[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY JUNE 16

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY JUNE 16

WORD OF WISDOM

Positive prayer is more important than positive thinking.

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DAILY DEVOTION

The Priority of Love


Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on
charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Colossians 3:12-14

When Jesus was asked what mattered most in terms of the law-which
commandment was the most important-He answered that it was love for God and
love for our neighbors. The way that we respond both to God and to others is
determined by who or what we love the most. Without love, we will not do
what we should. And even when we do things that others may view as being
generous and sacrificial, without love, those actions do not matter. Paul
wrote, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give
my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1
Corinthians 13:3).
It can be hard to love people. They don't always treat us properly. They
don't always do what they should. But if we're honest, we don't always do
what is right either. So we must extend the forgiveness and grace to others
that we need ourselves. For any group, whether a family, a company, a
church, or some other organization, to function properly, there must be love
and forgiveness. There will be problems because imperfect people will do
things they shouldn't and fail to do things they should. When this happens,
choosing to love can make the difference. 
The hallmark of the church in Jerusalem was their unity. Yet even among
those Spirit-filled, committed believers, there were problems. "And in those
days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a
murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were
neglected in the daily ministration" (Acts 6:1). Rather than allowing this
problem to continue, however, this church found a solution. When we love
others as we should, we will do whatever is right and necessary to keep
unity and harmony intact.
Love for God and others is the most important responsibility given to us.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Psalm 61-65 New King James Version
Assurance of God's Eternal Protection
To the Chief Musician. On [a]a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your [b]tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

5 For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6 You will prolong the king's life,
His years as many generations.
7 He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may [c]preserve him!

8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.

A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
62 Truly my soul silently waits for God;
>From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my [d]defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.[e]

3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my [f]expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be [g]moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 Surely men of low degree are [h]a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You [i]render to each one according to his work.

Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with [j]marrow and [k]fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall [l]fall by the sword;
They shall be [m]a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
64 Hear my voice, O God, in my [n]meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
>From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows-bitter words,
4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, "Who will see them?"
6 They devise iniquities:
"We have perfected a shrewd scheme."
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.
9 All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
65 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the [o]vow shall be performed.
2 O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.

4 Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.

5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
7 You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening [p]rejoice.

9 You [q]visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10 You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.

11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.

Footnotes
Psalm 61:1 Heb. neginah
Psalm 61:4 tent
Psalm 61:7 Lit. guard or keep
Psalm 62:2 strong tower
Psalm 62:2 shaken
Psalm 62:5 hope
Psalm 62:6 shaken
Psalm 62:9 vanity
Psalm 62:12 reward
Psalm 63:5 Lit. fat
Psalm 63:5 Abundance
Psalm 63:10 Lit. pour him out by the hand of the sword
Psalm 63:10 Prey
Psalm 64:1 complaint
Psalm 65:1 A promised deed
Psalm 65:8 shout for joy
Psalm 65:9 give attention to