DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 10:
WORD OF WISDOM
The hard thing about praying hard is to let God do the heavy lifting.
___
DAILY DEVOTION
God Is in Control
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every
one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city
of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary
his espoused wife, being great with child."
Luke 2:1, 3-5
The Christmas story has many wonderful aspects. One of the aspects that
sometimes goes unremarked is that it is a demonstration of God's
sovereignty. God exercised sovereign control over the fulfillment of the Old
Testament prophecies regarding the birth of Christ.
The world would have said that Caesar Augustus was the ruler, but God was
the one in control. He used the decree from Caesar Augustus to move Mary and
Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem so that Jesus would be born where the
prophet Micah had said. Christmas is the story of God working to fulfill His
prophetic promises so that everything happened just as He said it would.
Though it's not usually one of the things we focus on at this time of year,
I encourage you to view Christmas as a demonstration of God's power and
allow the wonderful story of the birth of Christ to build and to strengthen
your faith. The same God who sent the angels to the shepherds and the star
to guide the wisemen is in control of your life today. His power and wisdom
have not diminished. He is just the same today as He was when Christ was
born. Things may happen that we do not understand, but we can trust that God
is in control-orchestrating our circumstances for our good and for His
glory.
As you reflect on the Christmas story, allow the wonderful way God worked to
give you confidence in His working in your life.
___
DAILY BIBLE READING
Romans 11-13 New King James Version (NKJV)
Israel's Rejection Not Total
11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an
Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not
cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture
says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 "Lord, they
have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left,
and they seek my life"? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? "I
have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to
Baal." 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to
the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works;
otherwise grace is no longer grace. [a]But if it is of works, it is no
longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have
obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:
"God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day."
9 And David says:
"Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always."
Israel's Rejection Not Final
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But
through their [b]fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to
the Gentiles. 12 Now if their [c]fall is riches for the world, and their
failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,
I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those
who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is
the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from
the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is
holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off,
and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them
became a partaker of the root and [d]fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not
boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not
support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by
faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural
branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness
and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you,
[e]goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut
off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted
in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of
the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature
into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural
branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [f]opinion, that blindness in
part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel will be [g]saved, as it is written:
"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the
election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and
the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to
God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so
these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they
also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [h]committed them all to disobedience,
that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?"
35 "Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?"
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory
forever. Amen.
Living Sacrifices to God
12 I beseech[i] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your [j]reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Serve God with Spiritual Gifts
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think
soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have
many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one
another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given
to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our
faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in
teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Behave Like a Christian
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor
giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient[k] in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the
saints, given[l] to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with
those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind
toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with
the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[m] regard for good things in the sight
of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably
with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to
wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Submit to Government
13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by
God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God,
and those who resist will [n]bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are
not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the
authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he
is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he
does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to
execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject,
not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of
this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually
to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes
are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Love Your Neighbor
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another
has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit
adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," [o]"You shall not
bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other
commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is
the fulfillment of the law.
Put on Christ
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The
night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk
[p]properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness
and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
