DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY AUGUST 15:
WORD OF WISDOM
Remember, there's NOTHING you could ever do that God's GRACE can't see you
through!
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MEMORY SCRIPTURE FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 15/
Micah 4:3/
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Consider the Long Term Results
"But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and
thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great
gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither
can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
Luke 16:25-26
In the early 2000s, the Atlanta Public School system was being held up as an
example to the nation of how to improve student performance and test scores.
The school superintendent, Beverly Hall, was chosen as the national
superintendent of the year in 2009. But an investigation of the test scores
revealed something disturbing-a pattern of changed answers on the tests.
When the investigation was complete, it was revealed that at forty-four of
Atlanta's fifty-six schools, nearly two hundred teachers and principles had
worked together to erase wrong answers and replace them with correct ones so
that their students would appear to be improving on the tests. Eventually
eleven of those most involved were convicted and sentenced to prison for
their roles in the scandal.
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. often said, "Don't sacrifice the permanent on the altar
of the immediate." All of us face the temptation to do what is easy or
pleasant in the moment rather than considering the long-term consequences of
our choices. But those should be the most important consideration-not what
feels good today, but what will produce good results in the future. Though
God offers forgiveness and mercy to those who turn to Him, there are many
times when that forgiveness does not undo the consequences of the choices we
have already made in the past. Nothing that we do is without impact, both in
our own lives and the lives of others, and we need to remember that as we
make decisions.
If we consider the long term in making our choices today, the future will be
much more pleasant.
___
DAILY BIBLE READING
Jeremiah 13-15Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
The Sign of the Loincloth
13 This is what the Lord said to me: "Jeremiah, go and buy a linen
loincloth.[a] Then put it around your waist. Don't let it get wet."
2 So I bought a linen loincloth, just as the Lord told me to do, and I put
it around my waist. 3 Then the message from the Lord came to me a second
time. 4 This was the message: "Jeremiah, take the loincloth you bought and
are wearing, and go to Perath.[b] Hide the loincloth there in a crack in the
rocks."
5 So I went to Perath and hid the loincloth there, just as the Lord told me
to do. 6 Many days later the Lord said to me, "Now, Jeremiah, go to Perath.
Get the loincloth that I told you to hide there."
7 So I went to Perath and dug the loincloth out of the crack in the rocks
where I had hidden it. But now I could not wear the loincloth, because it
was ruined. It was not good for anything.
8 Then the message from the Lord came to me. 9 This is what the Lord said:
"The loincloth is ruined and not good for anything. In the same way, I will
ruin the proud people of Judah and Jerusalem. 10 I will ruin them because
they refuse to listen to my messages. They are stubborn and do only what
they want to do. They follow and worship other gods. They will be like this
linen loincloth. They will be ruined and not good for anything. 11 A
loincloth is wrapped tightly around a man's waist. In the same way, I
wrapped the family of Israel and the family of Judah around me." This
message is from the Lord. "I did that so that they would be my people and
bring me fame, praise, and honor. But my people did not listen to me."
Warnings to Judah
12 "Jeremiah, say to the people of Judah: 'This is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.' They will laugh
and say to you, 'Of course, we know that every wineskin should be filled
with wine.' 13 Then you will say to them, 'This is what the Lord says: I
will make everyone who lives in this land helpless, like a drunken man. I am
talking about the kings who sit on David's throne. I am also talking about
the priests, the prophets, and all the people who live in Jerusalem. 14 I
will make them stumble and fall against each other, even the fathers and
sons.' This message is from the Lord. 'I will not feel sorry or have pity
for them. I will not allow compassion to stop me from destroying the people
of Judah.'"
15
Listen and pay attention.
The Lord has spoken to you.
Do not be proud.
16
Honor the Lord your God.
Praise him or he will bring darkness.
Praise him before you fall on the dark hills.
You people of Judah are hoping for light,
but the Lord will turn the light into thick darkness.
He will change it into the deepest gloom.
17
If you people of Judah don't listen to him,
I will hide and cry.
Your pride will cause me to cry.
I will cry very hard.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
because the Lord's flock[c] will be captured.
18
Tell these things to the king and his wife,
"Come down from your thrones.
Your beautiful crowns have fallen from your heads."
19
The cities in the Negev are locked.
No one can open them.
All the people of Judah have been taken away as captives.
They were carried away as prisoners.
20
Jerusalem, look!
The enemy is coming from the north[d]!
Where is the flock[e] you were once in charge of?
That beautiful flock is gone now.
21
I will let your enemies become your rulers-
people you once trusted with your secrets.
What will you say then?
Surely you will feel great pain,
like a woman giving birth.
22
You might ask yourself,
"Why has this bad thing happened to me?"
It happened because of your many sins.
Because of your sins, your skirt was torn off,
and your sandals were taken away.
They did this to embarrass you.
23
A black man cannot change the color of his skin,
and a leopard cannot change its spots.
In the same way, Jerusalem, you cannot change and do good.
You always do bad things.
24
"I will force you to leave your homes.
You will run in all directions.
You will be like chaff blown away by the desert wind.
25
This is what will happen to you.
This is your part in my plans."
This message is from the Lord.
"Why will this happen?
Because you forgot me.
You trusted false gods.
26
Jerusalem, I will pull your skirt up over your face.
Everyone will see you,
and you will be ashamed.
27
I saw the terrible things you did.[f]
I saw you laughing and having sex with your lovers.
I know about your plans to be like a prostitute.
I have seen you on the hills and in the fields.
It will be very bad for you, Jerusalem.
How long will you continue doing your dirty sins?"
Drought and False Prophets
14 This is the Lord's message to Jeremiah about the drought[g]:
2
"The nation of Judah cries for people who have died.
The people in the cities of Judah grow weaker and weaker.
They lie on the ground.
People in Jerusalem, cry to God for help.
3
The leaders of the people send their servants to get water.
The servants go to the water storage places,
but they don't find any water.
The servants come back with empty jars,
so they are ashamed and embarrassed.
They cover their heads from shame.
4
No one prepares the ground for crops.[h]
No rain falls on the land.
The farmers are depressed.
So they cover their heads from shame.
5
Even the mother deer in the field leaves her newborn baby alone,
because there is no grass.
6
Wild donkeys stand on the bare hills.
They sniff the wind like jackals.
But their eyes cannot find any food,
because there are no plants to eat.
7
"We know that this is our fault.
We are now suffering because of our sins.
Lord, do something to help us for the good of your name.
We admit that we have left you many times.
We have sinned against you.
8
God, you are the hope of Israel!
You save Israel in times of trouble.
But now it seems like you are a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who only stays one night.
9
You seem like a man who has been attacked by surprise,
like a soldier who does not have the power to save anyone.
But, Lord, you are with us.
We are called by your name, so don't leave us without help!"
10 This is what the Lord says about the people of Judah: "The people of
Judah really love to leave me. They don't stop themselves from leaving me.
So now the Lord will not accept them. Now he will remember the evil they do.
He will punish them for their sins."
11 Then the Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, don't pray for good things to happen
to the people of Judah. 12 They might begin to fast and pray to me, but I
will not listen to their prayers. Even if they offer burnt offerings and
grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. I will destroy the people of
Judah with war. I will take away their food, and they will starve. And I
will destroy them with terrible diseases."
13 But I said, "Lord God, the prophets were telling the people something
different. They were telling the people of Judah, 'You will not suffer from
war or from hunger. The Lord will give you peace in this land.'"
14 Then the Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, those prophets are telling lies in
my name. I did not send them or command them or speak to them. Their
prophecies came from false visions, worthless magic, and their own wishful
thinking. 15 So this is what I, the Lord, say about the prophets who are
speaking in my name. I did not send them. They said, 'No enemy will ever
attack this country. There will never be hunger in this land.' So those
prophets will die from hunger or by an enemy's sword. 16 And the people they
spoke to will be thrown into the streets. The people will die from hunger
and war. I will punish them, and no one will be there to bury them, their
wives, their sons, or their daughters.
17 "Jeremiah, speak this message to the people of Judah:
'My eyes fill with tears
night and day without stopping.
I cry for my virgin daughter,[i] and for my dear people,
because someone hit them and crushed them.
They have been hurt very badly.
18
If I go into the country,
I see the bodies of those killed in war.
If I go into the city,
I see people sick from hunger.
The priests and prophets continue their work,
but they don't understand what is happening.'"
19
Lord, have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?
Do you hate Zion?
You hurt us so badly that we cannot be made well again.
Why did you do that?
We were hoping for peace,
but nothing good has come.
We were hoping for a time of healing,
but only terror came.
20
Lord, we know that we are wicked.
We know that our ancestors did evil things.
Yes, we sinned against you.
21
For the good of your name, don't push us away.
Don't take away the honor from your glorious throne.
Remember your agreement with us
and do not break it.
22
Foreign idols don't have the power to bring rain.
The sky does not have the power to send down showers of rain.
You, the Lord our God, are our only hope.
You are the one who made all these things.
15 The Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, even if Moses and Samuel were here to
pray for the people of Judah, I would not feel sorry for them. Send the
people of Judah away from me! Tell them to go! 2 They might ask you, 'Where
will we go?' Tell them this is what the Lord says:
"'I have chosen some people to die.
They will die.
I have chosen some to be killed with swords.
They will be killed with swords.
I have chosen some to die from hunger.
They will die from hunger.
I have chosen some to be taken away to a foreign country.
They will be prisoners there.
3
I will send four kinds of destroyers against them.'
This message is from the Lord.
'I will send the enemy with a sword to kill.
I will send the dogs to drag their bodies away.
I will send birds of the air and wild animals
to eat and destroy their bodies.
4
I will make the people of Judah
an example of something terrible for all the people on earth.
I will do this to the people of Judah
because of what Manasseh[j] did in Jerusalem.
Manasseh was the son of King Hezekiah.
Manasseh was a king of Judah.'
5
"No one will feel sorry for you, city of Jerusalem.
No one will be sad and cry for you.
No one will go out of their way to even ask how you are.
6
Jerusalem, you left me."
This message is from the Lord.
"Again and again you left me!
So I will punish and destroy you.
I am tired of holding back your punishment.
7
I will separate the people of Judah with my pitchfork.[k]
I will scatter them at the city gates of the land.
My people have not changed,
so I will destroy them.
I will take away their children.
8
Many women will lose their husbands.
There will be more widows than there is sand in the sea.
I will bring a destroyer at noontime.
The destroyer will attack the mothers of the young men of Judah.
I will bring pain and fear on the people of Judah.
I will make this happen very quickly.
9
The enemy will attack with swords and kill the people.
They will kill the survivors from Judah.
A woman with seven children will lose them.
She will cry until she becomes weak and struggles to breathe.
She will be upset and confused,
because her bright day has become dark."
This message is from the Lord.
Jeremiah Complains to God Again
10
Mother, I am sorry
that you gave birth to me.
I am the one who must accuse
and criticize the whole land.
I have not loaned or borrowed anything,
but everyone curses me.
11
Surely, Lord, I have served you well.
In times of disaster and trouble,
I prayed to you about my enemies.
God Answers Jeremiah
12
"Jeremiah, you know that no one
can shatter a piece of iron.
I mean the kind of iron that is from the north.[l]
And no one can shatter a piece of bronze either.
13
The people of Judah have many treasures.
I will give these riches to other people.
They will not have to buy them,
because Judah has many sins.
The people sinned in every part of Judah.
14
People of Judah, I will make you slaves of your enemies.
You will be slaves in a land that you never knew.
I am very angry.
My anger is like a hot fire,
and you will be burned."
15
Lord, you understand me.
Remember me and take care of me.
People are hurting me.
Give them the punishment they deserve.
You are being patient with them.
But don't destroy me while you remain patient with them.
Think about me.
Think about the pain I suffer for you.
16
Your words came to me, and I ate them up.
They made me very happy.
I was glad to be called by your name,
Lord God All-Powerful.
17
I never sat with the crowd
as they laughed and had fun.
I sat by myself because of your influence on me.
You filled me with anger at the evil around me.
18
I don't understand why I still hurt.
I don't understand why my wound is not cured and cannot be healed.
I think you have changed.
You are like a spring of water that became dry.
You are like a spring whose water has stopped flowing.
19
Then the Lord said, "Jeremiah, if you change and come back to me,
I will not punish you.
If you change and come back to me,
then you may serve me.
If you speak important things, not worthless words,
then you may speak for me.
The people of Judah should change and come back to you.
But don't you change and be like them.
20
I will make you strong.
The people will think you are strong,
like a wall made of bronze.
The people of Judah will fight against you,
but they will not defeat you.
They will not defeat you,
because I am with you.
I will help you, and I will save you."
This message is from the Lord.
21
"I will save you from these evil people.
They frighten you, but I will save you from them."
Footnotes:
a.Jeremiah 13:1 loincloth A common undergarment in ancient Judah. It was a
short skirt that was wrapped around the hips. It reached about halfway down
the thighs.
b.Jeremiah 13:4 Perath Probably a village near Jerusalem. This town is
called Parah in the list of the cities of the land of Benjamin in Josh.
18:23. But this name also means the Euphrates River.
c.Jeremiah 13:17 Lord's flock This is a figurative name for the people of
Judah. The Lord is thought of as a shepherd, while his people are seen as
his flock of sheep.
d.Jeremiah 13:20 north The Babylonian army came from this direction to
attack Judah. Armies from countries north and east of Israel often came this
way to attack Judah and Israel.
e.Jeremiah 13:20 flock Here, the word "flock" refers to all the towns around
Jerusalem, as if Jerusalem were the shepherd and the towns of Judah were her
flock.
f.Jeremiah 13:27 I saw . you did This is probably talking about worshiping
false gods. But part of that worship was having sex with temple prostitutes.
g.Jeremiah 14:1 drought A time when no rain falls and the crops become dry
and die.
h.Jeremiah 14:4 No one . crops This follows the ancient Greek version. The
Hebrew text here is hard to understand.
i.Jeremiah 14:17 virgin daughter Another name for Jerusalem.
j.Jeremiah 15:4 Manasseh Manasseh was the most evil king of Judah according
to 2 Kings 21:1-16. He worshiped many gods.
k.Jeremiah 15:7 pitchfork A tool with sharp points for throwing hay from one
place to another.
l.Jeremiah 15:12 north The Babylonian army came from this direction to
attack Judah. Armies from countries north and east of Israel often came this
way to attack Judah and Israel.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
