DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3:
WORD OF WISDOM
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people
who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help
___
DAILY DEVOTION
An Exalted View of Self
"And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee,
neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never
gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as
this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou
hast killed for him the fatted calf."
Luke 15:29-30
It is easy for us to look around and think that we are better than those
around us, and not as much in need of God's grace as they are. But while
such proud thoughts are satisfying to our fallen nature, they are not in
line with reality.
Near the end of one of his best known poems, "To a Louse On Seeing One on a
Lady's Bonnet at Church," the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote:
O would some Power the gift He gives us To see ourselves as others see us!
If we truly saw ourselves as God sees us (for while we may deceive others He
always knows not only our actions but our thoughts), we would abandon any
pretense of pride.
The problem we have is that rather than measuring ourselves against the
standard of God's perfect holiness, we look to those around us and measure
ourselves against them. It is easy to find areas in which we are superior
(or at least can convince ourselves we are) and focus on those. The problem
with this approach is that it is flawed and foolish. "For we dare not make
ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend
themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing
themselves among themselves, are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). Instead of
thinking that we are better than others by looking horizontally, we need to
look up and realize that we are just as much in need of God's grace and
mercy as those around us.
Having a high view of ourselves keeps us from having a proper view of God.
___
DAILY BIBLE READING
Isaiah 43-45Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
God Is Always With His People
43 Jacob, the Lord created you. Israel, he made you, and now he says, "Don't
be afraid. I saved you. I named you. You are mine. 2 When you have troubles,
I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk
through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you. 3 That's
because I, the Lord, am your God. I, the Holy One of Israel, am your Savior.
I gave Egypt to pay for you. I gave Ethiopia and Seba to make you mine. 4
You are precious to me, and I have given you a special place of honor. I
love you. That's why I am willing to trade others, to give up whole nations,
to save your life.
5 "So don't be afraid, because I am with you. I will gather your children
and bring them to you. I will gather them from the east and from the west. 6
I will tell the north: Give my people to me. I will tell the south: Don't
keep my people in prison. Bring my sons and daughters to me from the faraway
places. 7 Bring to me all the people who are mine-the people who have my
name. I made them for myself. I made them, and they are mine.
8 "Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind. Bring out the people
who have ears but are deaf.[a] 9 All people and all nations should also be
gathered together. Which of their gods said this would happen? Which of
their gods would tell what happened in the beginning? They should bring
their witnesses. The witnesses should speak the truth. This will show they
are right."
10 The Lord says, "You people are my witnesses and the servant I chose. I
chose you so that you would help people believe me. I chose you so that you
would understand that 'I Am He'-I am the true God. There was no God before
me, and there will be no God after me. 11 I myself am the Lord, and there is
no other Savior. 12 I am the one who spoke to you, saved you, and told you
those things. It was not some stranger who was with you. You are my
witnesses, and I am God." (This is what the Lord himself said.) 13 "I have
always been God. When I do something, no one can change what I have done.
And no one can save people from my power."
14 The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, saves you, and he says, "I will send
armies to Babylon for you. Many people will be captured. Those Chaldeans
will be taken away in their own boats. (They are so proud of those
boats.)[b] 15 I am the Lord your Holy One. I made Israel. I am your King."
God Will Save His People Again
16 The Lord is making roads through the sea. He is making a path for his
people, even through rough waters. The Lord says, 17 "Those who fight
against me with their chariots, horses, and armies will be defeated. They
will never rise again. They will be destroyed. They will be put out like the
flame in a lamp. 18 So don't remember what happened in earlier times. Don't
think about what happened a long time ago, 19 because I am doing something
new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I
will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry
land. 20 The wild animals will thank me. The large animals and birds will
honor me when I put water in the desert and make rivers flow through that
dry land. I will do this to give water to my chosen people. 21 I made them,
and they will sing songs of praise to me.
22 "Jacob, you did not pray to me. Israel, you became tired of me. 23 You
have not brought your sheep as sacrifices to me. You have not honored me
with your sacrifices. I did not force you to give gifts to me like slaves. I
did not force you to burn incense until you became tired. 24 So you did not
use your money to buy things to honor me. But you did force me to be like
your slave. You sinned until the bad things you did made me very tired.
25 "I, I am the one who wipes away all your sins. I do this to please
myself. I will not remember your sins. 26 But you should remember me. Let's
meet together and decide what is right. Tell your story and prove that you
are innocent. 27 Your first father sinned, and your lawyers[c] committed
crimes against me. 28 I will make your Temple leaders unfit to serve there.
I will destroy Jacob.[d] Bad things will happen to Israel.
The Lord Is the Only God
44 "Jacob, you are my servant. Israel, I chose you. Listen to me! 2 I am the
Lord, and I made you. I am the one who created you. I have helped you since
you were in your mother's womb. Jacob, my servant, don't be afraid.
Jeshurun,[e] I chose you.
3 "I will pour water for thirsty people, and streams will flow through the
desert. I will pour my Spirit on your children, and I will bless[f] your
family. 4 They will sprout like grass in the spring and grow like trees by
streams of water.
5 "One man will call himself, 'I am the Lord's.' Another will use the name,
'Jacob.' Another man will sign his name as 'The Lord's Hand.' And another
will use the name, 'Israel.'"
6 The Lord is the king of Israel. The Lord All-Powerful is the one who will
set Israel free. And he says, "I am the only God. There are no other gods. I
am the Beginning and the End. 7 There is no other God like me. If there is,
that god should speak now. Let him lay out everything he has done since the
time I made these ancient people. Let him show me the signs he gave long ago
that prove he knew what would happen in the future.
8 "Don't be afraid! Don't worry. I am the one who always told you what would
happen. You are my proof.[g] There is no other God; I am the only one. There
is no other 'Rock'; I know I am the only one."
False Gods Are Useless
9 Some people make idols, but they are worthless. They love their statues,
which are useless. Those who serve as witnesses for these statues cannot
even see. They don't know enough to be ashamed.
10 Who made these false gods? Who covered these useless statues? 11 Workers
made them, and the workers are only human. If they all would come together
before me, we could discuss this. Then they would all be ashamed and afraid.
12 One worker uses his tools to heat iron over hot coals. Then he uses his
hammer to beat the metal to shape it into a statue. He uses his own powerful
arms, but when he gets hungry, he loses his strength. If he does not drink
water, he becomes weak.
13 Another worker uses his string line[h] and compass[i] to draw lines on
the wood to show where he should cut. Then he uses his chisels[j] and cuts a
statue from the wood. He uses his calipers[k] to measure the statue. In this
way the worker makes the wood look exactly like a man, and this statue of a
man does nothing but sit in the house.
14 To split the cedar tree, the worker took some oak or cypress wedges. To
make sure he had plenty of wood, he planted some pines. But it was the rain
that made them grow.
15 When the man wanted a fire, he took some of the wood to keep him warm. He
also used some of it to bake his bread. But then he used that same wood to
make a statue to worship as a god! That god is only a statue that he made,
but he bows down to it! 16 He burns half of the wood in the fire. He uses
the fire to cook his meat, and he eats the meat until he is full. He burns
the wood to keep himself warm. He says, "Good! Now I am warm, and I can see
by the light of the fire." 17 There is a little of the wood left, so he
makes a statue and calls it his god. He bows down before it and worships it.
He prays to it and says, "You are my god, save me!"
18 People like that don't know what they are doing! They don't understand.
It is as if they have mud in their eyes so they cannot see. Their minds
cannot understand. 19 They don't realize what they are doing. They aren't
smart enough to think, "I burned half of the wood in the fire. I used the
hot coals to bake my bread and cook the meat I ate. And I used the wood that
was left to make this terrible thing. I am worshiping a block of wood!"
20 Someone like that is deceived. They don't know what they are doing.[l]
They cannot save themselves, and they will not admit, "This statue I am
holding is a lie!"
The Lord, the True God, Helps Israel
21
"Jacob, remember these things!
Israel, remember, you are my servant.
I made you, and you are my servant.
So, Israel, don't forget me.
22
Your sins were like a big cloud,
but I wiped them all away.
Your sins are gone,
like a cloud that disappeared into thin air.
I rescued and protected you,
so come back to me."
23
Skies, rejoice for what the Lord has done.
Earth, shout for joy down to your deepest parts!
Start singing, you mountains
and all you trees in the forest!
Yes, the Lord has saved Jacob.
He has shown his glory by rescuing Israel.
24
The one who rescued you is the Lord,
the one who formed you in your mother's womb.
He says, "I, the Lord, made everything.
I put the skies there myself.
I spread out the earth before me."
25 False prophets tell lies, but the Lord shows that their lies are false.
He makes fools of those who do magic. He confuses even the wise. They think
they know a lot, but he makes them look foolish. 26 The Lord sends his
servants to tell his messages to the people, and he makes those messages
come true. He sends messengers to tell the people what they should do, and
he proves that the advice is good.
God Chooses Cyrus to Rebuild Judah
The Lord says to Jerusalem, "People will live in you again."
He says to the cities of Judah, "You will be rebuilt."
He says to them, "I will repair your ruins."
27
He tells the deep waters, "Become dry!
I will make your streams dry too."
28
He says to Cyrus, "You are my shepherd.
You will do what I want.
You will say to Jerusalem, 'You will be rebuilt!'
You will tell the Temple, 'Your foundations will be put in place!'"
God Chooses Cyrus to Make Israel Free
45 This is what the Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen king[m]:
"I took you by your right hand to help you defeat nations,
to strip other kings of their power,
and to open city gates that will not be closed again.
2
I will go in front of you
and make the mountains flat.
I will break the city gates of bronze
and cut the iron bars on the gates.
3
I will give you the wealth that is stored in secret places.
I will give you those hidden treasures.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
4
I do this for my servant, Jacob.
I do it for my chosen people, Israel.
Cyrus, I am calling you by name.
You don't know me, but I know you.[n]
5
I am the Lord, the only God.
There is no other God except me.
I put your clothes on you,[o]
but still you don't know me.
6
I am doing this so that everyone will know
that I am the only God.
From the east to the west, people will know that I am the Lord
and that there is no other God.
7
I made the light and the darkness.
I bring peace, and I cause trouble.
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8
"May the clouds in the skies above
pour goodness on the earth like rain.
May the earth open up
to let salvation grow.
And may goodness grow with that salvation,
which I, the Lord, created.
God Controls His Creation
9 "Look at these people! They are arguing with the one who made them. Look
at them argue with me. They are like pieces of clay from a broken pot. Clay
does not say to the one molding it, 'Man, what are you doing?' Things that
are made don't have the power to question the one who makes them. 10 A
father gives life to his children, and they cannot ask, 'Why are you giving
me life?' They cannot question their mother and ask, 'Why are you giving
birth to me?'"
11 The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel. He created Israel, and he says,
"My children, you asked me to show you a sign.
You told me to show you what I have done.[p]
12
I made the earth,
and I created the people on it.
I used my own hands to make the skies.
And I command all the armies in the sky.[q]
13
I was right to give power to Cyrus,[r]
and I will make his work easy.
He will rebuild my city,
and he will set my people free without bribes or payment."
The Lord All-Powerful said this.
14
The Lord says, "Egypt and Ethiopia are rich,
but, Israel, you will get those riches.
The tall people from Seba will be yours.
They will walk behind you with chains around their necks.
They will bow down before you
and ask you to pray for them and say,
'The true God really is with you,
and there is no other God.'"
15
You are the God people cannot see.
You are the God who saves Israel.
16
Many people make false gods,
but they will be disappointed.
All of them will go away ashamed.
17
But Israel will be saved by the Lord.
That salvation will continue forever.
Never again will Israel be shamed.
18
The Lord is God.
He made the skies and the earth.
He put the earth in its place.
He did not want the earth to be empty when he made it.
He created it to be lived on.
"I am the Lord.
There is no other God.
19
I have spoken openly, not in secret.
I did not hide my words in a dark and secret place.
I did not tell the people of Jacob
to look for me in empty places.
I am the Lord, and I speak the truth.
I say only what is right.
The Lord Proves He Is the Only God
20 "You people who escaped from other nations, gather together before me.
(These people carry statues of false gods. They pray to useless gods, but
they don't know what they are doing. 21 Tell them to come to me. Let them
present their case and discuss these things.)
"Who told you about this before it happened? Who told you this so long ago?
I, the Lord, am the one who said these things. I am the only God, the one
who does what is right. I am the one who saves, and there is no other! 22 So
all you people in faraway places, turn to me and be saved, because I am God,
and there is no other.
23 "When I make a promise, that promise is true. It will happen. And I swear
by my own power that everyone will bow before me and will take an oath to
obey me. 24 They will say, 'Goodness and strength come only from the Lord.'"
And all who show their anger against him will be humiliated. 25 The Lord
will help the people of Israel live right[s] and praise their God.
Footnotes:
a.Isaiah 43:8 blind . deaf This probably means the Israelites who would not
believe God. See Isa. 6:9-10.
b.Isaiah 43:14 I will send . boats Or with minor changes to the Hebrew, "I
will send someone against Babylon to break open the gates, and the shouts of
victory from the Chaldeans will be changed to crying."
c.Isaiah 43:27 lawyers Or "speakers," people who argue a person's case in
court. This might refer to priests or prophets.
d.Isaiah 43:28 destroy Jacob Or "I will make Jacob completely mine."
e.Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun Another name for Israel. It means "good" or "honest."
f.Isaiah 44:3 bless This is a wordplay. This Hebrew word sounds like the
word meaning "pool."
g.Isaiah 44:8 proof Or "witnesses."
h.Isaiah 44:13 string line In ancient times, this was a piece of string with
wet paint on it. It was used to make straight lines on wood or stone.
i.Isaiah 44:13 compass A tool used to draw circles and copy measurements.
j.Isaiah 44:13 chisels Sharp tools used to carve wood or stone.
k.Isaiah 44:13 calipers A special measuring tool, like a compass.
l.Isaiah 44:20 They . doing Literally, "They eat ashes."
m.Isaiah 45:1 chosen king Literally, "the anointed one."
n.Isaiah 45:4 I know you Or "I will give you a title."
o.Isaiah 45:5 I put . you This also means "I made you strong."
p.Isaiah 45:11 My children . done Or "Those who are coming asked for my
children. They commanded me to give them the people I made with my own
hands."
q.Isaiah 45:12 armies in the sky Sometimes this means the angels, and
sometimes it means the stars.
r.Isaiah 45:13 I was right . Cyrus Or "I gave Cyrus power to do something
good."
s.Isaiah 45:25 live right Or "find justice."
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright C 2006 by Bible League International
