết chết ông (I Sa-mu-ên 18:20-28). Sau đó, Sau-lơ đem bà làm quà tặng cho một người bạn của ông (25:44) – chỉ khi Đa-vít lên ngôi mới đem bà trở lại (II Sa-mu-ên 3:13-16). Giờ đây, cha và anh của bà đã bị giết trong chiến trận (I Sử Ký 10), Mi-canh là lời nhắc nhở mong manh về di sản khó khăn và sắp tàn của cha mình (II Sa-mu-ên 6:23).

Mart DeHaan

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Cách đây không lâu tôi gặp một nhóm bạn. Khi lắng nghe cuộc trò chuyện, dường như tất cả mọi người trong phòng đều đang đối mặt với trận chiến quan trọng nào đó.