[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 29

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 29

MEMORY SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK

Habakkuk 3:18-19a
 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 
 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and
he will make me to walk upon mine high places. 

___

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

The three best places to be in the world are in someone's thoughts, in
someone's heart, and in someone's prayers.

___

DAILY DEVOTION

Committed


LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth
in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his
neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a
vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that
sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
Psalm 15:1-4

After several years of performing at California music venues, Daryl Dragon
and Toni Tennille, who performed as The Captain and Tennille, became a smash
success in 1975 when their song "Love Will Keep Us Together" became a number
one hit. Many awards and best selling albums followed, and the married
couple continued to perform together for many years. In January of 2014,
they announced the end of their thirty-eight-year marriage. The press
release stated, "almost all people naturally evolve over time, and sometimes
hidden feelings start to be uncovered."
In our marriages, and in every other commitment that we make, there needs to
be a determined decision that circumstances will not change the outcome of
that commitment. Once we have given our word to do something, nothing should
shake it. Even if it becomes difficult or costly, we should maintain our
commitments. God honors those who do that. David wrote that the person who
dwells in God's presence is one who, "...sweareth to his own hurt, and
changeth not" (Psalm 15:4). That is, even when the circumstances have
changed and made it difficult for this person to keep his word, he does it
anyway. 
We live in a society of disposable relationships and broken commitments, but
that does not mean that we have to follow the example set for us by the
world. God expects us to be faithful and to keep our promises, just as He
does. No matter how much things change, our commitment to keep our word
should be unshakable.
 No action by others or change in circumstance can make us fail to keep our
commitments.

___

DAILY BIBLE READING

Lamentations 4-5 New King James Version
The Degradation of Zion
4 How the gold has become dim!
How changed the fine gold!
The stones of the sanctuary are [a]scattered
At the head of every street.

2 The precious sons of Zion,
[b]Valuable as fine gold,
How they are [c]regarded as clay pots,
The work of the hands of the potter!

3 Even the jackals present their breasts
To nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people is cruel,
Like ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth for thirst;
The young children ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.

5 Those who ate delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those who were brought up in scarlet
Embrace ash heaps.

6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom,
Which was overthrown in a moment,
With no hand to help her!

7 Her [d]Nazirites were [e]brighter than snow
And whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than rubies,
Like sapphire in their [f]appearance.

8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot;
They go unrecognized in the streets;
Their skin clings to their bones,
It has become as dry as wood.

9 Those slain by the sword are better off
Than those who die of hunger;
For these pine away,
Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field.

10 The hands of the compassionate women
Have [g]cooked their own children;
They became food for them
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 The Lord has fulfilled His fury,
He has poured out His fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has devoured its foundations.

12 The kings of the earth,
And all inhabitants of the world,
Would not have believed
That the adversary and the enemy
Could enter the gates of Jerusalem-

13 Because of the sins of her prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who shed in her midst
The blood of the just.

14 They wandered blind in the streets;
They have defiled themselves with blood,
So that no one would touch their garments.

15 They cried out to them,
"Go away, unclean!
Go away, go away,
Do not touch us!"
When they fled and wandered,
Those among the nations said,
"They shall no longer dwell here."

16 The [h]face of the Lord scattered them;
He no longer regards them.
The people do not respect the priests
Nor show favor to the elders.

17 Still our eyes failed us,
Watching vainly for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nation that could not save us.

18 They [i]tracked our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near;
Our days were over,
For our end had come.

19 Our pursuers were swifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,
Was caught in their pits,
Of whom we said, "Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations."

21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
You who dwell in the land of Uz!
The cup shall also pass over to you
And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

22 The punishment of your iniquity [j]is accomplished,
O daughter of Zion;
He will no longer send you into captivity.
He will punish your iniquity,
O daughter of Edom;
He will uncover your sins!

Prayer for Restoration
5 Remember, O Lord, what has come upon us;
Look, and behold our reproach!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens,
And our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans and waifs,
Our mothers are like widows.

4 We pay for the water we drink,
And our wood comes at a price.
5 They pursue at our [k]heels;
We labor and have no rest.
6 We have given our hand to the Egyptians
And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

7 Our fathers sinned and are no more,
But we bear their iniquities.
8 Servants rule over us;
There is none to deliver us from their hand.
9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives,
Because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
Because of the fever of famine.
11 They ravished the women in Zion,
The maidens in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hung up by their hands,
And elders were not respected.
13 Young men ground at the millstones;
Boys staggered under loads of wood.
14 The elders have ceased gathering at the gate,
And the young men from their music.

15 The joy of our heart has ceased;
Our dance has turned into mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our heart is faint;
Because of these things our eyes grow dim;
18 Because of Mount Zion which is desolate,
With foxes walking about on it.

19 You, O Lord, remain forever;
Your throne from generation to generation.
20 Why do You forget us forever,
And forsake us for so long a time?
21 Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be [l]restored;
Renew our days as of old,
22 Unless You have utterly rejected us,
And are very angry with us!

Footnotes
Lamentations 4:1 Lit. poured out
Lamentations 4:2 Lit. Weighed against
Lamentations 4:2 reckoned
Lamentations 4:7 Or nobles
Lamentations 4:7 Or purer
Lamentations 4:7 Lit. polishing
Lamentations 4:10 boiled
Lamentations 4:16 Tg. anger
Lamentations 4:18 Lit. hunted
Lamentations 4:22 has been completed
Lamentations 5:5 Lit. necks
Lamentations 5:21 returned