DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 4:
WORD OF WISDOM
Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Close All the Gates
"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have
put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is
renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is
neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian,
bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."
Colossians 3:8-11
Dr. John R. Rice and his brother Dr. Bill Rice grew up on a cattle ranch in
Texas. Once the two evangelists were talking about how sin works in the life
of a Christian. Dr. Bill Rice said to his brother, "If you leave one little
gate open, every cow in the pasture may get out." In recounting that
conversation, Dr. John Rice said, "A man who consents to a little 'white
lie,' as you might call it, will go deeper in lying. And one who is
intemperate in his speech may grow to cursing. One who allows hate and
malice may become a murderer. There is no safe course for one who consents
to some sin and lets it go unrebuked, unconfessed, unrepented in this life."
One of Satan's more effective techniques that has ruined the life of many
believers is to convince them that sin isn't really a big deal-that we can
handle the sins that appeal to us or that we enjoy without any additional
consequences. But sin is a process, and left unchecked that process takes us
further away from God and further into evil. The lie that we can control sin
and keep it in check without getting rid of it completely is devastating,
not just to our own lives, but to those around us. The only remedy for sin
is for it to be rejected. We must resist temptation and quickly repent when
we fail.
All of our sins, even the "little" ones, must be repented of and forsaken if
we wish to live a holy life.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Ezekiel 16-18New King James Version (NKJV)
God's Love for Jerusalem
16 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, cause
Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord God to
Jerusalem: "Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your
father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, on
the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in
water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling
cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have
compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you
yourself were loathed on the day you were born.
6 "And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said
to you in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' 7 I
made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became
very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked
and bare.
8 "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the
time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes,
I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became
Mine," says the Lord God.
9 "Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and
I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you
sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with
silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a
chain on your neck. 12 And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your
ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with
gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered
cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly
beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 Your fame went out among the
nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which
I had bestowed on you," says the Lord God.
Jerusalem's Harlotry
15 "But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your
fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.
16 You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for
yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor
be. 17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My
silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played
the harlot with them. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered
them, and you set My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also My food which
I gave you-the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you-you set
it before them as sweet incense; and so it was," says the Lord God.
20 "Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and
these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a
small matter, 21 that you have slain My children and offered them up to
them by causing them to pass through the fire? 22 And in all your
abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your
youth, when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.
23 "Then it was so, after all your wickedness-'Woe, woe to you!' says the
Lord God- 24 that you also built for yourself a shrine, and made a high
place for yourself in every street. 25 You built your high places at the
head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered
yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry.
26 You also committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your very fleshly
neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke Me to anger.
27 "Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your
allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, the daughters
of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You also
played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed
you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 Moreover
you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader,
Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.
30 "How degenerate is your heart!" says the Lord God, "seeing you do all
these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.
Jerusalem's Adultery
31 "You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your high
place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned
payment. 32 You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her
husband. 33 Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to
all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your
harlotry. 34 You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because
no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment
was given you, therefore you are the opposite."
Jerusalem's Lovers Will Abuse Her
35 'Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord! 36 Thus says the Lord
God: "Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in
your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and
because of the blood of your children which you gave to them, 37 surely,
therefore, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all
those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around
against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all
your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed
blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 39 I
will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines
and break down your high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes,
take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.
40 "They shall also bring up an assembly against you, and they shall stone
you with stones and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They shall
burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of
many women; and I will make you cease playing the harlot, and you shall no
longer hire lovers. 42 So I will lay to rest My fury toward you, and My
jealousy shall depart from you. I will be quiet, and be angry no more. 43
Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but agitated Me[a] with
all these things, surely I will also recompense your deeds on your own
head," says the Lord God. "And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to
all your abominations.
More Wicked than Samaria and Sodom
44 "Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you:
'Like mother, like daughter!' 45 You are your mother's daughter, loathing
husband and children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed
their husbands and children; your mother was a Hittite and your father an
Amorite.
46 "Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north
of you; and your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom
and her daughters. 47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to
their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt
than they in all your ways.
48 "As I live," says the Lord God, "neither your sister Sodom nor her
daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Look, this was
the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness
of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of
the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and committed abomination
before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.[b]
51 "Samaria did not commit half of your sins; but you have multiplied your
abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all the
abominations which you have done. 52 You who judged your sisters, bear your
own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable
than theirs; they are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced also, and
bear your own shame, because you justified your sisters.
53 "When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her
daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also
bring back the captives of your captivity among them, 54 that you may bear
your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when you comforted them.
55 When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state,
and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and
your daughters will return to your former state. 56 For your sister Sodom
was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 57 before your
wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the reproach of the
daughters of Syria[c] and all those around her, and of the daughters of the
Philistines, who despise you everywhere. 58 You have paid for your lewdness
and your abominations," says the Lord. 59 For thus says the Lord God: "I
will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the
covenant.
An Everlasting Covenant
60 "Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your
youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you
will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your
younger sisters; for I will give them to you for daughters, but not because
of My covenant with you. 62 And I will establish My covenant with you. Then
you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may remember and be ashamed,
and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you
an atonement for all you have done," says the Lord God.'"
The Eagles and the Vine
17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, pose a
riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel, 3 and say, 'Thus says
the Lord God:
"A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
Full of feathers of various colors,
Came to Lebanon
And took from the cedar the highest branch.
4
He cropped off its topmost young twig
And carried it to a land of trade;
He set it in a city of merchants.
5
Then he took some of the seed of the land
And planted it in a fertile field;
He placed it by abundant waters
And set it like a willow tree.
6
And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature;
Its branches turned toward him,
But its roots were under it.
So it became a vine,
Brought forth branches,
And put forth shoots.
7
"But there was another[d] great eagle with large wings and many feathers;
And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him,
And stretched its branches toward him,
From the garden terrace where it had been planted,
That he might water it.
8
It was planted in good soil by many waters,
To bring forth branches, bear fruit,
And become a majestic vine."'
9 "Say, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"Will it thrive?
Will he not pull up its roots,
Cut off its fruit,
And leave it to wither?
All of its spring leaves will wither,
And no great power or many people
Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.
10
Behold, it is planted,
Will it thrive?
Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?
It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew."'"
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 "Say now to the
rebellious house: 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Tell them,
'Indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes,
and led them with him to Babylon. 13 And he took the king's offspring, made
a covenant with him, and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of
the land, 14 that the kingdom might be brought low and not lift itself up,
but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15 But he rebelled against
him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and
many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he
break a covenant and still be delivered?
16 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'surely in the place where the king
dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he
broke-with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17 Nor will Pharaoh
with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, when they
heap up a siege mound and build a wall to cut off many persons. 18 Since he
despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact gave his hand and
still did all these things, he shall not escape.'"
19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: "As I live, surely My oath which he
despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head.
20 I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will
bring him to Babylon and try him there for the treason which he committed
against Me. 21 All his fugitives[e] with all his troops shall fall by the
sword, and those who remain shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall
know that I, the Lord, have spoken."
Israel Exalted at Last
22 Thus says the Lord God: "I will take also one of the highest branches of
the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young
twigs a tender one, and will plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 23
On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth
boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds
of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 24 And all
the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the
high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry
tree flourish; I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it."
A False Proverb Refuted
18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 "What do you mean when
you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:
'The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 "As I live," says the Lord God, "you shall no longer use this proverb in
Israel.
4
"Behold, all souls are Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
The soul who sins shall die.
5
But if a man is just
And does what is lawful and right;
6
If he has not eaten on the mountains,
Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor's wife,
Nor approached a woman during her impurity;
7
If he has not oppressed anyone,
But has restored to the debtor his pledge;
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
8
If he has not exacted usury
Nor taken any increase,
But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
And executed true judgment between man and man;
9
If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully-
He is just;
He shall surely live!"
Says the Lord God.
10
"If he begets a son who is a robber
Or a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
11
And does none of those duties,
But has eaten on the mountains
Or defiled his neighbor's wife;
12
If he has oppressed the poor and needy,
Robbed by violence,
Not restored the pledge,
Lifted his eyes to the idols,
Or committed abomination;
13
If he has exacted usury
Or taken increase-
Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
His blood shall be upon him.
14
"If, however, he begets a son
Who sees all the sins which his father has done,
And considers but does not do likewise;
15
Who has not eaten on the mountains,
Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor's wife;
16
Has not oppressed anyone,
Nor withheld a pledge,
Nor robbed by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
17
Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor[f]
And not received usury or increase,
But has executed My judgments
And walked in My statutes-
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
He shall surely live!
18
"As for his father,
Because he cruelly oppressed,
Robbed his brother by violence,
And did what is not good among his people,
Behold, he shall die for his iniquity.
Turn and Live
19 "Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?'
Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My
statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins
shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father
bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon
himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed,
keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely
live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has
committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness
which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the
wicked should die?" says the Lord God, "and not that he should turn from his
ways and live?
24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits
iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man
does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be
remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin
which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of
Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?
26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity,
and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he
dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he
committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.
28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he
committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of
Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' O house of Israel, is it not
My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?
30 "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to
his ways," says the Lord God. "Repent, and turn from all your
transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from
you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a
new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32
For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord God.
"Therefore turn and live!"
Footnotes:
a.Ezekiel 16:43 Following Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic
Text reads were agitated with Me.
b.Ezekiel 16:50 Vulgate reads you saw; Septuagint reads he saw; Targum reads
as was revealed to Me.
c.Ezekiel 16:57 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate;
many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac read Edom.
d.Ezekiel 17:7 Following Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text and
Targum read one.
e.Ezekiel 17:21 Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; many Hebrew
manuscripts and Syriac read choice men; Targum reads mighty men; Septuagint
omits All his fugitives.
f.Ezekiel 18:17 Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint
reads iniquity (compare verse 8).
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James VersionR. Copyright C 1982 by Thomas
Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
