One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 37
17
January 6
PROVERBS 1:24‑28
24
25
26
“I [Wisdom] called you so often, but you
wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no
attention.
You ignored my advice
and rejected the correction I offered.
So I will laugh when you are in
trouble!
27
28
I will mock you when disaster overtakes
you—
when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster engulfs you like a
cyclone,
and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
“When they cry for help, I will not answer.
Though they anxiously search for me,
they will not find me.”
JESUS’ AUDIENCE MUST HAVE WONDERED if they’d heard him correctly.
Was he really asking them to love and pray for their oppressors? Yes—
and he asks the same of his followers now. Jesus knew of the Nigerian
women whose husbands would be killed and the North Koreans whose
family members would be sent to concentration camps. And he also
knew where those persecuted believers could find healing and the
strength to extend grace: in the mighty power of God. • LORD, HELP
ALL WHOSE GRIEF seems unbearable to find strength in you—strength
sufficient to fuel forgiveness. Amen.
GENESIS 13:5–15:21
Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also
become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and
goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. 6 But the
land could not support both Abram and Lot
with all their flocks and herds living so close
together. 7 So disputes broke out between the
herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time
Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in
the land.)
8 Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow
this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! 9 The
whole countryside is open to you. Take your
choice of any section of the land you want,
and we will separate. If you want the land to
the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If
you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to
the left.”
10 Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of
the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The
whole area was well watered everywhere, like
the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land
of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 Lot chose for himself
the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He
went there with his flocks and servants and
parted company with his uncle Abram. 12 So
Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot
moved his tents to a place near Sodom and
settled among the cities of the plain. 13 But the
people of this area were extremely wicked
and constantly sinned against the Lord.
14 After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram,
JANUARY
6
“Look as far as you can see in e very direction—
orth and south, east and west. 15 I am giving
n
all this land, as far as you can see, to you and
your descendants* as a permanent possession.
16 And I will give you so many descendants
that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be
counted! 17 Go and walk through the land in
every direction, for I am giving it to you.”
18 So Abram moved his camp to He
bron
and settled near the oak grove belonging to
Mamre. There he built another altar to the
Lord.
14:1 About
this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of B
abylonia,* King Ar
ioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam,
and King Tidal of Goiim 2 fought against King
Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King
Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim,
and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
3 This second group of kings joined forces
in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead
Sea*). 4 For twelve years they had been subject
to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth
year they rebelled against him.
5 One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived and defeated the Rephaites at
Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the
Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites
at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of
the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and
came to E
n-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and
conquered all the territory of the Amalekites,
and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.
8 Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah,
