[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 8

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 8

WORD OF WISDOM

If it's called a blood draw...why don't they use a pencil instead of a
needle, and an artist instead of a nurse?

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DAILY DEVOTION

It's Logical


I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1-2

Under the Old Testament law, sacrifices were a regular and routine part of
the life of God's people. There were sacrifices to be made for various
offenses against the law. There were sacrifices to be made in gratitude and
thanksgiving for God's blessings. There were sacrifices to be made as part
of the observance of the feasts that God commanded. Of course, the death of
Christ on the cross was the full and complete sacrifice for our sin. For
this reason, we no longer offer animal sacrifices. 
There is, however, another kind of sacrifice that we make, and that is the
sacrifice of our hearts. Even in the Old Testament, God was looking for more
than outward displays of worship; He wanted the dedication of His people's
hearts. In his great psalm of repentance, David wrote, "The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise" (Psalm 51:17). The sacrifice God is looking for is not dead, but
living-one that carries forward every day of our lives.
The world may view the sacrifices Christians make in their service to God as
being crazy, but Paul called them "reasonable." He used the Greek word
logikos, which is recognizable to us as the source of our word logical. It
makes sense to serve God, to give Him all of our hearts and all of our
lives. It makes sense for us to do this in this world, as we impact others
for His kingdom, and it makes sense for the next world, where our faithful
service to God will be rewarded. Salvation is free, but obedience requires
sacrifice.
God is calling His children to exchange their own plans for His, no matter
what sacrifice that may require.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Psalm 21-25 New King James Version
Joy in the Salvation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
21 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2 You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3 For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked life from You, and You gave it to him-
Length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
6 For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him [a]exceedingly glad with Your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be [b]moved.

8 Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
9 You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
10 Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their [c]descendants from among the sons of men.
11 For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
12 Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.

The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah
To the Chief Musician. Set to [d]"The Deer of the Dawn." A Psalm of David.
22 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They [e]shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 "He [f]trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
>From My mother's womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They [g]gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted [h]within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They[i] pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My[j] precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion's mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you [k]descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the [l]nations
Shall worship before [m]You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to [n]the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be
born,
That He has done this.

The Lord the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not [o]want.
2 He makes me to lie down in [p]green pastures;
He leads me beside the [q]still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will [r]dwell in the house of the Lord
[s]Forever.

The King of Glory and His Kingdom
A Psalm of David.
24 The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the [t]waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah

A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness
A Psalm of David.
25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3 Indeed, let no one who [u]waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall [v]He teach in the way He chooses.
13 He himself shall dwell in [w]prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall [x]pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am [y]desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
18 Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with [z]cruel hatred.
20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!

Footnotes
Psalm 21:6 Lit. joyful with gladness
Psalm 21:7 shaken
Psalm 21:10 Lit. seed
Psalm 22:1 Heb. Aijeleth Hashahar
Psalm 22:7 Show contempt with their mouth
Psalm 22:8 LXX, Syr., Vg. hoped; Tg. praised
Psalm 22:13 Lit. have opened their mouths at Me
Psalm 22:14 Lit. in the midst of My bowels
Psalm 22:16 So with some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT Like a lion instead
of They pierced
Psalm 22:20 Lit. My only one
Psalm 22:23 Lit. seed
Psalm 22:27 Gentiles
Psalm 22:27 So with MT, LXX, Tg.; Arab., Syr., Vg. Him
Psalm 22:29 Death
Psalm 23:1 lack
Psalm 23:2 Lit. pastures of tender grass
Psalm 23:2 Lit. waters of rest
Psalm 23:6 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT return
Psalm 23:6 Or To the end of my days, lit. For length of days
Psalm 24:2 Lit. rivers
Psalm 25:3 Waits for You in faith
Psalm 25:12 Or he
Psalm 25:13 Lit. goodness
Psalm 25:15 Lit. bring out
Psalm 25:16 lonely
Psalm 25:19 violent hatred