DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16:
WORD OF WISDOM
Don't bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be boring. Spend 30
seconds in my head. That'll freak you right out.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Peace on Earth
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Perhaps the most remembered message of Christmas was spoken by the angels:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men"
(Luke 2:14). While Christmas should be a time of peace, it is often the
opposite for many. Worry, family problems, and financial stress can rob us
of the peace God desires for His children to enjoy.
The Old Testament prophet Daniel provides a perfect illustration of God's
peace. Notice the specifics of how Daniel prayed: "Now when Daniel knew that
the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open
in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a
day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then
these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before
his God" (Daniel 6:10-11).
The prescription for peace that Paul provided in Philippians is exactly the
same pattern Daniel followed in his prayers. Although Daniel was thrown into
the lions' den, he still had a peace that was beyond human understanding.
This peace did not come to Daniel because he was immune to fear, but because
of how he prayed and trusted God.
When we take our requests to God while thanking Him for all that He has done
for us, we will have His perfect peace. All the worry in the world will
never change things for the better. Until we seek God's face in prayer, we
will never know His genuine peace.
Do you want to know the reality of the angel's Christmas message? Do you
long to experience peace on Earth? Take your needs to the Lord in prayer,
and thank God for His never-ending faithfulness in your life.
The key to great peace is not found in our resources or in our circumstances
but on our knees.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Ephesians 1-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Redemption in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as
sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted
in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in
all wisdom and [b]prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His
will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that
in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in
one all things in Christ, [c]both which are in heaven and which are on
earth-in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according
to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be
to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, 14 who[d] is the [e]guarantee of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your
love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making
mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your [f]understanding being enlightened;
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of
the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding
greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of
His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the
dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above
all principality[g] and [h]power and [i]might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all
things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills
all in all.
By Grace Through Faith
2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which
you once walked according to the [j]course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest
anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Brought Near by His Blood
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh-who are called
Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by
hands- 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down
the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity,
that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in
Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might
reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to
death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off
and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one
Spirit to the Father.
Christ Our Cornerstone
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow
citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are
being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The Mystery Revealed
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- 2
if indeed you have heard of the [k]dispensation of the grace of God which
was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the
mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages
was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the
Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be
fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ
through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of
the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
Purpose of the Mystery
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9
and to make all see what is the [l]fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things
[m]through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the [n]manifold wisdom of
God might be made known by the church to the [o]principalities and powers in
the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He
accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and
access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do
not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Appreciation of the Mystery
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father [p]of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would
grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with
might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be
able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and
depth and height- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that
you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Walk in Unity
4 I, therefore, the prisoner [q]of the Lord, [r]beseech you to walk worthy
of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and
gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is
one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your
calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all,
who is above all, and through all, and in [s]you all.
Spiritual Gifts
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's
gift. 8 Therefore He says:
"When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men."
9 (Now this, "He ascended"-what does it mean but that He also [t]first
descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the
One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the
work of ministry, for the [u]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all
come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may
grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ- 16 from whom the
whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according
to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth
of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The New Man
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer
walk as [v]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18
having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their
heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness,
to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and
have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off,
concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and
that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true
righteousness and holiness.
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his
neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin":
do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give [w]place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with
his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
necessary [x]edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do
not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, [y]clamor, and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave
you.
Walk in Love
5 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be
named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish
talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of
thanks. 5 For [z]this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor
covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of
these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7
Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Walk in Light
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light 9 (for the fruit of the [aa]Spirit is in all goodness,
righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
[ab]expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which
are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are [ac]exposed are made
manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He
says:
"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light."
Walk in Wisdom
15 See then that you walk [ad]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled
with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of [ae]God.
Marriage-Christ and the Church
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is
head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior
of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let
the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for her, 26 that He might [af]sanctify and cleanse her with the
washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a
glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she
should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own
wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no
one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the
Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, [ag]of His flesh
and of His bones. 31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33
Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as
himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Children and Parents
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your
father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it
may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up
in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Bondservants and Masters
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not
with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the
will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord,
and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive
the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening,
knowing that [ah]your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no
partiality with Him.
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the [ai]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
[aj]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the
breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication
for all the saints- 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I
may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for
which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I
ought to speak.
A Gracious Greeting
21 But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a
beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things
known to you; 22 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may
know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ
in sincerity. Amen.
