[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY JULY 7

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY July 7

WORD OF WISDOM

Smoking will kill you... Bacon will kill you... But.. Smoking bacon will
cure it!

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DAILY DEVOTION

Not Our Message


And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20

We live in a day when many people utterly reject the truth of God. They mock
the Bible and those who believe it as being hopelessly out of date. They
scorn the church and refuse to listen when the gospel is presented to them.
In the face of this rejection, some churches have chosen to change their
message, hoping for more acceptance. As a result, they are no longer
proclaiming the truth. But the response to the message is not our
responsibility. Our task is to faithfully declare what God has said,
speaking not our message, but the one He has entrusted us to deliver. We are
not responsible for the way people receive God's truth, but rather
responsible for offering the message of salvation. 
When the Israelites came to Samuel and insisted on having a king, the
prophet was distraught. He warned them that they were going against God's
plan. He pleaded with them to reconsider, but they refused. So he went to
God in prayer, feeling like he had failed. "And the LORD said unto Samuel,
Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for
they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not
reign over them (1 Samuel 8:7). Whether or not anyone believes the gospel,
our job is to speak it clearly and call the world to repentance. The results
of that are totally in God's hands. As long as we are faithful,
compassionate witnesses of the truth, we have done our job. 
As faithful ambassadors for Christ, our responsibility is to present His
message to the world and then to trust Him with the results.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Proverbs 10-12 New King James Version
Wise Sayings of Solomon
10 The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

8 The wise in heart will receive commands,
But [a]a prating fool will [b]fall.

9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.

10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the back of him who [c]is devoid of understanding.

14 Wise people store up knowledge,
But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

16 The labor of the righteous leads to life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.

17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction [d]goes astray.

18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.

19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of [e]wisdom.

22 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.

23 To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.

27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

30 The righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit the [f]earth.
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

The Folly of Wickedness
11 Dishonest[g] scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a [h]just weight is His delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will [i]direct his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.
9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 He who [j]is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.

13 A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

15 He who is surety[k] for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates [l]being surety is secure.

16 A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
17 The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
18 The wicked man does deceptive work,
But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
19 As righteousness leads to life,
So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their ways are His delight.
21 Though they join [m]forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;
But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.

22 As a ring of gold in a swine's snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks [n]discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
25 The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
26 The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 He who earnestly seeks good [o]finds favor,
But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like foliage.

29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who [p]wins souls is wise.

31 If the righteous will be [q]recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

The House of the Righteous Shall Stand
12 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.

2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.

3 A man is not established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.

4 An[r] excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

5 The thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked are, "Lie in wait for blood,"
But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.

8 A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.

9 Better is the one who is [s]slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.

10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

11 He who [t]tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows [u]frivolity is devoid of [v]understanding.

12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come through trouble.
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him.

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise.
16 A fool's wrath is known at once,
But a prudent man covers shame.

17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
21 No grave [w]trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.

26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man's precious possession.

28 In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.

Footnotes
Proverbs 10:8 Lit. the foolish of lips
Proverbs 10:8 be thrust down or ruined
Proverbs 10:13 Lit. lacks heart
Proverbs 10:17 leads
Proverbs 10:21 Lit. heart
Proverbs 10:30 land
Proverbs 11:1 deceptive
Proverbs 11:1 Lit. perfect stone
Proverbs 11:5 Or make smooth or straight
Proverbs 11:12 Lit. lacks heart
Proverbs 11:15 guaranty
Proverbs 11:15 those pledging guaranty, lit. those who strike hands
Proverbs 11:21 Lit. hand to hand
Proverbs 11:22 taste
Proverbs 11:27 Lit. seeks
Proverbs 11:30 Lit. takes, in the sense of brings, cf. 1 Sam. 16:11
Proverbs 11:31 rewarded
Proverbs 12:4 Lit. A wife of valor
Proverbs 12:9 lightly esteemed
Proverbs 12:11 works or cultivates
Proverbs 12:11 Lit. vain things
Proverbs 12:11 Lit. heart
Proverbs 12:21 harm