Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Our God hath not forsaken us.—EZRA 9:9.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.—If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.—Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.—Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
I Pet. 4:12. -Heb. 12:7,8.Deut. 13:3.I Sam. 12:22. -Isa. 49:15. -Psa. 146:5.Luke 18:7,8.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Accepted in the beloved.”
Ephesians 1:6
What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the term “acceptance” in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacence, nay, even of divine delight. How marvellous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, should be the objects of divine love! But it is only “in the beloved.” Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own experience, at least, that is their apprehension. When their spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer accepted. If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father’s sight, but that they stand accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, and how much more they would honour the Saviour! Rejoice then, believer, in this: thou art accepted “in the beloved.” Thou lookest within, and thou sayest, “There is nothing acceptable here!” But look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. Thy sins trouble thee; but God has cast thy sins behind his back, and thou art accepted in the Righteous One. Thou hast to fight with corruption, and to wrestle with temptation, but thou art already accepted in him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts thee; be of good cheer, he cannot destroy thee, for thou art accepted in him who has broken Satan’s head. Know by full assurance thy glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than thou art. They are only accepted in heaven “in the beloved,” and thou art even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Judges 20
20. Israelites Fight the Benjamites
The Other Tribes Attack Benjamin
20
Then all the Israelites came out, from Dan to Beer-sheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled in one body before the Lord at Mizpah.2The chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot-soldiers bearing arms.3(Now the Benjaminites heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites said, “Tell us, how did this criminal act come about?”4The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.5The lords of Gibeah rose up against me, and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she died.6Then I took my concubine and cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the whole extent of Israel’s territory; for they have committed a vile outrage in Israel.7So now, you Israelites, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”
8 All the people got up as one, saying, “We will not any of us go to our tents, nor will any of us return to our houses.9But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot.10We will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the troops, who are going to repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the disgrace that they have done in Israel.”11So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one.
12 The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What crime is this that has been committed among you?13Now then, hand over those scoundrels in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death, and purge the evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to their kinsfolk, the Israelites.14The Benjaminites came together out of the towns to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the Israelites.15On that day the Benjaminites mustered twenty-six thousand armed men from their towns, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah.16Of all this force, there were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss.17And the Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand armed men, all of them warriors.
18 The Israelites proceeded to go up to Bethel, where they inquired of God, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites?” And the Lord answered, “Judah shall go up first.”
19 Then the Israelites got up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.20The Israelites went out to battle against Benjamin; and the Israelites drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah.21The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah, and struck down on that day twenty-two thousand of the Israelites.22The Israelites took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day.
23The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until the evening; and they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to battle against our kinsfolk the Benjaminites?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.”24 So the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites the second day.25Benjamin moved out against them from Gibeah the second day, and struck down eighteen thousand of the Israelites, all of them armed men.26Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went back to Bethel and wept, sitting there before the Lord; they fasted that day until evening. Then they offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of well-being before the Lord.27And the Israelites inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,28and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our kinsfolk the Benjaminites, or shall we desist?” The Lord answered, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”
29 So Israel stationed men in ambush around Gibeah.30Then the Israelites went up against the Benjaminites on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as before.31When the Benjaminites went out against the army, they were drawn away from the city. As before they began to inflict casualties on the troops, along the main roads, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, as well as in the open country, killing about thirty men of Israel.32The Benjaminites thought, “They are being routed before us, as previously.” But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city toward the roads.”33The main body of the Israelites drew back its battle line to Baal-tamar, while those Israelites who were in ambush rushed out of their place west of Geba.34There came against Gibeah ten thousand picked men out of all Israel, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was close upon them.
35 The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel; and the Israelites destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin that day, all of them armed.
36 Then the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated.
The Israelites gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted to the troops in ambush that they had stationed against Gibeah.37The troops in ambush rushed quickly upon Gibeah. Then they put the whole city to the sword.38Now the agreement between the main body of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they sent up a cloud of smoke out of the city39the main body of Israel should turn in battle. But Benjamin had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites, killing about thirty of them; so they thought, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.”40But when the cloud, a column of smoke, began to rise out of the city, the Benjaminites looked behind them—and there was the whole city going up in smoke toward the sky!41Then the main body of Israel turned, and the Benjaminites were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them.42Therefore they turned away from the Israelites in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the city were slaughtering them in between.43Cutting down the Benjaminites, they pursued them from Nohah and trod them down as far as a place east of Gibeah.44Eighteen thousand Benjaminites fell, all of them courageous fighters.45When they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, five thousand of them were cut down on the main roads, and they were pursued as far as Gidom, and two thousand of them were slain.46So all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand arms-bearing men, all of them courageous fighters.47But six hundred turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months.48Meanwhile, the Israelites turned back against the Benjaminites, and put them to the sword—the city, the people, the animals, and all that remained. Also the remaining towns they set on fire.
New Testament in Four Years - Ephesians 1:7-10
1. Spiritual Blessings in Christ
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.Psalm a Day - Psalm 61
61. Psalm 61
Psalm 61
Assurance of God’s Protection
To the leader: with stringed instruments. Of David.
1
Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2
From the end of the earth I call to you,
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I;
3
for you are my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4
Let me abide in your tent forever,
find refuge under the shelter of your wings.Selah
5
For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6
Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7
May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8
So I will always sing praises to your name,
as I pay my vows day after day.