Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Evening Reading
In all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.—HEB. 4:15.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food (the lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (the pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
When the tempter came to [Jesus], he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (the lust of the flesh). But he answered, . . . Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The devil . . . sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them (the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life). Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan.
In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It may be that the Saviour placed the peacemaker the seventh upon the list because he most nearly approaches the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have perfect blessedness, so far as it can be enjoyed on earth, must attain to this seventh benediction, and become a peacemaker. There is a significance also in the position of the text. The verse which precedes it speaks of the blessedness of “the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” It is well to understand that we are to be “first pure, then peaceable.” Our peaceableness is never to be a compact with sin, or toleration of evil. We must set our faces like flints against everything which is contrary to God and his holiness: purity being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness. Not less does the verse that follows seem to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we may be in this world, yet we shall be misrepresented and misunderstood: and no marvel, for even the Prince of Peace, by his very peacefulness, brought fire upon the earth. He himself, though he loved mankind, and did no ill, was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Lest, therefore, the peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet with enemies, it is added in the following verse, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Thus, the peacemakers are not only pronounced to be blessed, but they are compassed about with blessings. Lord, give us grace to climb to this seventh beatitude! Purify our minds that we may be “first pure, then peaceable,” and fortify our souls, that our peaceableness may not lead us into cowardice and despair, when for thy sake we are persecuted.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Genesis 42
42. Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another?2I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.5Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”8Although Joseph had recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.9Joseph also remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”10They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food.11We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants have never been spies.”12But he said to them, “No, you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”13They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.”14But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have said to you; you are spies!15Here is how you shall be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here!16Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.”17And he put them all together in prison for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go and carry grain for the famine of your households,20and bring your youngest brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they agreed to do so.21They said to one another, “Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us.”22Then Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.”23They did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.24He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes.25Joseph then gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This was done for them.
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan
26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed.27When one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money at the top of the sack.28He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in my sack!” At this they lost heart and turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,30“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and charged us with spying on the land.31But we said to him, ‘We are honest men, we are not spies.32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’33Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way.34Bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’ ”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each one’s sack was his bag of money. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed.36And their father Jacob said to them, “I am the one you have bereaved of children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has happened to me!”37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should come to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
New Testament in Four Years - Romans 9:22-26
9. God's Sovereign Choice
22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction;23and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—24including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?25As indeed he says in Hosea,“Those who were not my people I will call ”my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ”
26
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they shall be called children of the living God.”
Psalm a Day - Psalm 54
54. Psalm 54
Psalm 54
Prayer for Vindication
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “David is in hiding among us.”
1
Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2
Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3
For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.Selah
4
But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5
He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.
6
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.