DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 5:
WORD OF WISDOM
"Hope is the blueprint, but Faith is the building."
___
DAILY DEVOTION
The Choice between God and Money
"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and
love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye
cannot serve God and mammon."
Luke 16:13
Jesus could have correctly said that it is impossible to both serve God and
the devil at the same time. He could have said that we could not serve both
God and the world. Each of those statements is true, but that is not the
truth that Jesus chose to highlight. The distinction that He drew was that
it is impossible for us to both serve God and serve money. Money is not an
evil in and of itself, but the desire and love of money lead to all kinds of
sin.
There are two kinds of love for money that lead us to serve wealth rather
than serving God. The first is the love for money itself-a desire to
accumulate large sums to provide security or status. The second is the love
for the things that money buys. We live in a consumer society where value
and worth are measured by having the latest toys, the newest gadgets, the
best houses and cars, and the best of everything. Neither of these wrong
approaches to money is limited to the rich. The poor are just as susceptible
to this snare as the wealthy.
Paul warned Timothy of the dangers of falling in love with either money or
the things that money can buy and he had seen firsthand the damage that
serving money does to those who had formerly been dedicated to God's work.
"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is
departed unto Thessalonica." (2 Timothy 4:10). The deceitfulness of money is
that it promises we can serve it while still serving God, but that is false.
If we love God as we should, there will be no room for money to rule on the
throne of our hearts.
___
DAILY BIBLE READING
Isaiah 49-51Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
God Calls His Special Servant
49 Hear me, people by the sea.
Listen to me, you faraway nations.
The Lord called me before I was born.
He called my name while I was still in my mother's womb.
2
He used me to speak for him.
He used me like a sharp sword,
but he also held me in his hand to protect me.
He used me like a sharp arrow,
but he also kept me safe in his arrow bag.
3
He told me, "Israel, you are my servant.
I will do wonderful things with you."
4
I said, "I worked hard for nothing.
I wore myself out, but I did nothing useful.
I used all my power,
but I did not really do anything.
So the Lord must decide what to do with me.
He must decide my reward."
5
The Lord is the one who made me in my mother's womb,
so that I could be his servant.
He wanted me to lead Jacob and Israel back to him.
The Lord gives me honor.
I get my strength from my God.
6
And now he says, "You are a very important servant to me.
You must bring back to me the tribes of Jacob.
You must bring back the people of Israel who are still alive.
But I have something else for you to do that is even more important:
I will make you a light for the other nations.
You will show people all over the world the way to be saved."
7
The Lord, the Holy Protector of Israel, speaks to his servant.
People hate that servant.
Nations despise him.
He is now a slave to rulers.
The Lord says to him,
"Kings will see you and stand to honor you.
Great leaders will bow down to you."
This will happen for the Lord. The Holy One of Israel is the one who chose
you, and he can be trusted.
The Day of Salvation
8
This is what the Lord says:
"There will be a special time when I show my kindness.
Then I will answer your prayers.
There will be a special day when I will save you.
Then I will help you and protect you.
And you will be the proof of my agreement with the people.
The country is destroyed now,
but you will give the land back to the people who own it.
9
You will tell the prisoners,
'Come out of your prison!'
You will tell those who are in darkness,
'Come out of the dark!'
The people will eat along the road,
and they will have food even on empty hills.
10
They will not be hungry or thirsty.
The hot sun and wind will not hurt them.
Their Comforter will lead them.
He will lead them by springs of water.
11
I will make a road for my people.
The mountains will be made flat,
and the low roads will be raised.
12
"Look! People are coming to me from faraway places.
They are coming to me from the north and from the west.
They are coming to me from Aswan in Egypt."
13
Heavens and earth, be happy!
Mountains, shout with joy!
The Lord comforts his people.
He is good to his poor people.
14
But now Zion says, "The Lord has left me;
the Lord has forgotten me."
15
But the Lord says,
"Can a woman forget her baby?
Can she forget the child who came from her body?
Even if she can forget her children,
I cannot forget you.
16
I drew a picture of you on my hand.
You are always before my eyes.[a]
17
Your children will come back to you,
and those who destroyed you will leave.
18
Look up! Look all around you!
All of your children are gathering together and coming to you."
The Lord says, "On my life, I promise you this:
Your children will be like jewels that you tie around your neck.
Your children will be like the necklace that a bride wears.
19
"You are destroyed and defeated now.
Your land is useless.
But after a short time, you will have many people in your land.
And those who destroyed you will be far, far away.
20
You were sad for the children you lost, but they will tell you,
'This place is too small!
Give us a bigger place to live!'
21
Then you will say to yourself,
'Who gave me all these children?
I was sad and lonely.
My children were taken away.
They were gone.
So who gave me these children?
Look, I was the only one left.
Where did all these children come from?'"
22
This is what the Lord God says:
"Look, I will wave my hand to the nations.
I will raise my flag for everyone to see.
Then they will bring your children to you.
They will carry your children on their shoulders,
and they will hold them in their arms.
23
Kings will be their teachers.
The daughters of kings will care for them.
The kings and their daughters will bow down to you.
They will kiss the dirt at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
and anyone who trusts in me will not be disappointed."
24
If a strong soldier takes a prisoner,
can you set him free?
If a powerful soldier guards someone,
can the prisoner escape?
25
Here is the Lord's answer:
"The prisoners will escape.
Those captured by the strong soldier will be set free.
That's because I will fight your battles,
and I will save your children.
26
Those people hurt you,
but I will force them to eat their own bodies.
Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk.
Then everyone will know that the Lord saved you.
Everyone will know that the Powerful One of Jacob saved you."
Israel Punished Because of Their Sin
50 This is what the Lord says:
"People of Israel, you say that I divorced your mother, Jerusalem.
But where is the legal paper that proves I divorced her?
My children, did I owe money to someone?
Did I sell you to pay a debt?
No, you were sold because of the bad things you did.
Your mother was sent away because of the bad things you did.
2
I came home and found no one there.
I called and called, but no one answered.
Do you think I cannot get you back?
Do you think I cannot save you?
Look, if I gave the command, the ocean would dry up!
I can turn rivers into a desert.
The fish would die without water,
and their bodies would rot.
3
I can make the skies dark.
I can cover the skies in darkness as black as sackcloth."
God's Servant Depends on God
4 The Lord God gave me the ability to teach, so now I teach these sad
people. Every morning he wakes me and teaches me like a student. 5 The Lord
God helps me learn, and I have not turned against him. I will not stop
following him. 6 I will let those people beat me and pull the hair from my
beard. I will not hide my face when they say bad things to me and spit at
me. 7 The Lord God will help me, so the bad things they say will not hurt
me. I will be strong. I know I will not be disappointed.
8 God is with me, and he is the one who shows that I am innocent. So no one
can say I am guilty. If anyone wants to try to prove me wrong, they should
come here, and we will have a trial. 9 But look, the Lord God helps me, so
no one can prove me guilty. As for them, they will all be like worthless old
clothes, eaten by moths.
10 People who respect the Lord also listen to his servant. That servant
lives completely trusting in God without knowing what will happen. He really
trusts in the Lord's name and depends on his God.
11 The Lord says, "Look, you people want to do whatever you want. So light
your own fires and torches, but you will be punished. You will fall into
your fires and torches and be burned. I will make that happen."
Israel Should Be Like Abraham
51 "Some of you people try hard to live good lives. You go to the Lord for
help. Listen to me. You should look at Abraham your father. He is the rock
you were cut from. 2 Abraham is your father, so look at him. Look at Sarah,
who gave birth to you. Abraham was alone when I called him. Then I blessed
him, and he began a great family with many descendants."
3 In the same way, the Lord will bless Zion. He will feel sorry for her and
her people, and he will do something great for her. He will turn the desert
into a garden. It will be like the Garden of Eden. The land was empty, but
it will become like the Lord's garden. People there will be very happy. They
will sing victory songs to thank God for what he did.
4
"My people, listen to me!
My decisions will be like lights showing people how to live.
5
I will soon save you and show that I am fair.
I will use my power and judge all nations.
All the faraway places are waiting for me.
They wait for my power to help them.
6
Look up to the heavens!
Look around you at the earth below!
The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke.
The earth will become like worthless old clothes.
The people on earth will die,
but my salvation will continue forever.
My goodness will never end.
7
You people who understand goodness should listen to me.
You people who follow my teachings should hear the things I say.
Don't be afraid of evil people.
Don't let their insults upset you.
8
They will be like old clothes eaten by moths.
They will be like wool eaten by worms.
But my goodness will last forever.
My salvation will continue forever and ever."
God's Own Power Will Save His People
9
Wake up! Wake up!
Arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength.
Show your power the way you did long ago,
as you have from ancient times.
You are the one who destroyed Rahab.
You defeated the Dragon.[b]
10
You dried up the water that was in the deep sea.
You made a road through the deepest parts of the sea.
Your people crossed over and were saved.
11
The Lord will save his people.
They will return to Zion with joy.
They will be very happy.
Their happiness will be like a crown on their heads forever.
They will be singing with joy.
All sadness will be gone far away.
12
The Lord says, "I am the one who comforts you.
So why should you be afraid of people?
They are only humans who live and die like the grass.
13
"I, the Lord, am the one who made you.
With my power I made the earth
and spread the sky over the earth.
But you have forgotten me,
so you are always afraid that angry men will hurt you.
Those men planned to destroy you,
but where are they now?
14
"People in prison will soon be made free.
They will not die and rot in prison.
They will have plenty of food.
15
"I am the Lord your God,
the one who stirs up the sea and makes the waves roar."
The Lord All-Powerful is his name.
16 "My servant, I gave you the words I want you to say, and I covered you
with my hands to protect you. I did this to make a new heaven and earth and
so that you would say to Israel, 'You are my people.'"
God Punished Israel
17
Wake up! Wake up!
Jerusalem, get up!
The Lord was very angry with you.
So you were punished.
It was like a cup of poison you had to drink,
and you drank it all.
18 Jerusalem had many people, but none of them became leaders for her. None
of the children she raised became guides to lead her. 19 Troubles came to
you, Jerusalem, in pairs: Your land was destroyed and lies in ruins, and
your people suffered from famine and war.
But no one felt sorry for you or showed you mercy. 20 Your people became
weak. They fell on the ground and lay there. They were lying on every street
corner, like animals caught in a net. They were punished by the Lord's anger
until they could not accept any more punishment. When God said he would give
them more punishment, they became very weak.
21 Listen to me, poor Jerusalem. You are weak like a drunk, but you are not
drunk from wine. You are weak from that "cup of poison."
22 Your God is the one who fights for his people. He is your Lord God, and
he says to you, "Look, I am taking this 'cup of poison' away from you. It is
full of my anger, and I am taking it out of your hand. You will not be
punished by my anger again. 23 I will now use my anger to punish the people
who hurt you. They tried to kill you. They told you, 'Bow down before us,
and we will walk on you.' They forced you to bow down before them, and then
they walked on your back like dirt. You were like a road for them to walk
on."
Footnotes:
a.Isaiah 49:16 I . eyes Or "I see your figure before me always." This is a
wordplay. The Hebrew word "figure" also means "walls."
b.Isaiah 51:9 Rahab . Dragon This is Rahab the great sea monster. Some
ancient stories tell about Rahab fighting with God.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
