Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.—GEN. 32:26.
Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.
O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt.—According to your faith be it unto you.—Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
They drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and [Jesus] made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: . . . he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?—I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight.—My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Isa. 27:5.Matt. 15:28. -Matt. 9:29. -Jas. 1:6,7.Luke 24:28,29,31,32. -Exo. 33:13. -Exo. 33:14.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“On him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.”
Luke 23:26
We see in Simon’s carrying the cross a picture of the work of the Church throughout all generations; she is the cross-bearer after Jesus. Mark then, Christian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer.
But let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that in our case, as in Simon's, it is not our cross, but Christ’s cross which we carry. When you are molested for your piety; when your religion brings the trial of cruel mockings upon you, then remember it is not your cross, it is Christ's cross; and how delightful is it to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus!
You carry the cross after him. You have blessed company; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord. The mark of his blood-red shoulder is upon that heavy burden. 'Tis his cross, and he goes before you as a shepherd goes before his sheep. Take up your cross daily, and follow him.
Do not forget, also, that you bear this cross in partnership. It is the opinion of some that Simon only carried one end of the cross, and not the whole of it. That is very possible; Christ may have carried the heavier part, against the transverse beam, and Simon may have borne the lighter end. Certainly it is so with you; you do but carry the light end of the cross, Christ bore the heavier end.
And remember, though Simon had to bear the cross for a very little while, it gave him lasting honour. Even so the cross we carry is only for a little while at most, and then we shall receive the crown, the glory. Surely we should love the cross, and, instead of shrinking from it, count it very dear, when it works out for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Exodus 11
11. Plague on the Firstborn
Warning of the Final Plague
11
The Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you away.2Tell the people that every man is to ask his neighbor and every woman is to ask her neighbor for objects of silver and gold.”3The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and in the sight of the people.
4 Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out through Egypt.5Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the livestock.6Then there will be a loud cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again.7But not a dog shall growl at any of the Israelites—not at people, not at animals—so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.8Then all these officials of yours shall come down to me, and bow low to me, saying, ‘Leave us, you and all the people who follow you.’ After that I will leave.” And in hot anger he left Pharaoh.
9 The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, in order that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”10Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
New Testament in Four Years - Romans 12:14-16
12. Living Sacrifices
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 71
71. Psalm 71
Psalm 71
Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
1
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
3
Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress, to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6
Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.
7
I have been like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8
My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all day long.
9
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10
For my enemies speak concerning me,
and those who watch for my life consult together.
11
They say, “Pursue and seize that person
whom God has forsaken,
for there is no one to deliver.”
12
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
13
Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
let those who seek to hurt me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14
But I will hope continually,
and will praise you yet more and more.
15
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all day long,
though their number is past my knowledge.
16
I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17
O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.
Your power19and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21
You will increase my honor,
and comfort me once again.
22
I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23
My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.
24
All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,
for those who tried to do me harm
have been put to shame, and disgraced.