Meditate
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Daily Light's Evening Reading
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.—JAS. 1:8.
No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.—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 anything of the Lord.—What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive: but speaking the truth in love, . . . grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ.
Abide in me.—Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Luke 9:62.Heb. 11:6. -Jas. 1:6,7. -Mark 11:24.Eph. 4:14,15.John 15:4. -I Cor. 15:58.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“A people near unto him.”
Psalm 148:14
The dispensation of the old covenant was that of distance. When God appeared even to his servant Moses, he said, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet”; and when he manifested himself upon Mount Sinai, to his own chosen and separated people, one of the first commands was, “Thou shalt set bounds about the mount.” Both in the sacred worship of the tabernacle and the temple, the thought of distance was always prominent. The mass of the people did not even enter the outer court. Into the inner court none but the priests might dare to intrude; while into the innermost place, or the holy of holies, the high priest entered but once in the year. It was as if the Lord in those early ages would teach man that sin was so utterly loathsome to him, that he must treat men as lepers put without the camp; and when he came nearest to them, he yet made them feel the width of the separation between a holy God and an impure sinner. When the gospel came, we were placed on quite another footing. The word “Go” was exchanged for “Come”; distance was made to give place to nearness, and we who aforetime were afar off, were made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ. Incarnate Deity has no wall of fire about it. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” is the joyful proclamation of God as he appears in human flesh. Not now does he teach the leper his leprosy by setting him at a distance, but by himself suffering the penalty of his defilement. What a state of safety and privilege is this nearness to God through Jesus! Do you know it by experience? If you know it, are you living in the power of it? Marvellous is this nearness, yet it is to be followed by a dispensation of greater nearness still, when it shall be said, “The tabernacle of God is with men, and he doth dwell among them.” Hasten it, O Lord.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Judges 12
12. Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon
Intertribal Dissension
12
The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!”2Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were engaged in conflict with the Ammonites who oppressed us severely. But when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand.3When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?”4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives from Ephraim, you Gileadites—in the heart of Ephraim and Manasseh.”5Then the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever one of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,”6they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell at that time.
7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his town in Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.9He had thirty sons. He gave his thirty daughters in marriage outside his clan and brought in thirty young women from outside for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.10Then Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.
11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.12Then Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys; he judged Israel eight years.15Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
New Testament in Four Years - Galatians 5:7-12
5. Freedom in Christ
7 You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?8Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.9A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.10I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.11But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.12I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!
Psalm a Day - Psalm 53
53. Psalm 53
Psalm 53
Denunciation of Godlessness
To the leader: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.
1
Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
there is no one who does good.
2
God looks down from heaven on humankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
3
They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.
4
Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5
There they shall be in great terror,
in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;
they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
6
O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.