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Daily Light's Morning Reading
The Lord reigneth.—PSA. 99:1.
Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?—Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.—Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled.
If God be for us, who can be against us?—Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Jer. 5:22. -Psa. 75:6,7.Dan. 2:21. -Matt. 24:6.Rom. 8:31. -Matt. 10:29-31.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.”
Haggai 1:9
Churlish souls stint their contributions to the ministry and missionary operations, and call such saving good economy; little do they dream that they are thus impoverishing themselves. Their excuse is that they must care for their own families, and they forget that to neglect the house of God is the sure way to bring ruin upon their own houses. Our God has a method in providence by which he can succeed our endeavours beyond our expectation, or can defeat our plans to our confusion and dismay; by a turn of his hand he can steer our vessel in a profitable channel, or run it aground in poverty and bankruptcy. It is the teaching of Scripture that the Lord enriches the liberal and leaves the miserly to find out that withholding tendeth to poverty. In a very wide sphere of observation, I have noticed that the most generous Christians of my acquaintance have been always the most happy, and almost invariably the most prosperous. I have seen the liberal giver rise to wealth of which he never dreamed; and I have as often seen the mean, ungenerous churl descend to poverty by the very parsimony by which he thought to rise. Men trust good stewards with larger and larger sums, and so it frequently is with the Lord; he gives by cartloads to those who give by bushels. Where wealth is not bestowed the Lord makes the little much by the contentment which the sanctified heart feels in a portion of which the tithe has been dedicated to the Lord. Selfishness looks first at home, but godliness seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, yet in the long run selfishness is loss, and godliness is great gain. It needs faith to act towards our God with an open hand, but surely he deserves it of us; and all that we can do is a very poor acknowledgment of our amazing indebtedness to his goodness.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Jeremiah 33
33. Promise of Restoration
Healing after Punishment
33
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard:2Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name:3Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.4For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and before the sword:5The Chaldeans are coming in to fight and to fill them with the dead bodies of those whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness.6I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.7I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first.8I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.9And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
10 Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, “It is a waste without human beings or animals,” in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard11the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:
“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
for the Lord is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!”
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.
12 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without human beings or animals, and in all its towns there shall again be pasture for shepherds resting their flocks.13In the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.
The Righteous Branch and the Covenant with David
14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.15In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.16In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”
17 For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,18and the levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to make grain offerings, and to make sacrifices for all time.
19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:20Thus says the Lord: If any of you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their appointed time,21only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken, so that he would not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with my ministers the Levites.22Just as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will increase the offspring of my servant David, and the Levites who minister to me.
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:24Have you not observed how these people say, “The two families that the Lord chose have been rejected by him,” and how they hold my people in such contempt that they no longer regard them as a nation?25Thus says the Lord: Only if I had not established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven and earth,26would I reject the offspring of Jacob and of my servant David and not choose any of his descendants as rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes, and will have mercy upon them.
New Testament in Four Years - Matthew 7:15-23
7. Sermon on the Mount
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.16You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?17In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Concerning Self-Deception
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’23Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’
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.