Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.—ZECH. 4:6.
Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.—Born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
My Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.—The battle is not yours, but God's.
The Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's.
Isa. 40:13.I Cor. 1:27-29.John 3:8. -John 1:13.Hag. 2:5. -II Chr. 20:15.I Sam. 17:47.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10
A backslider, if there be a spark of life left in him will groan after restoration. In this renewal the same exercise of grace is required as at our conversion. We needed repentance then; we certainly need it now. We wanted faith that we might come to Christ at first; only the like grace can bring us to Jesus now. We wanted a word from the Most High, a word from the lip of the loving One, to end our fears then; we shall soon discover, when under a sense of present sin, that we need it now. No man can be renewed without as real and true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as ever they were. Let thy personal weakness, O Christian, be an argument to make thee pray earnestly to thy God for help. Remember, David when he felt himself to be powerless, did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hastened to the mercy-seat with “renew a right spirit within me.” Let not the doctrine that you, unaided, can do nothing, make you sleep; but let it be a goad in your side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel’s strong Helper. O that you may have grace to plead with God, as though you pleaded for your very life—“Lord, renew a right spirit within me.” He who sincerely prays to God to do this, will prove his honesty by using the means through which God works. Be much in prayer; live much upon the Word of God; kill the lusts which have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin. The Lord has his own appointed ways; sit by the wayside and you will be ready when he passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances which will foster and nourish your dying graces; and, knowing that all the power must proceed from him, cease not to cry, “Renew a right spirit within me.”
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 2 Samuel 2
2. David Anointed King
David Anointed King of Judah
2
After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” The Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” He said, “To Hebron.”2So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.3David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household; and they settled in the towns of Hebron.4Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, “It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”5David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord, and buried him!6Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I too will reward you because you have done this thing.7Therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Ishbaal King of Israel
8 But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.9He made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel.10Ishbaal, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
The Battle of Gibeon
12 Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.13Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool.14Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us.” Joab said, “Let them come forward.”15So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.16Each grasped his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.17The battle was very fierce that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.19Asahel pursued Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he followed him.20Then Abner looked back and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” He answered, “Yes, it is.”21Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.22Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me; why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I show my face to your brother Joab?”23But he refused to turn away. So Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there, and died where he lay. And all those who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.25The Benjaminites rallied around Abner and formed a single band; they took their stand on the top of a hill.26Then Abner called to Joab, “Is the sword to keep devouring forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you order your people to turn from the pursuit of their kinsmen?”27Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, the people would have continued to pursue their kinsmen, not stopping until morning.”28Joab sounded the trumpet and all the people stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or engaged in battle any further.
29 Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and, marching the whole forenoon, they came to Mahanaim.30Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel.31But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin three hundred sixty of Abner’s men.32They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
New Testament in Four Years - Philippians 2:14-18
2. Imitating Christ's Humility
14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing,15so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.16It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.17But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you—18and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 92
92. Psalm 92
Psalm 92
Thanksgiving for Vindication
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath Day.
1
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
3
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
4
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5
How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
6
The dullard cannot know,
the stupid cannot understand this:
7
though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever,
8
but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
9
For your enemies, O Lord,
for your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
10
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
11
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
15
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.