[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY JUNE 30

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY JUNE 30

WORD OF WISDOM

Are you living for the applause of people or the applause of "Nail Scarred"
hands?

___

DAILY DEVOTION

Praise in the Prison


And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent
off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many
stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep
them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner
prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and
Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Acts 16:22-25

The treatment that Paul and Silas received in Philippi certainly gave them
ample room for complaint. They were arrested, not for doing anything evil,
but for casting a demon out of a young woman and giving her freedom from the
control of a dark power. Without being given the trial to which they were
entitled as Roman citizens, they were beaten severely. Then they were placed
in the maximum security section of the prison with strict instructions that
they were not to be allowed to escape under any circumstances. In such a
situation, we would not be surprised to hear complaints and protests.
Instead Paul and Silas expressed their trust in God with words of praise
from the depths of the prison.
We do not have to allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude or our
behavior. Even when we have been badly mistreated, we can still trust in and
praise God. He is in control, no matter how difficult our situation may be.
Those who know we are believers watch us even more closely during trying
situations, just as the other prisoners listened to Paul and Silas. The
impact that we can have on others when we respond properly to trials and
tribulations is immense. We can respond properly if we retain our trust in
God. David wrote, "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall
continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34:1). He didn't write these words,
however, when he was ruling over Israel and safely on the throne; he wrote
them when he was running for his life. Even then, he knew God deserved his
praise.
Hard situations offer us a unique opportunity to praise God and influence
others to trust Him as well.

___

DAILY BIBLE READING

Psalm 131-135 New King James Version
Simple Trust in the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
131 Lord, my heart is not [a]haughty,
Nor my eyes [b]lofty.
Neither do I [c]concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too [d]profound for me.

2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
>From this time forth and forever.

The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
A Song of Ascents.
132 Lord, remember David
And all his afflictions;
2 How he swore to the Lord,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 "Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a place for the Lord,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of [e]the woods.
7 Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.

10 For Your servant David's sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your [f]Anointed.

11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
"I will set upon your throne the [g]fruit of your body.
12 If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore."

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His [h]dwelling place:
14 "This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her [i]provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There I will make the [j]horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My [k]Anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish."

Blessed Unity of the People of God
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing-
Life forevermore.

Praising the Lord in His House at Night
A Song of Ascents.
134 Behold, bless the Lord,
All you servants of the Lord,
Who by night stand in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the Lord.

3 The Lord who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

Praise to God in Creation and Redemption
135 Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His [l]special treasure.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
7 He causes the [m]vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

8 He [n]destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
[o]Both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings-
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan-
12 And gave their land as a [p]heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!
Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron!
20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes
Psalm 131:1 Proud
Psalm 131:1 Arrogant
Psalm 131:1 Lit. walk in
Psalm 131:1 difficult
Psalm 132:6 Heb. Jaar, lit. Woods
Psalm 132:10 Commissioned One, Heb. Messiah
Psalm 132:11 offspring
Psalm 132:13 home
Psalm 132:15 supply of food
Psalm 132:17 Government
Psalm 132:17 Heb. Messiah
Psalm 135:4 precious possession
Psalm 135:7 Water vapor
Psalm 135:8 Lit. struck down
Psalm 135:8 Lit. From man to beast
Psalm 135:12 inheritance