DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY JUNE 17:
WORD OF WISDOM
"Forbidden fruit creates many jams."
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DAILY DEVOTION
Going Our Own Way
Is there anything in your life that needs to be removed? Any impediment to
the impression of God's Spirit? We can grieve the Spirit with our angry
words and resist the Spirit in our disobedience. We can test or conspire
against the Spirit in our plottings. We can even quench the Spirit by having
no regard for God's teachings.
But there is something that helps us stay in step with the Spirit from
Galatians 5:22. We know that the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." They
are indicators on our spiritual dashboard. So whenever we sense them, we
know we are walking in the Spirit. Whenever we lack them, we know we are out
of step with the Spirit! Do your best to follow the admonition of Galatians
5:25 and "Keep in step with the Spirit!"
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Psalm 66-70Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
To the director: A song of praise.
66 Everything on earth, shout with joy to God!
2
Praise his glorious name!
Honor him with songs of praise!
3
Tell God, "Your works are wonderful!
Your great power makes your enemies bow down in fear before you.
4
Let the whole world worship you.
Let everyone sing praises to your name." Selah
5
Look at what God has done!
These things amaze us.
6
He changed the sea to dry land,[a]
and his people went across the water[b] on foot.
So let's celebrate because of what he has done!
7
He rules the world with his great power.
He watches people everywhere.
No one can rebel against him. Selah
8
People, praise our God.
Sing loud songs of praise to him.
9
He continues to give us life,
and he keeps us from falling.
10
God, you have tested us, as people test silver with fire.
11
You let us be trapped.
You put heavy burdens on us.
12
You let our enemies run over us.
We went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a safe place.
13-14
So I bring sacrifices to your Temple.
When I was in trouble, I asked for help
and made promises to you.
Now I am giving you what I promised.
15
I bring my best sheep as burnt offerings.
I offer the smoke from them up to you.
I give you sacrifices of bulls and goats. Selah
16
All you people who worship God,
come and I will tell you what he has done for me.
17-18
I cried out to him for help,
and I praised him.
If I had been hiding sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened to me.
19
But God did listen to me;
he heard my prayer.
20
Praise God!
He did not turn away from me-he listened to my prayer.
He continues to show his love to me!
To the director: With instruments. A song of praise.
67 God, show mercy to us and bless us.
Please accept us! Selah
2
Let everyone on earth learn about you.
Let every nation see how you save people.
3
May people praise you, God!
May all people praise you.
4
May all nations rejoice and be happy
because you judge people fairly.
You rule over every nation.
5
May the people praise you, God!
May all people praise you.
6
God, our God, bless us.
Let our land give us a great harvest.
7
May God bless us,
and may all people on earth fear and respect him.
To the director: A praise song of David.
68 God, get up and scatter your enemies!
May all your enemies run from you.
2
May your enemies be scattered
like smoke blown away by the wind.
May your enemies be destroyed
like wax melting in a fire.
3
But let good people be happy.
Let them gather before God and enjoy themselves together.
4
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Prepare the way for the one who rides on the clouds.
His name is Yah.[c]
Worship before him with joy.
5
God, who lives in his holy palace, is a father to orphans,
and he takes care of widows.
6
God provides homes for those who are lonely.
He frees people from prison and makes them happy.
But those who turn against him will live in the desert.
7
God, you led your people out of Egypt.
You marched across the desert. Selah
8
The ground shook and rain poured from the sky
when God, the God of Israel, came to Sinai.
9
God, you sent the rain
to make a tired, old land strong again.
10
Your people[d] came back to live there,
and you provided good things for the poor.
11
My Lord gave the command,
and many people went to tell the good news:
12
"The armies of powerful kings ran away!
At home, the women divide the things brought from the battle.
13
Those who stayed home will share in the wealth-
metal doves with wings covered in silver and feathers sparkling with
gold."
14
God All-Powerful scattered the kings
like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.
15
Mount Bashan is a great mountain
with many high peaks.
16
But, Bashan, why are you jealous of Mount Zion?
That is where God has chosen to live.
The Lord will live there forever.
17
With his millions of chariots,
the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.
18
You went up to your high place,
leading a parade of captives.
You received gifts from people,[e]
even those who turned against you.
The Lord God went up there to live.
19
Praise the Lord!
Every day he helps us with the loads we must carry.
He is the God who saves us. Selah
20
He is our God, the God who saves us.
My Lord God saves us from death.
21
God will smash the heads of his enemies.
He will punish those who fight against him.[f]
22
My Lord said, "If they run up to Bashan or down to the depths of the sea,
I will bring them back.
23
So you will march through pools of their blood,
and there will be plenty left for your dogs."
24
God, everyone can see your victory parade-
the victory march of my God and King into his holy place![g]
25
Singers come marching in front, followed by the musicians;
they are surrounded by young girls playing tambourines.
26
Praise God in the meeting place.[h]
Praise the Lord, people of Israel!
27
There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, leading them.
And there comes a large group of leaders from Judah.
Following them are the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28
God, show us your power!
Show us the power you used for us in the past.
29
Kings will bring their wealth to you,
to your Temple in Jerusalem.
30
Punish the people in Egypt.
They are like cattle in the marshes, like bulls among the calves.
You humiliated them.
You scattered them in war.
Now let them come crawling to you,
bringing their pieces of silver.
31
Messengers from Egypt will come bearing gifts.
Ethiopia will offer God their tribute.
32
Kings on earth, sing to God!
Sing songs of praise to our Lord! Selah
33
Sing to him who rides his chariot through the ancient skies.
Listen to his powerful voice!
34
Tell everyone how powerful he is!
He rules over Israel.
His power fills the skies.
35
God, you are awesome in your Temple!
The God of Israel is the one who gives strength and power to his people.
Praise God!
To the director: To the tune "The Lilies." A song of David.
69 God, save me from all my troubles!
The rising water has reached my neck.
2
I have nothing to stand on.
I am sinking down, down into the mud.
I am in deep water,
and the waves are about to cover me.
3
I am getting weak from calling for help.
My throat is sore.
I have waited and looked for your help
until my eyes are hurting.
4
I have more enemies than the hairs on my head.
They hate me for no reason.
They try hard to destroy me.
My enemies tell lies about me.
They say I stole from them
and they demand that I pay for things I did not steal.
5
God, you know my faults.
I cannot hide my sins from you.
6
My Lord God All-Powerful, don't let me embarrass your followers.
God of Israel, don't let me bring disgrace to those who worship you.
7
My face is covered with shame.
I carry this shame for you.
8
My own brothers treat me like a stranger.
They act as if I came from a foreign land.
9
My strong devotion to your Temple is destroying me.
Those who insult you are also insulting me.
10
When I spend time crying and fasting,
they make fun of me.
11
When I wear sackcloth to show my sorrow,
they tell jokes about me.
12
They talk about me in public places.
The beer drinkers make up songs about me.
13
As for me, Lord, this is my prayer to you:
Please accept me!
God, I want you to answer me with love.
I know I can trust you to save me.
14
Pull me from the mud,
and don't let me sink down deeper.
Save me from those who hate me.
Save me from this deep water.
15
Don't let the waves drown me.
Don't let the deep sea swallow me
or the grave close its mouth on me.
16
Answer me, Lord, from the goodness of your faithful love.
Out of your great kindness turn to me and help me!
17
Don't turn away from your servant.
I am in trouble, so hurry and help me!
18
Come save my soul.
Rescue me from my enemies.
19
You know the shame I have suffered.
You know all my enemies.
You saw how they humiliated me.
20
I feel the pain of their insults.
The shame makes me feel like dying!
I wanted some sympathy,
but there was none.
I waited for someone to comfort me,
but no one came.
21
They gave me poison, not food.
They gave me vinegar, not wine.
22
Their tables are covered with food.
Let their fellowship meals destroy them.
23
Let them go blind and their backs become weak.
24
Show them how angry you are.
Let them feel what your anger can do.
25
Make their homes empty.
Don't let anyone live there.
26
They try to hurt people you have already punished.
They tell everyone about the suffering you gave them.
27
Punish them for the bad things they have done.
Don't show them how good you can be.
28
Erase their names from the book of life.
Don't let their names appear on the list of those who do what is right.
29
I am sad and hurting.
God, lift me up and save me!
30
I will praise God's name in song.
I will honor him by giving him thanks.
31
The Lord will be happier with this
than with the offering of an ox or a full-grown bull as a sacrifice.
32
Poor people, you came to worship God.
You will be happy to know these things.
33
The Lord listens to poor, helpless people.
He does not turn away from those who are in prison.
34
Praise him, heaven and earth!
Sea and everything in it, praise him!
35
God will save Zion.
He will rebuild the cities of Judah.
The people will settle there again and own the land.
36
The descendants of his servants will get that land.
Those who love his name will live there.
To the director: A song of David to help people remember.
70 Please, God, rescue me!
Lord, hurry and help me!
2
People are trying to kill me.
Please disappoint them.
Humiliate them!
They want to hurt me.
Make them run away in shame.
3
May those who make fun of me
be too embarrassed to speak.
4
But may those who come to you
be happy and rejoice.
May those who love being saved by you
always be able to say, "Praise God!"[i]
5
I am only a poor, helpless man.
God, please hurry to me.
You are my helper, the one who can save me.
Lord, don't be too late!
Footnotes:
a.Psalm 66:6 changed the sea to dry land This was with Moses at the Red Sea.
See Ex. 14.
b.Psalm 66:6 water Literally, "river." Although this word is not used for
the Jordan River elsewhere, some think this line may refer to the later
crossing there. See Josh. 3:14-17.
c.Psalm 68:4 Yah This is a Hebrew name for God. It is like the Hebrew name
usually translated "Lord." Also in verse 18.
d.Psalm 68:10 people Or "animals" or "living things."
e.Psalm 68:18 received gifts from people Or "took people as gifts." Or "gave
gifts to people," as in the ancient Syriac and Aramaic versions and in Eph.
4:8.
f.Psalm 68:21 Literally, "God will smash the heads of his enemies. He will
smash the hairy skull walking in guilt."
g.Psalm 68:24 of my God . holy place Or "led by my holy God and King!"
h.Psalm 68:26 in the meeting place Or "with the trumpets that announce the
assembly!"
i.Psalm 70:4 Praise God Literally, "God is great" or "May God be magnified."
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
