Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Evening Reading
Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes.—PSA. 26:3.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.—Your Father which is in heaven: . . . maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Be ye . . . followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.—Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.—Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.—The love of Christ constraineth us.
Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Psa. 145:8. -Matt. 5:45.Eph. 5:1,2. -Eph. 4:32. -I Pet. 1:22. -II Cor. 5:14.Luke 6:35,36.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“How many are mine iniquities and sins?”
Job 13:23
Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God’s people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an alp, but that your iniquities are heaped upon each other, as in the old fable of the giants who piled Pelion upon Ossa, mountain upon mountain. What an aggregate of sin there is in the life of one of the most sanctified of God’s children! Attempt to multiply this, the sin of one only, by the multitude of the redeemed, “a number which no man can number,” and you will have some conception of the great mass of the guilt of the people for whom Jesus shed his blood. But we arrive at a more adequate idea of the magnitude of sin by the greatness of the remedy provided. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only and well-beloved Son. God’s Son! Angels cast their crowns before him! All the choral symphonies of heaven surround his glorious throne. “God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” And yet he takes upon himself the form of a servant, and is scourged and pierced, bruised and torn, and at last slain; since nothing but the blood of the incarnate Son of God could make atonement for our offences. No human mind can adequately estimate the infinite value of the divine sacrifice, for great as is the sin of God’s people, the atonement which takes it away is immeasurably greater. Therefore, the believer, even when sin rolls like a black flood, and the remembrance of the past is bitter, can yet stand before the blazing throne of the great and holy God, and cry, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea rather, that hath risen again.” While the recollection of his sin fills him with shame and sorrow, he at the same time makes it a foil to show the brightness of mercy—guilt is the dark night in which the fair star of divine love shines with serene splendour.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Numbers 35
35. Cities of Refuge
Cities for the Levites
35
In the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance that they possess, towns for the Levites to live in; you shall also give to the Levites pasture lands surrounding the towns.3The towns shall be theirs to live in, and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle, for their livestock, and for all their animals.4The pasture lands of the towns, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the town outward a thousand cubits all around.5You shall measure, outside the town, for the east side two thousand cubits, for the south side two thousand cubits, for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, with the town in the middle; this shall belong to them as pasture land for their towns.
6 The towns that you give to the Levites shall include the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit a slayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two towns.7The towns that you give to the Levites shall total forty-eight, with their pasture lands.8And as for the towns that you shall give from the possession of the Israelites, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it obtains, shall give of its towns to the Levites.
Cities of Refuge
9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:10Speak to the Israelites, and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person without intent may flee there.12The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, so that the slayer may not die until there is a trial before the congregation.
13 The cities that you designate shall be six cities of refuge for you:14you shall designate three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.15These six cities shall serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the resident or transient alien among them, so that anyone who kills a person without intent may flee there.
Concerning Murder and Blood Revenge
16 But anyone who strikes another with an iron object, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.17Or anyone who strikes another with a stone in hand that could cause death, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.18Or anyone who strikes another with a weapon of wood in hand that could cause death, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.19The avenger of blood is the one who shall put the murderer to death; when they meet, the avenger of blood shall execute the sentence.20Likewise, if someone pushes another from hatred, or hurls something at another, lying in wait, and death ensues,21or in enmity strikes another with the hand, and death ensues, then the one who struck the blow shall be put to death; that person is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when they meet.
22 But if someone pushes another suddenly without enmity, or hurls any object without lying in wait,23or, while handling any stone that could cause death, unintentionally drops it on another and death ensues, though they were not enemies, and no harm was intended,24then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances;25and the congregation shall rescue the slayer from the avenger of blood. Then the congregation shall send the slayer back to the original city of refuge. The slayer shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.26But if the slayer shall at any time go outside the bounds of the original city of refuge,27and is found by the avenger of blood outside the bounds of the city of refuge, and is killed by the avenger, no bloodguilt shall be incurred.28For the slayer must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the slayer may return home.
29 These things shall be a statute and ordinance for you throughout your generations wherever you live.
30 If anyone kills another, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of a single witness.31Moreover you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is subject to the death penalty; a murderer must be put to death.32Nor shall you accept ransom for one who has fled to a city of refuge, enabling the fugitive to return to live in the land before the death of the high priest.33You shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.34You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the Israelites.
New Testament in Four Years - 1 Corinthians 16:13-24
16. Personal Requests
Final Messages and Greetings
13 Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.14Let all that you do be done in love.
15 Now, brothers and sisters, you know that members of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints;16I urge you to put yourselves at the service of such people, and of everyone who works and toils with them.17I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence;18for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So give recognition to such persons.
19 The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord.20All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.22Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come!23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.24My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 138
138. Psalm 138
Psalm 138
Thanksgiving and Praise
Of David.
1
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
3
On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.
4
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
8
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.