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Daily Light's Morning Reading
To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.—PROV. 11:18.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.”
Matthew 26:56
He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives, fled from him in the very beginning of his sufferings. This is but one instructive instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf cometh. They had all been warned of the danger, and had promised to die rather than leave their Master; and yet they were seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels. It may be, that I, at the opening of this day, have braced up my mind to bear a trial for the Lord’s sake, and I imagine myself to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity; but let me be very jealous of myself, lest having the same evil heart of unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. It would have been to their eternal honour to have stood at Jesus’ side right manfully; they fled from honour; may I be kept from imitating them! Where else could they have been so safe as near their Master, who could presently call for twelve legions of angels? They fled from their true safety. O God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth like fire on the altar when the Lord wills it. These very apostles who were timid as hares, grew to be bold as lions after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the Holy Spirit can make my recreant spirit brave to confess my Lord and witness for his truth.
What anguish must have filled the Saviour as he saw his friends so faithless! This was one bitter ingredient in his cup; but that cup is drained dry; let me not put another drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify him afresh, and put him to an open shame. Keep me, O blessed Spirit, from an end so shameful.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Exodus 2
2. The Birth of Moses
Birth and Youth of Moses
2
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.3When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.4His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.6When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said.7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it.10When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk.12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?”14He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.16The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.17But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock.18When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”19They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.”20He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.”21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom; for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.”
23 After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God.24God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.25God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
New Testament in Four Years - Romans 11:17-21
11. The Remnant of Israel
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree,18do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.19You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”20That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.21For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 64
64. Psalm 64
Psalm 64
Prayer for Protection from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3
who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
4
shooting from ambush at the blameless;
they shoot suddenly and without fear.
5
They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see us?
6
Who can search out our crimes?
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.”
For the human heart and mind are deep.
7
But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
8
Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake with horror.
9
Then everyone will fear;
they will tell what God has brought about,
and ponder what he has done.
10
Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him.
Let all the upright in heart glory.