O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 11:06 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Sunday April 5 >2 Samuel 22-24 (The Message) > > 2 Samuel 22 > 1 David prayed to God the words of this song after God saved him from all > his enemies and from > Saul. > 2-3 God is bedrock under my feet, > the castle in which I live, > my rescuing knight. > My God-the high crag > where I run for dear life, > hiding behind the boulders, > safe in the granite hideout; > My mountaintop refuge, > he saves me from ruthless men. > 4 I sing to God the Praise-Lofty, > and find myself safe and saved. > 5-6 The waves of death crashed over me, > devil waters rushed over me. > Hell's ropes cinched me tight; > death traps barred every exit. > 7 A hostile world! I called to God, > to my God I cried out. > From his palace he heard me call; > my cry brought me right into his presence- > a private audience! > 8-16 Earth wobbled and lurched; > the very heavens shook like leaves, > Quaked like aspen leaves > because of his rage. > His nostrils flared, billowing smoke; > his mouth spit fire. > Tongues of fire darted in and out; > he lowered the sky. > He stepped down; > under his feet an abyss opened up. > He rode a winged creature, > swift on wind-wings. > He wrapped himself > in a trenchcoat of black rain-cloud darkness. > But his cloud-brightness burst through, > a grand comet of fireworks. > Then God thundered out of heaven; > the High God gave a great shout. > God shot his arrows-pandemonium! > He hurled his lightnings-a rout! > The secret sources of ocean were exposed, > the hidden depths of earth lay uncovered > The moment God roared in protest, > let loose his hurricane anger. > 17-20 But me he caught-reached all the way > from sky to sea; he pulled me out > Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, > the void in which I was drowning. > They hit me when I was down, > but God stuck by me. > He stood me up on a wide-open field; > I stood there saved-surprised to be loved! > 21-25 God made my life complete > when I placed all the pieces before him. > When I cleaned up my act, > he gave me a fresh start. > Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways; > I haven't taken God for granted. > Every day I review the ways he works, > I try not to miss a trick. > I feel put back together, > and I'm watching my step. > God rewrote the text of my life > when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. > 26-28 You stick by people who stick with you, > you're straight with people who're straight with you, > You're good to good people, > you shrewdly work around the bad ones. > You take the side of the down-and-out, > but the stuck-up you take down a peg. > 29-31 Suddenly, God, your light floods my path, > God drives out the darkness. > I smash the bands of marauders, > I vault the high fences. > What a God! His road > stretches straight and smooth. > Every God-direction is road-tested. > Everyone who runs toward him > Makes it. > 32-46 Is there any god like God? > Are we not at bedrock? > Is not this the God who armed me well, > then aimed me in the right direction? > Now I run like a deer; > I'm king of the mountain. > He shows me how to fight; > I can bend a bronze bow! > You protect me with salvation-armor; > you touch me and I feel ten feet tall. > You cleared the ground under me > so my footing was firm. > When I chased my enemies I caught them; > I didn't let go till they were dead men. > I nailed them; they were down for good; > then I walked all over them. > You armed me well for this fight; > you smashed the upstarts. > You made my enemies turn tail, > and I wiped out the haters. > They cried "uncle" > but Uncle didn't come; > They yelled for God > and got no for an answer. > I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. > I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter. > You rescued me from a squabbling people; > you made me a leader of nations. > People I'd never heard of served me; > the moment they got wind of me they submitted. > They gave up; they came trembling from their hideouts. > 47-51 Live, God! Blessing to my Rock, > my towering Salvation-God! > This God set things right for me > and shut up the people who talked back. > He rescued me from enemy anger. > You pulled me from the grip of upstarts, > You saved me from the bullies. > That's why I'm thanking you, God, > all over the world. > That's why I'm singing songs > that rhyme your name. > God's king takes the trophy; > God's chosen is beloved. > I mean David and all his children- > always. > > 2 Samuel 23 > 1 These are David's last words: > The voice of the son of Jesse, > the voice of the man God took to the top, > Whom the God of Jacob made king, > and Israel's most popular singer! > 2-7 God's Spirit spoke through me, > his words took shape on my tongue. > The God of Israel spoke to me, > Israel's Rock-Mountain said, > "Whoever governs fairly and well, > who rules in the Fear-of-God, > Is like first light at daybreak > without a cloud in the sky, > Like green grass carpeting earth, > glistening under fresh rain." > And this is just how my regime has been, > for God guaranteed his covenant with me, > Spelled it out plainly > and kept every promised word- > My entire salvation, > my every desire. > But the devil's henchmen are like thorns > culled and piled as trash; > Better not try to touch them; > keep your distance with a rake or hoe. > They'll make a glorious bonfire! > > 8 This is the listing of David's top men. > > Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once > put his spear to work > against eight hundred-killed them all in a day. > > 9-10 Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He > was with David when the > Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the > Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. But Eleazar stood his > ground and killed > Philistines right and left until he was exhausted-but he never > let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined > Eleazar, but all there was > left to do was the cleanup. > > 11-12 Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The > Philistines had mustered for > battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. > Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the > center of the field, > successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another > great victory for God! > > 13-17 One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined > David at the Cave of > Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley > of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had > their base camp in Bethlehem. > David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever > like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" So the > Three penetrated the > Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, > and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it > out as an offering to God, > saying, "There is no way, God, that I'll drink this! > This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood-they risked their very lives > to bring it!" So David > refused to drink it. > > This is the sort of thing that the Three did. > > 18-19 Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the > Thirty. He once got credit for > killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never > named in the same breath as the Three. He was the most respected of the > Thirty and was their > captain, but never got included among the Three. > > 20-21 Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who > accomplished a great deal. He > once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy > day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. Another time he killed > a formidable Egyptian. The > Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against > him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip > and killed him with his own > spear. > > 22-23 These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But > neither did he ever get > ranked with the Three. He was held in greatest respect > among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him > in charge of his > bodyguard. > > The Thirty > 24-39 "The Thirty" consisted of: > Asahel brother of Joab; > Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; > Shammah the Harodite; > Elika the Harodite; > Helez the Paltite; > Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; > Abiezer the Anathothite; > Sibbecai the Hushathite; > Zalmon the Ahohite; > Maharai the Netophathite; > Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite; > Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites; > Benaiah the Pirathonite; > Hiddai from the badlands of Gaash; > Abi-Albon the Arbathite; > Azmaveth the Barhumite; > Eliahba the Shaalbonite; > Jashen the Gizonite; > Jonathan son of Shammah the Hararite; > Ahiam son of Sharar the Urite; > Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite; > Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; > Hezro the Carmelite; > Paarai the Arbite; > Igal son of Nathan, commander of the army of Hagrites; > Zelek the Ammonite; > Naharai the Beerothite, weapon bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; > Ira the Ithrite; > Gareb the Ithrite; > Uriah the Hittite. Thirty-seven, all told. > > 2 Samuel 24 > 1-2 Once again God's anger blazed out against Israel. He tested David by > telling him, "Go and take > a census of Israel and Judah." So David gave orders > to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of > Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, > and get a count of the population. I want to know the > number." > > 3 But Joab resisted the king: "May your God multiply people by the > hundreds right before the eyes > of my master the king, but why on earth would you do > a thing like this?" > > 4-9 Nevertheless, the king insisted, and so Joab and the army officers > left the king to take a > census of Israel. They crossed the Jordan and began with > Aroer and the town in the canyon of the Gadites near Jazer, proceeded > through Gilead, passed Hermon, > then on to Dan, but detoured Sidon. They covered Fort > Tyre and all the Hivite and Canaanite cities, and finally reached the > Negev of Judah at Beersheba. > They canvassed the whole country and after nine months > and twenty days arrived back in Jerusalem. Joab gave the results of the > census to the king: 800,000 > able-bodied fighting men in Israel; in Judah 500,000. > > 10 But when it was all done, David was overwhelmed with guilt because he > had counted the people, > replacing trust with statistics. And David prayed to God, > "I have sinned badly in what I have just done. But now God forgive my > guilt-I've been really > stupid." > > 11-12 When David got up the next morning, the word of God had already come > to Gad the prophet, > David's spiritual advisor, "Go and give David this message: > 'God has spoken thus: There are three things I can do to you; choose one > out of the three and I'll > see that it's done.'" > > 13 Gad came to deliver the message: "Do you want three years of famine in > the land, or three months > of running from your enemies while they chase you down, > or three days of an epidemic on the country? Think it over and make up > your mind. What shall I tell > the one who sent me?" > > 14 David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by > God, whose mercy is great, > than fall into human hands." > > 15-16 So God let loose an epidemic from morning until suppertime. From Dan > to Beersheba seventy > thousand people died. But when the angel reached out over > Jerusalem to destroy it, God felt the pain of the terror and told the > angel who was spreading death > among the people, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" > > The angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the > Jebusite. David looked up > and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword > drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer > and covered themselves > with rough burlap. > > 17 When David saw the angel about to destroy the people, he prayed, > "Please! I'm the one who > sinned; I, the shepherd, did the wrong. But these sheep, what > did they do wrong? Punish me and my family, not them." > > 18-19 That same day Gad came to David and said, "Go and build an altar on > the threshing floor of > Araunah the Jebusite." David did what Gad told him, what > God commanded. > > 20-21 Araunah looked up and saw David and his men coming his way; he met > them, bowing deeply, > honoring the king and saying, "Why has my master the king > come to see me?" > > "To buy your threshing floor," said David, "so I can build an altar to > God here and put an end > to this disaster." > > 22-23 "Oh," said Araunah, "let my master the king take and sacrifice > whatever he wants. Look, > here's an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles > and ox-yokes for fuel-Araunah gives it all to the king! And may God, your > God, act in your favor." > > 24-25 But the king said to Araunah, "No. I've got to buy it from you for a > good price; I'm not > going to offer God, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice." > > So David bought the threshing floor and the ox, paying out fifty > shekels of silver. He built an > altar to God there and sacrificed burnt offerings and > peace offerings. God was moved by the prayers and that was the end of the > disaster. > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
