[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 9

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 9

WORD OF WISDOM

The reason holy water isn't used in vaccines is because we're not supposed
to take the Lord's name in vein.

___

DAILY DEVOTION

"Ye Would Not"


O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them
which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye
shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord.
Matthew 23:37-39

Anyone who has presented the gospel to a number of people has experienced a
complete rejection of the message of the truth. It may have been polite, or
it may have been rude, but the person responding made it clear that they had
no interest in considering their eternal state. We should not allow that to
discourage us, for Jesus Himself experienced the same thing. He lamented the
rejection of His offer by the people of Jerusalem. He knew what awaited
those who rejected Him, and it grieved Him to think of their fate.
It is hard for us to understand how someone could reject Jesus in person. He
knew what people were thinking and feeling, and He presented the truth to
them in the way that He knew would most resonate with them. He was loving
and kind, merciful and gracious, open and inviting. Yet with all of that,
the majority of people did not accept Him as the Messiah and Savior that
they needed. He offered them salvation, hope, and eternal life, but they
refused to take Him up on that offer.
This is such a powerful indictment of the condition of the lost world. Even
when they are presented with the truth, some reject it willfully and
intentionally. Thankfully, others receive the Word of God gladly and believe
on Christ. Paul reminded the Christians at Thessalonica that when he had
first come to preach the gospel, "when ye received the word of God which ye
heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth,
the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe" (1
Thessalonians 2:13).
God has given each person a free choice to receive Him or reject Him. Our
part is to faithfully share the gospel with everyone.

___

DAILY BIBLE READING

Isaiah 61-63 New King James Version
The Good News of Salvation
61 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to [a]heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To [b]console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

8 "For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery [c]for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed."

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before
all the nations.

Assurance of Zion's Salvation
62 For Zion's sake I will not [d]hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
3 You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,[e]
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;[f]
But you shall be called [g]Hephzibah, and your land [h]Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.

6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall [i]never hold their peace day or night.
You who [j]make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand
And by the arm of His strength:
"Surely I will no longer give your grain
As food for your enemies;
And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,
For which you have labored.
9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it,
And praise the Lord;
Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts."

10 Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!

11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
"Say to the daughter of Zion,
'Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His [k]work before Him.' "
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.

The Lord in Judgment and Salvation
63 Who is this who comes from Edom,
With dyed garments from Bozrah,
This One who is [l]glorious in His apparel,
Traveling in the greatness of His strength?-

"I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."

2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

3 "I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I wondered
That there was no one to uphold;
Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.
6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger,
Made them drunk in My fury,
And brought down their strength to the earth."

God's Mercy Remembered
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord
And the praises of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
8 For He said, "Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie."
So He became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction He was [m]afflicted,
And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.
10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.

11 Then he remembered the days of old,
Moses and his people, saying:
"Where is He who brought them up out of the sea
With the [n]shepherd of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,
12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses,
With His glorious arm,
Dividing the water before them
To make for Himself an everlasting name,
13 Who led them through the deep,
As a horse in the wilderness,
That they might not stumble?"

14 As a beast goes down into the valley,
And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest,
So You lead Your people,
To make Yourself a glorious name.

A Prayer of Penitence
15 Look down from heaven,
And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
16 Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O Lord, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O Lord, why have You made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants' sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;
Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,
Those who were never called by Your name.

Footnotes
Isaiah 61:1 Lit. bind up
Isaiah 61:3 Lit. appoint
Isaiah 61:8 Or in
Isaiah 62:1 keep silent
Isaiah 62:4 Heb. Azubah
Isaiah 62:4 Heb. Shemamah
Isaiah 62:4 Lit. My Delight Is in Her
Isaiah 62:4 Lit. Married
Isaiah 62:6 not be silent
Isaiah 62:6 remember
Isaiah 62:11 recompense
Isaiah 63:1 Or adorned
Isaiah 63:9 Kt., LXX, Syr. not afflicted
Isaiah 63:11 MT, Vg. shepherds