[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 22

Mon Aug 22 03:36:59 UTC 2022

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 22

MEMORY SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK

Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them
that trust in him. 

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DAILY DEVOTION

God's Power and Authority

And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And
Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him
for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and
immediately she arose and ministered unto them. Now when the sun was
setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto
him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
Luke 4:38-40

One of the ways in which the rightful claim of Jesus to be the Messiah was
validated was through the many miracles that He performed. In our day, we
take the access we have to medical care for granted. Diseases that were
life-altering or even fatal in the past are now treated routinely. In the
time of Christ, however, there were no hospitals as we know them today, and
even trained doctors did not have the knowledge and tools that medical
professionals have now. People who were sick often had little hope of
effective treatment. So when word spread that Jesus was healing people, huge
crowds began to gather.
Whether He was healing all who were sick in a large crowd or just one
person, Jesus was demonstrating the authority and power that were rightfully
His as the Son of God. He commanded diseases and demons and all of the
natural world, which should come as no surprise because He is the Creator of
everything. When He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, those closest to
Him, who had seen so much of His power on display, were still astonished.
"And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is
this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:41).
The knowledge that we have a God with all power, who is able to do whatever
is necessary for us to accomplish His purpose and His will, should fill us
with confidence. It should lead us to seek His face and trust Him to work.
We can trust God's power to provide victory and resources in every
circumstance of our lives.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Change is NOT easy. If it was, everyone would do it.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Jeremiah 34-36 New King James Version
Zedekiah Warned by God
34 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon and all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth under his
dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem and all its cities,
saying, 2 "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Go and speak to Zedekiah
king of Judah and tell him, "Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will give this
city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. 3
And you shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and
delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of
Babylon, he shall speak with you face[a] to face, and you shall go to
Babylon.' " ' 4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah!
Thus says the Lord concerning you: 'You shall not die by the sword. 5 You
shall die in peace; as in the ceremonies of your fathers, the former kings
who were before you, so they shall burn incense for you and lament for you,
saying, "Alas, lord!" For I have pronounced the word, says the Lord.' "

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah
in Jerusalem, 7 when the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem and
all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and Azekah; for only
these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.

Treacherous Treatment of Slaves
8 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah
had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim
liberty to them: 9 that every man should set free his male and female
slave-a Hebrew man or woman-that no one should keep a Jewish brother in
bondage. 10 Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered
into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female
slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let
them go. 11 But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and
female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into
subjection as male and female slaves.

12 Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 13
"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'I made a covenant with your fathers
in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage, saying, 14 "At the end of seven years let every man set free his
Hebrew brother, who [b]has been sold to him; and when he has served you six
years, you shall let him go free from you." But your fathers did not obey Me
nor incline their ear. 15 Then you [c]recently turned and did what was right
in My sight-every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you made a
covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. 16 Then you
turned around and profaned My name, and every one of you brought back his
male and female slaves, whom you had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and
brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.'

17 "Therefore thus says the Lord: 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming
liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor. Behold, I
proclaim liberty to you,' says the Lord-'to the sword, to pestilence, and to
famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the
earth. 18 And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who
have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when
they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it- 19 the princes
of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the [d]eunuchs, the priests, and all the
people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf- 20 I will give
them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek
their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven
and the beasts of the earth. 21 And I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and
his princes into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek
their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army which has gone
back from you. 22 Behold, I will command,' says the Lord, 'and cause them to
return to this city. They will fight against it and take it and burn it with
fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.'
"

The Obedient Rechabites
35 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim
the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 "Go to the house of the
Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into
one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink."

3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his
brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4 and I
brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of
Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the
princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the
[e]door. 5 Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls
full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, "Drink wine."

6 But they said, "We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our
father, commanded us, saying, 'You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons,
forever. 7 You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have
any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live
many days in the land where you are sojourners.' 8 Thus we have obeyed the
voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us,
to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9
nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field,
or seed. 10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according
to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But it came to pass, when
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, 'Come,
let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of
the army of the Syrians.' So we dwell at Jerusalem."

12 Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying, 13 "Thus says the
Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Go and tell the men of Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction to [f]obey My
words?" says the Lord. 14 "The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he
commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they
drink none, and obey their father's commandment. But although I have spoken
to you, rising early and speaking, you did not [g]obey Me. 15 I have also
sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them,
saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not
go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I
have given you and your fathers.' But you have not inclined your ear, nor
obeyed Me. 16 Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed
the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people
has not obeyed Me." '

17 "Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I
will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom
that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they
have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.' "

18 And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Thus says the Lord of
hosts, the God of Israel: 'Because you have obeyed the commandment of
Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all
that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel: "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me
forever." ' "

The Scroll Read in the Temple
36 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah,
king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: 2
"Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to
you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day
I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day. 3 It may be that
the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring
upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive
their iniquity and their sin."

4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a
scroll of a book, [h]at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the
Lord which He had spoken to him. 5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, "I
am confined, I cannot go into the house of the Lord. 6 You go, therefore,
and read from the scroll which you have written [i]at my instruction, the
words of the Lord, in the hearing of the people in the Lord's house on the
day of fasting. And you shall also read them in the hearing of all Judah who
come from their cities. 7 It may be that they will present their
supplication before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way. For
great is the anger and the fury that the Lord has pronounced against this
people." 8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah
the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the Lord in
the Lord's house.

9 Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king
of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the Lord to
all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities
of Judah to Jerusalem. 10 Then Baruch read from the book the words of
Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of
Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the
Lord's house, in the [j]hearing of all the people.

The Scroll Read in the Palace
11 When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the
words of the Lord from the book, 12 he then went down to the king's house,
into the scribe's chamber; and there all the princes were sitting-Elishama
the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor,
Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the
princes. 13 Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard
when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people. 14 Therefore all the
princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of
Cushi, to Baruch, saying, "Take in your hand the scroll from which you have
read in the hearing of the people, and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah
took the scroll in his hand and came to them. 15 And they said to him, "Sit
down now, and read it in our hearing." So Baruch read it in their hearing.

16 Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, that they looked in
fear from one to another, and said to Baruch, "We will surely tell the king
of all these words." 17 And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us now, how did
you write all these words-[k]at his instruction?"

18 So Baruch answered them, "He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to
me, and I wrote them with ink in the book."

19 Then the princes said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah; and let
no one know where you are."

The King Destroys Jeremiah's Scroll
20 And they went to the king, into the court; but they stored the scroll in
the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the hearing of
the king. 21 So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it
from Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the
king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king. 22 Now
the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire
burning on the hearth before him. 23 And it happened, when Jehudi had read
three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast
it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed
in the fire that was on the hearth. 24 Yet they were not afraid, nor did
they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all
these words. 25 Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the
king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. 26 And the
king commanded Jerahmeel [l]the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and
Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the
prophet, but the Lord hid them.

Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had
written [m]at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to
Jeremiah, saying: 28 "Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the
former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah
has burned. 29 And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'Thus says the
Lord: "You have burned this scroll, saying, 'Why have you written in it that
the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man
and beast to cease from here?' " 30 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning
Jehoiakim king of Judah: "He shall have no one to sit on the throne of
David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the
frost of the night. 31 I will punish him, his [n]family, and his servants
for their iniquity; and I will bring on them, on the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the doom that I have pronounced
against them; but they did not heed." ' "

32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the
son of Neriah, who wrote on it [o]at the instruction of Jeremiah all the
words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And
besides, there were added to them many similar words.

Footnotes
Jeremiah 34:3 Lit. mouth to mouth
Jeremiah 34:14 Or sold himself
Jeremiah 34:15 Lit. today
Jeremiah 34:19 Or officers
Jeremiah 35:4 Lit. threshold
Jeremiah 35:13 listen to
Jeremiah 35:14 listen to
Jeremiah 36:4 Lit. from Jeremiah's mouth
Jeremiah 36:6 Lit. from my mouth
Jeremiah 36:10 Lit. ears
Jeremiah 36:17 Lit. with his mouth
Jeremiah 36:26 Or son of Hammelech
Jeremiah 36:27 Lit. from Jeremiah's mouth
Jeremiah 36:31 Lit. seed
Jeremiah 36:32 Lit. from Jeremiah's mouth