DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY JANUARY 8:
WORD OF WISDOM
Of this be sure: You do not find the happy life: You make it.
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DAILY DEVOTION
When the "Air Conditioner" Fails
"And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou
wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but
they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they
reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given
us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might
against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to
do: but our eyes are upon thee."
2 Chronicles 20:10-12
I read about a veteran military pilot who was teaching a group of trainees.
At one point in his talk, he referred to the plane's jet engine as an air
conditioner. One of the new pilots raised his hand and asked why he called
the engine that. With a grin the veteran replied, "Because if it stops
working, you start sweating real quick!" All of us face moments when
something we're counting on suddenly falls away. Perhaps it is a serious
medical diagnosis, a car accident, a family relationship torn apart, or a
job that unexpectedly goes away. How should we respond in those moments when
the "air conditioner" fails?
King Jehoshaphat had one of those moments when the Ammonites and Moabites
joined forces to fight against him. His army was greatly outnumbered, and
there seemed to be no chance of survival, let alone victory. But in that
moment he cried out to God in faith, and God heard and answered his prayers.
Not only was he delivered, but Jehoshaphat didn't even have to fight. God
turned the alliance of enemies against each other, and they destroyed their
own armies. God is able to deliver us from trials and troubles today. But we
must keep our faith and focus on Him, rather than giving in to despair or
trying to take matters into our own hands.
Those who keep their eyes on God in times of trouble will find His help and
deliverance.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Genesis 22-24The Message (MSG)
22 After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!"
"Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening."
2 He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of
Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that
I'll point out to you."
3-5 Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two
of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt
offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he
looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young
servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to
worship; then we'll come back to you."
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son
to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off
together.
7 Isaac said to Abraham his father, "Father?"
"Yes, my son."
"We have flint and wood, but where's the sheep for the burnt offering?"
8 Abraham said, "Son, God will see to it that there's a sheep for the burnt
offering." And they kept on walking together.
9-10 They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built
an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the
wood. Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son.
11 Just then an angel of God called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham!
Abraham!"
"Yes, I'm listening."
12 "Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly
you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the
altar for me."
13 Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his
son.
14 Abraham named that place God-Yireh (God-Sees-to-It). That's where we get
the saying, "On the mountain of God, he sees to it."
15-18 The angel of God spoke from Heaven a second time to Abraham: "I
swear-God's sure word!-because you have gone through with this, and have not
refused to give me your son, your dear, dear son, I'll bless you-oh, how
I'll bless you! And I'll make sure that your children flourish-like stars in
the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their
enemies. All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your
descendants because you obeyed me."
19 Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together
and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba.
20-23 After all this, Abraham got the news: "Your brother Nahor is a father!
Milcah has given him children: Uz, his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel
(he was the father of Aram), Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
(Bethuel was the father of Rebekah.) Milcah gave these eight sons to Nahor,
Abraham's brother.
24 His concubine, Reumah, gave him four more children: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash,
and Maacah.
23 1-2 Sarah lived 127 years. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, present-day
Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept.
3-4 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and spoke to the
Hittites: "I know I'm only an outsider here among you, but sell me a burial
plot so that I can bury my dead decently."
5-6 The Hittites responded, "Why, you're no mere outsider here with us,
you're a prince of God! Bury your dead wife in the best of our burial sites.
None of us will refuse you a place for burial."
7-9 Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the
Hittites, and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a
proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar. Ask him to sell me
the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him
to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as
witnesses."
10-11 Ephron was part of the local Hittite community. Then Ephron the
Hittite spoke up, answering Abraham with all the Hittites who were part of
the town council listening: "Oh no, my master! I couldn't do that. The field
is yours-a gift. I'll give it and the cave to you. With my people as
witnesses, I give it to you. Bury your deceased wife."
12-13 Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council and answered
Ephron: "Please allow me-I want to pay the price of the land; take my money
so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."
14-15 Then Ephron answered Abraham, "If you insist, master. What's four
hundred silver shekels between us? Now go ahead and bury your wife."
16 Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid out the sum that Ephron had
named before the town council of Hittites-four hundred silver shekels at the
current exchange rate.
17-20 That's how Ephron's field next to Mamre-the field, its cave, and all
the trees within its borders-became Abraham's property. The town council of
Hittites witnessed the transaction. Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife
Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre,
present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The field and its cave went from
the Hittites into Abraham's possession as a burial plot.
Isaac and Rebekah
24 Abraham was now an old man. God had blessed Abraham in every way.
2-4 Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge
of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh and swear by God-God of
Heaven, God of Earth-that you will not get a wife for my son from among the
young women of the Canaanites here, but will go to the land of my birth and
get a wife for my son Isaac."
5 The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and
come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?"
6-8 Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back
there. God, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from
the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this
land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get
a wife for my son. And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath
you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back
there."
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave
his solemn oath.
10-14 The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts
from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. Outside
the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when
the women came to draw water. He prayed, "O God, God of my master Abraham,
make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand
here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water,
let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who
answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'-let her be the woman you
have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working
graciously behind the scenes for my master."
15-17 It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when
Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor,
Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. The girl was
stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her
jug, and came back up. The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please, can I
have a sip of water from your jug?"
18-21 She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could
drink. When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your
camels, too, until they've drunk their fill." She promptly emptied her jug
into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it
until she had watered all the camels.
The man watched, silent. Was this God's answer? Had God made his trip a
success or not?
22-23 When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a
gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm
bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her. He asked her,
"Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your
father's house for us to stay the night?"
24-25 She said, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.
And there's plenty of room in our house for you to stay-and lots of straw
and feed besides."
26-27 At this the man bowed in worship before God and prayed, "Blessed be
God, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my
master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my
master's brother!"
28 And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother's house
what had happened.
29-31 Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran outside to the man at the
spring. He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had
heard her say, "The man said this and this and this to me." So he went to
the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring.
Laban welcomed him: "Come on in, blessed of God! Why are you standing out
here? I've got the house ready for you; and there's also a place for your
camels."
32-33 So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given
straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men
with him. Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, "I won't eat until
I tell my story."
Laban said, "Go ahead; tell us."
34-41 The servant said, "I'm the servant of Abraham. God has blessed my
master-he's a great man; God has given him sheep and cattle, silver and
gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. And then to top it off,
Sarah, my master's wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed
everything on to his son. My master made me promise, 'Don't get a wife for
my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live. No, go to
my father's home, back to my family, and get a wife for my son there.' I
said to my master, 'But what if the woman won't come with me?' He said, 'God
before whom I've walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he'll
make things work out so that you'll bring back a wife for my son from my
family, from the house of my father. Then you'll be free from the oath. If
you go to my family and they won't give her to you, you will also be free
from the oath.'
42-44 "Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, 'God, God of
my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I've been given.
I'm standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I
say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug, and she says, Not
only will I give you a drink, I'll also water your camels-let that woman be
the wife God has picked out for my master's son.'
45-48 "I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her
jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said,
'Please, can I have a drink?' She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and
said, 'Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I
drank, and she watered the camels. I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?'
She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I
gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms, and bowed in worship
to God. I praised God, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight
to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son.
49 "Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a
generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what
to do next."
50-51 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is totally from God. We have no say
in the matter, either yes or no. Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her
be the wife of your master's son, as God has made plain."
52-54 When Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed in worship
before God. Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and
gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and
mother. He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in
the morning they were up. He said, "Send me back to my master."
55 Her brother and mother said, "Let the girl stay a while, say another ten
days, and then go."
56 He said, "Oh, don't make me wait! God has worked everything out so
well-send me off to my master."
57 They said, "We'll call the girl; we'll ask her."
They called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?"
58 She said, "I'm ready to go."
59-60 So they sent them off, their sister Rebekah with her nurse, and
Abraham's servant with his men. And they blessed Rebekah saying,
You're our sister-live bountifully!
And your children, triumphantly!
61 Rebekah and her young maids mounted the camels and followed the man. The
servant took Rebekah and set off for home.
62-65 Isaac was living in the Negev. He had just come back from a visit to
Beer Lahai Roi. In the evening he went out into the field; while meditating
he looked up and saw camels coming. When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac,
she got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man out in
the field coming toward us?"
"That is my master."
She took her veil and covered herself.
66-67 After the servant told Isaac the whole story of the trip, Isaac took
Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah and she became
his wife and he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.
