Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.—PROV. 8:34.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
A continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.—In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.—Pray without ceasing.
Psa. 123:2.Exo. 29:42. -Exo. 20:24.Matt. 18:20.John 4:23,24.Eph. 6:18. -I Thes. 5:17.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“The church in thy house.”
Philemon 2
Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round—Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would father’s heart leap for joy, and mother’s eyes fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon’s desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service. His master’s prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon’s house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him partake in the same earnest entreaty.
If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance. As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of his name.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Jeremiah 39
39. The Fall of Jerusalem
The Fall of Jerusalem
39
In the ninth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it;2in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.3When Jerusalem was taken, all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.4When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah.5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and when they had taken him, they brought him up to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him.6The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.7He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon.8The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.9Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard exiled to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained.10Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
Jeremiah, Set Free, Remembers Ebed-melech
11 King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying,12“Take him, look after him well and do him no harm, but deal with him as he may ask you.”13So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon sent14and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan to be brought home. So he stayed with his own people.
15 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guard:16Go and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to fulfill my words against this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be accomplished in your presence on that day.17But I will save you on that day, says the Lord, and you shall not be handed over to those whom you dread.18For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have trusted in me, says the Lord.
New Testament in Four Years - Matthew 8:18-22
8. Jesus as Healer
Would-Be Followers of Jesus
18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.19A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”20And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”21Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”22But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Psalm a Day - Psalm 91
91. Psalm 91
Psalm 91
Assurance of God’s Protection
1
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2
will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
3
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
4
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
6
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8
You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
10
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
11
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
15
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
16
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.