[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY JUNE 17

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY JUNE 17

WORD OF WISDOM

If you feel pain, you're alive. If you feel other people's pain, you're a
human being.

___

DAILY DEVOTION

"The New House Is Better"


For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with
our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be
found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:
not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might
be swallowed up of life.
2 Corinthians 5:1-4

The story is told of an old Scottish preacher who, late in his life and
unable to live alone anymore, was facing a move to a new home where he could
be cared for. But his home held many memories for him as his children had
been born there, he had studied for his sermons there, and it had been a
place of hospitality and outreach to others for many years. He was reluctant
to leave, but then one of the men who was helping with the move came to him
and said, "Sir, everything's gone; and the new house is better than this
one. Come away." Hearing that, he went gladly to his new home.
Every child of God has the hope of Heaven and the perfection that awaits us.
The aches and pains of our bodies, the sins and temptations that beset us,
and the sorrows and griefs we endure will all be wiped away forever.
Instead, we will eternally dwell in the presence of God in splendor and
beauty. The things of this world on which we place such great importance
should not be allowed to draw our desire and attention away from our eternal
home. The perfect place, "not made with hands," should be our desire. If we
are more attached to earthly things than heavenly ones, we are not living as
we should. If we are to live here as we should, our hearts must be fixed
above, rather than on things of this world.
Our focus must be more on the next world than this one if we are to live as
God directs.

___

DAILY BIBLE READING

Psalm 66-70 New King James Version
Praise to God for His Awesome Works
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.
66 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God,
"How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4 All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name." Selah

5 Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to [a]be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to [b]rich fulfillment.

13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay You my [c]vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was [d]extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!

An Invocation and a Doxology
To the Chief Musician. On [e]stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
67 God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
2 That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 Then the earth shall [f]yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.
68 Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol[g] Him who rides on the [h]clouds,
By His name [i]Yah,
And rejoice before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

7 O God, when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the [j]company of those who proclaimed it:
12 "Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the [k]spoil.
13 Though you lie down among the [l]sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold."
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.

15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you [m]fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.

17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation;
And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

21 But God will wound the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, "I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 That [n]your foot may crush them in blood,
And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies."

24 They have seen Your [o]procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their [p]company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

28 [q]Your God has commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring presents to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Blessed be God!

An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble
To the Chief Musician. Set to [r]"The Lilies." A Psalm of David.
69 Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my [s]neck.
2 I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
3 I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 Those who hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.

5 O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
6 Let not those who [t]wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because
of me;
Let not those who seek You be [u]confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother's children;
9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
11 I also [v]made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
12 Those who [w]sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.

19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
20 Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of [x]heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
24 Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
25 Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
26 For they persecute the ones You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
27 Add iniquity to their iniquity,
And let them not come into Your righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous.

29 But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
32 The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
33 For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise His prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36 Also, the [y]descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

Prayer for Relief from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.
70 Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord!

2 Let them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be [z]turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
3 Let them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, [aa]"Aha, aha!"

4 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified!"

5 But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.

Footnotes
Psalm 66:9 slip
Psalm 66:12 abundance
Psalm 66:13 Promised deeds
Psalm 66:17 praised
Psalm 67:1 Heb. neginoth
Psalm 67:6 give her produce
Psalm 68:4 Praise
Psalm 68:4 MT deserts; Tg. heavens (cf. v. 34 and Is. 19:1)
Psalm 68:4 Lit. Lord, a shortened Heb. form
Psalm 68:11 host
Psalm 68:12 plunder
Psalm 68:13 Or saddlebags
Psalm 68:16 Lit. stare
Psalm 68:23 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. you may dip your foot
Psalm 68:24 Lit. goings
Psalm 68:27 throng
Psalm 68:28 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Command, O God
Psalm 69:1 Heb. Shoshannim
Psalm 69:1 Lit. soul
Psalm 69:6 Wait in faith
Psalm 69:6 dishonored
Psalm 69:11 Symbolic of sorrow
Psalm 69:12 Sit as judges
Psalm 69:20 Lit. sickness
Psalm 69:36 Lit. seed
Psalm 70:2 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., Syr. appalled (cf.
40:15)
Psalm 70:3 An expression of scorn