DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY July 6, 2022
WORD OF WISDOM
Lord, help me to become the wonderful person my dog thinks I am.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Never Turn Back
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I
beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night
and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of
waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by
the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils
in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me
daily, the care of all the churches.
2 Corinthians 11:24-28
The life of the Apostle Paul was anything but easy. Being faithful to God's
calling put his life in danger over and over. He suffered intense
persecution, dire hardships, lack, and danger-not for doing wrong, but for
doing right. There were many reasons for Paul to quit, but he never did. The
hardships made some of his companions turn back. Mark quit the first
missionary journey. Demas decided the things of the world were more to be
desired than the suffering of following Christ. Yet despite all that Paul
endured and the fact that others were turning back, he continued. He refused
to allow anything to deter him from serving God.
Paul declared, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the
ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of
the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). There are times when difficulty comes as a
result of something we have done wrong. But many times the opposition and
hardship we experience are because we are doing right, and the devil is
trying to get us to stop serving God. Whatever the source, we must not allow
anything to stop our service to God. Edgar Guest wrote, "It's when things
seem worst that you mustn't quit."
Our love for Christ should be so great that nothing can deter us from
serving Him.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Proverbs 7-9 New King James Version
The Wiles of a Harlot
7 My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.
The Crafty Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the [a]youths,
A young man devoid[b] of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 She was loud and rebellious,
Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an [c]impudent face she said to him:
14 "I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For [d]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money [e]with him,
And will come home [f]on the appointed day."
21 [g]With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she [h]seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [i]as a fool to the correction of the [j]stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it [k]would cost his life.
24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 Her house is the way to [l]hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
The Excellence of Wisdom
8 Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [m]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 "To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [n]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [o]the earth.
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [p]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [q]fields,
Or the [r]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as [s]a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death."
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat,
She has mixed her wine,
She has also [t]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 "Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.
7 "He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone."
The Way of Folly
13 A foolish woman is [u]clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 "Whoever is [v]simple, let him turn in here";
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 "Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant."
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of [w]hell.
Footnotes
Proverbs 7:7 Lit. sons
Proverbs 7:7 lacking
Proverbs 7:13 shameless
Proverbs 7:19 Lit. the man
Proverbs 7:20 Lit. in his hand
Proverbs 7:20 at the full moon
Proverbs 7:21 By the greatness of her words
Proverbs 7:21 compelled
Proverbs 7:22 LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds
Proverbs 7:22 shackles
Proverbs 7:23 Lit. is for
Proverbs 7:27 Or Sheol
Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
Proverbs 8:5 naive
Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and
editions earth
Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
Proverbs 8:26 outer places
Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up
Proverbs 9:2 arranged
Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
Proverbs 9:16 naive
Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol
