[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY JUNE 28

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY JUNE 28

WORD OF WISDOM

God will sometimes be the unexpected force that sends your life into a
direction you did not expect and takes you to places you did not know you
could go.

___

DAILY DEVOTION

The Hands Are Different


Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they
were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of
them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed
standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
Acts 4:13-14

A missionary named Ira Gilbert wrote of the great difficulty that went into
building a mission hospital in Africa. Supplies were hard to find, workers
were sometimes scarce, and they faced opposition from some who did not want
to see the gospel spread in their area. Eventually the hospital was
finished, and they began treating patients. Soon they found that many of
their patients walked miles to get there and that a number of them passed a
government hospital on the way. When one man was asked why he had made the
extra journey past the government hospital to the mission hospital, he
replied, "The medicines may be the same, but the hands are different."
The work and ministry and lives that we lead in this world should reflect
the love of the Lord in an unmistakable way to those around us. They should
be able to tell that we have been spending time with Jesus, not just from
the words we speak, but from the way we act toward them. Our "hands" should
be different from those who are not believers. Our joy should shine through
as a witness of the transformation Jesus made in our lives. His love for the
world should be reflected in our conduct toward those around us. His grace
and kindness should be the guide for our actions.
Truth is important, and we should never compromise our beliefs and
convictions in the name of kindness. But the way in which we interact with
others is important as well. If we hold fast to the truth but are harsh and
short and critical with others, it is unlikely that they will be receptive
to what we say, regardless of how right it is. Instead we should demonstrate
both the grace and the truth that Jesus had.
If those around us can see we have been with Jesus, they will be more
willing to listen to what we have to say.

___

DAILY BIBLE READING

Psalm 121-125 New King James Version
God the Help of Those Who Seek Him
A Song of Ascents.
121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills-
>From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to [a]be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your [b]keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall [c]preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve[d] your going out and your coming in
>From this time forth, and even forevermore.

The Joy of Going to the House of the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
122 I was glad when they said to me,
"Let us go into the house of the Lord."
2 Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the Lord,
[e]To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces."
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, "Peace be within you."
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.

Prayer for Relief from Contempt
A Song of Ascents.
123 Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.

3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4 Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.

The Lord the Defense of His People
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
124 "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,"
Let Israel now say-
2 "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us;
4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,
The stream would have [f]gone over our soul;
5 Then the swollen waters
Would have [g]gone over our soul."

6 Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the [h]fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

The Lord the Strength of His People
A Song of Ascents.
125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
>From this time forth and forever.

3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.

5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.

Peace be upon Israel!

Footnotes
Psalm 121:3 slip
Psalm 121:5 protector
Psalm 121:7 keep
Psalm 121:8 keep
Psalm 122:4 Or As a testimony to
Psalm 124:4 swept over
Psalm 124:5 swept over
Psalm 124:7 Persons who catch birds in a trap or snare