DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR THURSDAY MAY 19:
WORD OF WISDOM
Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age
and start bragging about it.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Practicing Contentment
"And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they
give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as
are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them,
The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."
Luke 10:7-9
Though she lost her eyesight as an infant, Fanny Crosby used the gifts and
abilities she had rather than spending her life wishing for what she lacked.
She wrote her first poem at the age of eight:
O what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be;
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't!
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't.
Fanny went on to write the words to more than eight thousand hymns, as well
as numerous other secular and patriotic songs. She gave away large sums of
money to rescue missions and missionary causes, and devoted her life to
helping and encouraging others.
The secret of contentment is not found in our possessions or our comfort,
but in our attitude. There are many with vast wealth who are not content,
and many with very little wealth who are. Contentment only comes from
within. If we are constantly grasping for more and better things, we are
declaring we do not trust God to care for us. From a prison cell in Rome,
Paul wrote, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be
abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am
instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need" (Philippians 4:11-12).
Contentment springs from a faith that God will never fail to give us
everything we truly need.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Esther 4-6Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
4 When Mordecai heard about all that had been done, he tore his clothes.
Then he put on sackcloth, put ashes on his head, and went out into the city
crying loudly. 2 But Mordecai went only as far as the king's gate. No one
was allowed to enter the gate dressed in sackcloth. 3 In every province
where the king's command had come, there was much crying and sadness among
the Jews. They were fasting and crying loudly. Many Jews were lying on the
ground dressed in sackcloth with ashes on their heads.
4 Esther's slave women and eunuchs came to her and told her about Mordecai.
This made Queen Esther very sad and upset. She sent clothes for Mordecai to
put on instead of the sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther
called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been chosen to serve her.
She commanded him to find out what was bothering Mordecai, and why. 6 So
Hathach went out to where Mordecai was in the open place of the city in
front of the king's gate. 7 Then Mordecai told Hathach everything that had
happened to him. Mordecai told him about the exact amount of money Haman had
promised to put into the king's treasury for killing Jews. 8 Mordecai also
gave Hathach a copy of the king's command to kill the Jews. The command had
been sent out all over the city of Susa. He wanted Hathach to show it to
Esther and tell her everything. And he told him to encourage Esther to go to
the king and beg him for mercy for Mordecai and her people.
9 Hathach went back and told Esther everything Mordecai had said.
10 Then Esther told Hathach to say this to Mordecai: 11 "Mordecai, all the
king's leaders and all the people of the king's provinces know this: The
king has one law for any man or woman who goes to the king without being
called. That person must be put to death unless the king holds out his gold
scepter to them. If the king does this, that person's life will be saved.
And I have not been called to go see the king for 30 days."
12-13 Then Esther's message was given to Mordecai. When he got her message,
Mordecai sent his answer back: "Esther, don't think that just because you
live in the king's palace you will be the only Jew to escape. 14 If you keep
quiet now, help and freedom for the Jews will come from another place. But
you and your father's family will all die. And who knows, maybe you have
been chosen to be the queen for such a time as this."
15-16 Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai: "Mordecai, go and get all
the Jews in Susa together, and fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three
days and nights. I and my women servants will fast too. After we fast, I
will go to the king. I know it is against the law to go to the king if he
didn't call me, but I will do it anyway. If I die, I die."
17 So Mordecai went away and did everything Esther told him to do.
Esther Speaks to the King
5 On the third day, Esther put on her special robes. Then she stood in the
inside area of the king's palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was
sitting on his throne in the hall, facing the place where people enter the
throne room. 2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was
very pleased. He held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So
Esther went in to the room and went near the king. Then she touched the end
of the king's gold scepter.
3 Then the king asked, "What is bothering you Queen Esther? What do you want
to ask me? I will give you anything you ask for, even half my kingdom."
4 Esther said, "I have prepared a party for you and Haman. Will you and
Haman please come to the party today?"
5 Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so that we may do what Esther
asks."
So the king and Haman went to the party Esther had prepared for them. 6
While they were drinking wine, the king asked her again, "Now Esther, what
do you want to ask for? Ask for anything, I will give it to you. So what is
it you want? I will give you anything you want, up to half my kingdom."
7 Esther answered, "This is what I want to ask for: 8 If the king is pleased
with me and thinks it good to give me what I ask for, let the king and Haman
come tomorrow. I will prepare another party for them. Then I will tell what
I really want."
Haman's Anger at Mordecai
9 Haman left the king's palace that day very happy and in a good mood. But
when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate, he became very angry. Haman was
very mad at him because Mordecai didn't show any respect when Haman walked
by. Mordecai was not afraid of Haman, and this made Haman mad. 10 But Haman
controlled his anger and went home. Then Haman called together his friends
and his wife, Zeresh. 11 Haman started bragging about how rich he was. He
was bragging to his friends about his many sons, and about all the ways the
king had honored him. And he was bragging about how the king had promoted
him higher than all the other leaders. 12 "And that's not all," Haman added.
"I'm the only one Queen Esther invited to be with the king at the party she
gave. And the Queen also has invited me to be with the king again tomorrow.
13 But all this means nothing to me. I cannot be happy as long as I see that
Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."
14 Then Haman's wife Zeresh and all his friends had a suggestion. They said,
"Tell someone to build a post to hang him on. Make it 75 feet[a] tall. In
the morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it. Then go to the party with
the king and you can be happy."
Haman liked this suggestion, so he ordered someone to build the hanging
post.
Mordecai Is Honored
6 That same night, the king could not sleep. So he told a servant to bring
the history book and read it to him. ( The Book of History of the Kings
lists everything that happens during a king's rule.) 2 The servant read the
book to the king. He read about the evil plan to kill King Xerxes. That was
when Mordecai had learned about Bigthana and Teresh. These two men were the
king's officers who guarded the doorway. They had planned to kill the king,
but Mordecai learned about the plan and told someone about it.
3 Then the king asked, "What honor and good things have been given to
Mordecai for this?"
The servants answered the king, "Nothing has been done for Mordecai."
4 Haman had just entered the outer area of the king's palace. He had come to
ask the king to hang Mordecai on the hanging post Haman had commanded to be
built. The king said, "Who just came into the courtyard?" 5 The king's
servants said, "Haman is standing in the courtyard."
So the king said, "Bring him in."
6 When Haman came in, the king asked him a question. He said, "Haman, what
should be done for a man the king wants to honor?"
Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would want to honor
more than me? I'm sure that the king is talking about honoring me."
7 So Haman answered the king, "Do this for the man the king loves to honor:
8 Have the servants bring a special robe the king himself has worn and a
horse the king himself has ridden. Have the servants put the king's special
mark on the horse's head. 9 Then put one of the king's most important
leaders in charge of the robe and the horse, and let the leader put the robe
on the man the king wants to honor. Then let him lead him on the horse
through the city streets. As he leads him, let him announce, 'This is done
for the man the king wants to honor!'"
10 "Go quickly," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the horse and
do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew. He is sitting near the
king's gate. Do everything that you suggested."
11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. Then he put the robe on Mordecai and
led him on horseback through the city streets. Haman announced ahead of
Mordecai, "This is done for the man the king wants to honor!"
12 After that Mordecai went back to the king's gate, but Haman hurried home
with his head covered because he was embarrassed and ashamed. 13 Then Haman
told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to
him. His wife and the men who gave him advice said, "If Mordecai is a Jew,
you cannot win. You have already started to fall. Surely you will be
ruined!"
14 While they were still talking to Haman, the king's eunuchs came to
Haman's house. They made Haman hurry to the party that Esther had prepared.
Footnotes:
a.Esther 5:14 75 feet Literally, "50 cubits" (22 m).
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
