DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 29:
WORD OF WISDOM
Even doing nothing is an action.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Where Is Your Treasure?
"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added
unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves
bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also."
Luke 12:31-34
In the 1980s, workers renovating the old Lexington Hotel in Chicago, which
had once been used by the gangster Al Capone for his headquarters,
discovered a series of secret tunnels and passageways under the building. In
addition to an underground shooting range, they discovered a sealed vault.
Immediately there was great speculation regarding what riches might be
hidden inside. Some thought that there might be bodies hidden there. In
April of 1986, millions watched on live television as the vault was opened.
But when the cameras were taken inside, all the vault contained was some
garbage and a few empty bottles. There was no treasure in Al Capone's vault.
All around us people are hard at work laying up earthly treasures. While
there is certainly nothing wrong with wise and careful planning for the
future, we must never forget that this world is only a temporary stop and
that we are meant to care about what is eternal. Trusting in God rather than
in what we are able to accumulate brings peace and frees us from fear.
Spending our lives and our treasure on what is eternal ensures that when we
reach Heaven we will not go empty handed. The world cares about stuff in the
here and now, but God wants to present us with eternal rewards. In fact
Jesus said it was God's "good pleasure"-something in which He takes great
delight.
If our resources are only spent on our own interests, it shows that our love
for God is not what it should be. Where Is Your Treasure?
"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added
unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves
bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also."
Luke 12:31-34
In the 1980s, workers renovating the old Lexington Hotel in Chicago, which
had once been used by the gangster Al Capone for his headquarters,
discovered a series of secret tunnels and passageways under the building. In
addition to an underground shooting range, they discovered a sealed vault.
Immediately there was great speculation regarding what riches might be
hidden inside. Some thought that there might be bodies hidden there. In
April of 1986, millions watched on live television as the vault was opened.
But when the cameras were taken inside, all the vault contained was some
garbage and a few empty bottles. There was no treasure in Al Capone's vault.
All around us people are hard at work laying up earthly treasures. While
there is certainly nothing wrong with wise and careful planning for the
future, we must never forget that this world is only a temporary stop and
that we are meant to care about what is eternal. Trusting in God rather than
in what we are able to accumulate brings peace and frees us from fear.
Spending our lives and our treasure on what is eternal ensures that when we
reach Heaven we will not go empty handed. The world cares about stuff in the
here and now, but God wants to present us with eternal rewards. In fact
Jesus said it was God's "good pleasure"-something in which He takes great
delight.
If our resources are only spent on our own interests, it shows that our love
for God is not what it should be.
___
DAILY BIBLE READING
Psalm 126-130Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
A song for going up to the Temple.
126 It will be like a dream
when the Lord comes back with the captives of Zion.[a]
2
We will laugh and sing happy songs!
Then the other nations will say,
"The Lord did a great thing for Zion!"
3
Yes, we will be happy
because the Lord did a great thing for us.
4
So, Lord, bring back the good times,
like a desert stream filled again with flowing water.
5
Then those who were sad when they planted
will be happy when they gather the harvest!
6
Those who cried as they carried the seeds[b]
will be happy when they bring in the crops!
A song from Solomon for going up to the Temple.
127 If it is not the Lord who builds a house,
the builders are wasting their time.
If it is not the Lord who watches over the city,
the guards are wasting their time.
2
It is a waste of time to get up early and stay up late,
trying to make a living.
The Lord provides for those he loves,
even while they are sleeping.
3
Children are a gift[c] from the Lord,
a reward from a mother's womb.
4
A young man's sons
are like the arrows in a soldier's hand.
5
The man who fills his quiver with sons
will be very blessed.
He will never be defeated
when he opposes his enemy at the city gates.[d]
A song for going up to the Temple.
128 Great blessings belong to those who fear and respect the Lord
and live the way he wants.
2
You will get what you work for.
You will enjoy the Lord's blessings, and all will go well for you.
3
At home, your wife will have many children, like a vine full of grapes.
The children around your table will be like an orchard full of olive
trees.
4
Yes, the Lord will really bless those who respect him.
5
May the Lord bless you from Mount Zion.
May you enjoy the blessings of Jerusalem all your life.
6
And may you live to see your grandchildren.
Let Israel always enjoy peace!
A song for going up to the Temple.
129 All my life enemies have attacked me.
Say it again, Israel.
2
All my life enemies have attacked me,
but they have never defeated me.
3
They beat me until I had deep cuts.
My back looked like a freshly plowed field.
4
But the Lord does what is right;
he cut the ropes and set me free from those wicked people.
5
May those who hate Zion be put to shame.
May they be stopped and chased away.
6
They will be like grass on a flat roof
that dies before it has time to grow.
7
The one who goes to harvest it
will not find enough to cut and stack.
8
May no one walking by those wicked people ever say,
"May the Lord bless you!
We bless you in the name of the Lord."
A song for going up to the Temple.
130 Lord, I am in deep trouble,
so I am calling to you for help.
2
My Lord, listen to me.
Listen to my cry for help.
3
Lord, if you punished people for all their sins,
no one would be left alive.
4
But you forgive people,
so they fear and respect you.
5
I am waiting for the Lord to help me.
My soul waits for him.
I trust what he says.
6
I am waiting for my Lord,
like a guard waiting and waiting for the morning to come.
7
Israel, trust in the Lord.
The Lord is the one who is faithful and true.
He saves us again and again,
8
and he is the one who will save the people of Israel from all their
sins.
Footnotes:
a.Psalm 126:1 when . Zion Or "when the Lord restores Zion." See "Zion" in
the Word List.
b.Psalm 126:6 carried the seeds Or "carried all their possessions."
c.Psalm 127:3 gift Literally, "inheritance." This usually means the land God
gave to each family in Israel.
d.Psalm 127:5 city gates This can refer to either a battle to protect the
city or to a court case held in this public place.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
