Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Evening Reading
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.—PROV. 24:10.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.—My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.—He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him.—The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee.
I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, . . . who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way: so also Christ, . . . though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.—Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.
Isa. 40:29. -II Cor. 12:9. -Psa. 91:15. -Deut. 33:27.Psa. 69:20.Heb. 5:1,2,5,8,9. -Isa. 53:4.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“And they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.”
Nehemiah 3:8
Cities well fortified have broad walls, and so had Jerusalem in her glory. The New Jerusalem must, in like manner, be surrounded and preserved by a broad wall of nonconformity to the world, and separation from its customs and spirit. The tendency of these days break down the holy barrier, and make the distinction between the church and the world merely nominal. Professors are no longer strict and Puritanical, questionable literature is read on all hands, frivolous pastimes are currently indulged, and a general laxity threatens to deprive the Lord’s peculiar people of those sacred singularities which separate them from sinners. It will be an ill day for the church and the world when the proposed amalgamation shall be complete, and the sons of God and the daughters of men shall be as one: then shall another deluge of wrath be ushered in. Beloved reader, be it your aim in heart, in word, in dress, in action to maintain the broad wall, remembering that the friendship of this world is enmity against God.
The broad wall afforded a pleasant place of resort for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from which they could command prospects of the surrounding country. This reminds us of the Lord’s exceeding broad commandments, in which we walk at liberty in communion with Jesus, overlooking the scenes of earth, and looking out towards the glories of heaven. Separated from the world, and denying ourselves all ungodliness and fleshly lusts, we are nevertheless not in prison, nor restricted within narrow bounds; nay, we walk at liberty, because we keep his precepts. Come, reader, this evening walk with God in his statutes. As friend met friend upon the city wall, so meet thou thy God in the way of holy prayer and meditation. The bulwarks of salvation thou hast a right to traverse, for thou art a freeman of the royal burgh, a citizen of the metropolis of the universe.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Joshua 10
10. Southern Cities Conquered
The Sun Stands Still
10
When King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,2he became greatly frightened, because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities, and was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent a message to King Hoham of Hebron, to King Piram of Jarmuth, to King Japhia of Lachish, and to King Debir of Eglon, saying,4“Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites.”5Then the five kings of the Amorites—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered their forces, and went up with all their armies and camped against Gibeon, and made war against it.
6 And the Gibeonites sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country are gathered against us.”7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting force with him, all the mighty warriors.8The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have handed them over to you; not one of them shall stand before you.”9So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.10And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who inflicted a great slaughter on them at Gibeon, chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.11As they fled before Israel, while they were going down the slope of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down huge stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12 On the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.”
13
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.14There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Five Kings Defeated
16 Meanwhile, these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.17And it was told Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”18Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them;19but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Do not let them enter their towns, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”20When Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a very great slaughter on them, until they were wiped out, and when the survivors had entered into the fortified towns,21all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah; no one dared to speak against any of the Israelites.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.”23They did so, and brought the five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.24When they brought the kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the Israelites, and said to the chiefs of the warriors who had gone with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.25And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous; for thus the Lord will do to all the enemies against whom you fight.”26Afterward Joshua struck them down and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening.27At sunset Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves; they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
28 Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it; he left no one remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed on from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.30The Lord gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel; and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left no one remaining in it; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Next Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and laid siege to it, and assaulted it.32The Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah.
33 Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, leaving him no survivors.
34 From Lachish Joshua passed on with all Israel to Eglon; and they laid siege to it, and assaulted it;35and they took it that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron; they assaulted it,37and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it; he left no one remaining, just as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it with every person in it.
38 Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir and assaulted it,39and he took it with its king and all its towns; they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person in it; he left no one remaining; just as he had done to Hebron, and, as he had done to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and its king.
40 So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left no one remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.41And Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.42Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.43Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
New Testament in Four Years - 2 Corinthians 13:5-10
13. Final Warnings
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!6I hope you will find out that we have not failed.7But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.9For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect.10So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 30
30. Psalm 30
Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5
For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7
By your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8
To you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
9
“What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11
You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
12
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.