[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY MARCH 7

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY MARCH 7

MEMORY SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK

2 Samuel 23:12
But Shammah stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the
Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 

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WORD OF WISDOM

If the sea couldn't stop Moses, if a wall couldn't stop Joshua, if a giant
couldn't stop David, if death couldn't stop Jesus... then with God, nothing
can stop you!

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DAILY DEVOTION

Back to the Sheep


Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son,
which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a
bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. And
David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly, and he
became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray
thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
1 Samuel 16:19-22

David's family apparently did not hold him in high regard. When Samuel came
and told Jesse that one of his sons would be the next king of Israel, Jesse
didn't even bother to let David know. It was not until Samuel insisted that
David was brought before him and anointed. Even after that shocking event,
David just went back to keeping the sheep. Rather than sit around waiting
for what the future would bring, he remained faithful to the task of the
day. Being anointed as the next king did not give David an inflated sense of
his value. He simply followed God's leading from one task to the next.
We must not forget that we are called, equipped, and gifted by God for His
work, not so that we can be lifted up and praised, but so that He can be.
Jeremiah passed on this warning from the Lord to his helper Baruch. "And
seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not: for, behold, I will
bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto
thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest" (Jeremiah 45:5). God is
more than able to move us to a larger place of service for Him when it is
His time. He doesn't need our help to bring about His purposes. The most
important thing is not what might happen in the future, but what task is
before us in the present.
Do not let the lure of someday keep you from faithfully fulfilling the
responsibilities of today.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Joshua 13-15 New King James Version
Remaining Land to Be Conquered
13 Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: "You are
old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be
possessed. 2 This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the
Philistines and all that of the Geshurites, 3 from Sihor, which is east of
Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as
Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines-the Gazites, the Ashdodites,
the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites; 4 from
the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the
Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the
[a]Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount
Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the
mountains from Lebanon as far as the [b]Brook Misrephoth, and all the
Sidonians-them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only
divide[c] it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7
Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and
half the tribe of Manasseh."

The Land Divided East of the Jordan
8 With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their
inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as
Moses the servant of the Lord had given them: 9 from Aroer which is on the
bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine,
and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon; 10 all the cities of Sihon king
of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the
children of Ammon; 11 Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and
Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah; 12 all the
kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of
the remnant of the giants; for Moses had [d]defeated and [e]cast out these.

13 Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or
the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the
Israelites until this day.

14 Only to the tribe of Levi he had given [f]no inheritance; the sacrifices
of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to
them.

The Land of Reuben
15 And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance
according to their families. 16 Their territory was from Aroer, which is on
the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the
ravine, and all the plain by Medeba; 17 Heshbon and all its cities that are
in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaza, Kedemoth,
Mephaath, 19 Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the
valley, 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth- 21 all the
cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who
reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi,
Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the
country. 22 The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son
of Beor, the [g]soothsayer, among those who were killed by them. 23 And the
border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the
inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the
cities and their villages.

The Land of Gad
24 Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children
of Gad according to their families. 25 Their territory was Jazer, and all
the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer,
which is before Rabbah, 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim,
and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir, 27 and in the valley Beth Haram,
Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of
Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the [h]Sea of
Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward. 28 This is the
inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities
and their villages.

Half the Tribe of Manasseh (East)
29 Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was
for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families:
30 Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king
of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities; 31
half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in
Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the
children of Machir according to their families.

32 These are the areas which Moses had [i]distributed as an inheritance in
the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward. 33
But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of
Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.

The Land Divided West of the Jordan
14 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of
Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of
the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an
inheritance to them. 2 Their inheritance was by lot, as the Lord had
commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3
For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on
the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance
among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and
Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to
dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. 5
As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they
divided the land.

Caleb Inherits Hebron
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of
Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: "You know the word which the Lord said
to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was
forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh
Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my
heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the [j]heart of
the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. 9 So Moses swore on
that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your
inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed
the Lord my God.' 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He
said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses
while Israel [k]wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day,
eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that
Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war,
both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this
mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how
the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may
be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as
the Lord said."

13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as
an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son
of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord
God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was
the greatest man among the Anakim).

Then the land had rest from war.

The Land of Judah
15 So this was the [l]lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to
their families:

The border of Edom at the Wilderness of Zin southward was the extreme
southern boundary. 2 And their southern border began at the shore of the
Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. 3 Then it went out to the
southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on
the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar,
and went around to Karkaa. 4 From there it passed toward Azmon and went out
to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your
southern border.

5 The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

And the border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the
mouth of the Jordan. 6 The border went up to Beth Hoglah and passed north of
Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
7 Then the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and it
turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which
is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters
of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel. 8 And the border went up by the Valley
of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is
Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before
the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of
[m]Rephaim northward. 9 Then the border went around from the top of the hill
to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of
Mount Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah (which is Kirjath
Jearim). 10 Then the border [n]turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir,
passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon),
went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah. 11 And the border went
out to the side of Ekron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron,
passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended
at the sea.

12 The west border was the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary
of the children of Judah all around according to their families.

Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir
13 Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of
Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kirjath
Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 Caleb drove out the
three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of
Anak. 15 Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly
the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).

16 And Caleb said, "He who [o]attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I
will give Achsah my daughter as wife." 17 So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the
brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 18
Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her
father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to
her, "What do you wish?" 19 She answered, "Give me a blessing; since you
have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water." So he gave
her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The Cities of Judah
20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according
to their families:

21 The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward
the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah,
Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25
Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,
27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah,
29 Baalah, Ijim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah,
Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are
twenty-nine, with their villages.

33 In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah,
Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and
Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages; 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal
Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon,
[p]Lahmas, Kithlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen
cities with their villages; 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Jiphtah, Ashnah,
Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages; 45
Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all that lay
near Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod with its towns and villages,
Gaza with its towns and villages-as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great
Sea with its coastline.

48 And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh, 49 Dannah, Kirjath
Sannah (which is Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and
Giloh: eleven cities with their villages; 52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean, 53 Janum,
Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior:
nine cities with their villages; 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel,
Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their
villages; 58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon:
six cities with their villages; 60 Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim)
and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of
Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.

63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah
could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah
at Jerusalem to this day.

Footnotes
Joshua 13:5 Or Giblites
Joshua 13:6 Heb. Misrephoth Maim, lit. Burnings of Water
Joshua 13:6 apportion
Joshua 13:12 Lit. struck
Joshua 13:12 dispossessed
Joshua 13:14 no land as a possession
Joshua 13:22 diviner
Joshua 13:27 Sea of Galilee
Joshua 13:32 apportioned
Joshua 14:8 courage of the people fail
Joshua 14:10 Lit. walked
Joshua 15:1 allotment
Joshua 15:8 Lit. Giants
Joshua 15:10 turned around
Joshua 15:16 Lit. strikes
Joshua 15:40 Or Lahmam