Meditate
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Daily Light's Morning Reading
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.—LUKE 18:1.
Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.—Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.—As a prince hast thou power with God and with men.—Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
[Jesus] went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Ye that love the Lord hate evil.”
Psalm 97:10
Thou hast good reason to “hate evil,” for only consider what harm it has already wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour; it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer’s tender invitations. Sin turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very fountain of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost with thee, before divine grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as others; thou didst “run with the multitude to do evil.” Such were all of us; but Paul reminds us, “but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and trace its deadly workings. Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would have been lost had not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is an active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition. Therefore “hate evil,” O Christians, unless you desire trouble. If you would strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then neglect to “hate evil:” but if you would live a happy life, and die a peaceful death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto the end. If you truly love your Saviour, and would honour him, then “hate evil.” We know of no cure for the love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord Jesus. Dwell much with him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with sin.
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“Order my footsteps by thy Word, And make my heart sincere; Let sin have no dominion, Lord, But keep my conscience clear.” |
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Numbers 6
6. The Nazirite
The Nazirites
6
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a nazirite, to separate themselves to the Lord,3they shall separate themselves from wine and strong drink; they shall drink no wine vinegar or other vinegar, and shall not drink any grape juice or eat grapes, fresh or dried.4All their days as nazirites they shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.
5 All the days of their nazirite vow no razor shall come upon the head; until the time is completed for which they separate themselves to the Lord, they shall be holy; they shall let the locks of the head grow long.
6 All the days that they separate themselves to the Lord they shall not go near a corpse.7Even if their father or mother, brother or sister, should die, they may not defile themselves; because their consecration to God is upon the head.8All their days as nazirites they are holy to the Lord.
9 If someone dies very suddenly nearby, defiling the consecrated head, then they shall shave the head on the day of their cleansing; on the seventh day they shall shave it.10On the eighth day they shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting,11and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for them, because they incurred guilt by reason of the corpse. They shall sanctify the head that same day,12and separate themselves to the Lord for their days as nazirites, and bring a male lamb a year old as a guilt offering. The former time shall be void, because the consecrated head was defiled.
13 This is the law for the nazirites when the time of their consecration has been completed: they shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting,14and they shall offer their gift to the Lord, one male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as an offering of well-being,15and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of choice flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, with their grain offering and their drink offerings.16The priest shall present them before the Lord and offer their sin offering and burnt offering,17and shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest also shall make the accompanying grain offering and drink offering.18Then the nazirites shall shave the consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair from the consecrated head and put it on the fire under the sacrifice of well-being.19The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram, when it is boiled, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them in the palms of the nazirites, after they have shaved the consecrated head.20Then the priest shall elevate them as an elevation offering before the Lord; they are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is elevated and the thigh that is offered. After that the nazirites may drink wine.
21 This is the law for the nazirites who take a vow. Their offering to the Lord must be in accordance with the nazirite vow, apart from what else they can afford. In accordance with whatever vow they take, so they shall do, following the law for their consecration.
The Priestly Benediction
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:23Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
24
The Lord bless you and keep you;
25
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
26
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
27 So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 119:1-16
119. Psalm 119
Psalm 119
The Glories of God’s Law
1
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
2
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways.
4
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5
O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous ordinances.
8
I will observe your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
9
How can young people keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10
With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
11
I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
12
Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
13
With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
14
I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15
I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.