Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Evening Reading
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them.—ISA. 41:17.
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?—What hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. All is vanity and vexation of spirit.—They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.—I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.—Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
Psa. 4:6. -Eccl. 2:22,23,17. -Jer. 2:13.John 6:37. -Isa. 44:3. -Matt. 5:6.Psa. 63:1.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“He began to wash the disciples’ feet.”
John 13:5
The Lord Jesus loves his people so much, that every day he is still doing for them much that is analogous to washing their soiled feet. Their poorest actions he accepts; their deepest sorrow he feels; their slenderest wish he hears, and their every transgression he forgives. He is still their servant as well as their Friend and Master. He not only performs majestic deeds for them, as wearing the mitre on his brow, and the precious jewels glittering on his breastplate, and standing up to plead for them, but humbly, patiently, he yet goes about among his people with the basin and the towel. He does this when he puts away from us day by day our constant infirmities and sins. Last night, when you bowed the knee, you mournfully confessed that much of your conduct was not worthy of your profession; and even tonight, you must mourn afresh that you have fallen again into the selfsame folly and sin from which special grace delivered you long ago; and yet Jesus will have great patience with you; he will hear your confession of sin; he will say, “I will, be thou clean”; he will again apply the blood of sprinkling, and speak peace to your conscience, and remove every spot. It is a great act of eternal love when Christ once for all absolves the sinner, and puts him into the family of God; but what condescending patience there is when the Saviour with much long-suffering bears the oft recurring follies of his wayward disciple; day by day, and hour by hour, washing away the multiplied transgressions of his erring but yet beloved child! To dry up a flood of rebellion is something marvellous, but to endure the constant dropping of repeated offences—to bear with a perpetual trying of patience, this is divine indeed! While we find comfort and peace in our Lord’s daily cleansing, its legitimate influence upon us will be to increase our watchfulness, and quicken our desire for holiness. Is it so?
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 1 Samuel 26
26. David Again Spares Saul's Life
David Spares Saul’s Life a Second Time
26
Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “David is in hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon.”2So Saul rose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, with three thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.3Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon beside the road. But David remained in the wilderness. When he learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,4David sent out spies, and learned that Saul had indeed arrived.5Then David set out and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”7So David and Abishai went to the army by night; there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay around him.8Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand today; now therefore let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear; I will not strike him twice.”9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?”10David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him down; or his day will come to die; or he will go down into battle and perish.11The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but now take the spear that is at his head, and the water jar, and let us go.”12So David took the spear that was at Saul’s head and the water jar, and they went away. No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on top of a hill far away, with a great distance between them.14David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, saying, “Abner! Will you not answer?” Then Abner replied, “Who are you that calls to the king?”15David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.16This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. See now, where is the king’s spear, or the water jar that was at his head?”
17 Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”18And he added, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands?19Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering; but if it is mortals, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out today from my share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’20Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the ground, away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
21 Then Saul said, “I have done wrong; come back, my son David, for I will never harm you again, because my life was precious in your sight today; I have been a fool, and have made a great mistake.”22David replied, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it.23The Lord rewards everyone for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord gave you into my hand today, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed.24As your life was precious today in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he rescue me from all tribulation.”25Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
New Testament in Four Years - Philippians 1:15-18
1. Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.16These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel;17the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment.18What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
Psalm a Day - Psalm 86
86. Psalm 86
Psalm 86
Supplication for Help against Enemies
A Prayer of David.
1
Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God;3be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all day long.
4
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
6
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my cry of supplication.
7
In the day of my trouble I call on you,
for you will answer me.
8
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9
All the nations you have made shall come
and bow down before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10
For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11
Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
12
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14
O God, the insolent rise up against me;
a band of ruffians seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant;
save the child of your serving girl.
17
Show me a sign of your favor,
so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.