Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.—COL. 1:10.
I beseech you, . . . brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.—As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.—In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.—I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Rom. 12:1,2. -Rom. 6:19. -Gal. 6:15,16.John 15:8. -John 15:16.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“The eternal God is thy refuge.”
Deuteronomy 33:27
The word refuge may be translated “mansion,” or “abiding- place,” which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fulness and sweetness in the metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage, or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel safe: we shut the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are with our God we “fear no evil.” He is our shelter and retreat, our abiding refuge. At home, we take our rest; it is there we find repose after the fatigue and toil of the day. And so our hearts find rest in God, when, wearied with life’s conflict, we turn to him, and our soul dwells at ease. At home, also, we let our hearts loose; we are not afraid of being misunderstood, nor of our words being misconstrued. So when we are with God we can commune freely with him, laying open all our hidden desires; for if the “secret of the Lord is with them that fear him,” the secrets of them that fear him ought to be, and must be, with their Lord. Home, too, is the place of our truest and purest happiness: and it is in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We have joy in him which far surpasses all other joy. It is also for home that we work and labour. The thought of it gives strength to bear the daily burden, and quickens the fingers to perform the task; and in this sense we may also say that God is our home. Love to him strengthens us. We think of him in the person of his dear Son; and a glimpse of the suffering face of the Redeemer constrains us to labour in his cause. We feel that we must work, for we have brethren yet to be saved, and we have our Father’s heart to make glad by bringing home his wandering sons; we would fill with holy mirth the sacred family among whom we dwell. Happy are those who have thus the God of Jacob for their refuge!
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 2 Samuel 12
12. Nathan Rebukes David
1and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.2The rich man had very many flocks and herds;3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him.4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.”5Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die;6he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;8I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more.9Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.11Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun.12For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.”15Then Nathan went to his house.
Bathsheba’s Child Dies
The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill.16David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.17The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.18On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.”19But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”
20 Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshiped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate.21Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child died, you rose and ate food.”22He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’23But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him,25and sent a message by the prophet Nathan; so he named him Jedidiah, because of the Lord.
The Ammonites Crushed
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took the royal city.27Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city.28Now, then, gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; or I myself will take the city, and it will be called by my name.”29So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.30He took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.31He brought out the people who were in it, and set them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
New Testament in Four Years - Philippians 4:14-23
4. Exhortations and Thanks
14In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.15 You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone.16For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once.17Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account.18I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.19And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.20To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings and Benediction
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you.22All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 102:1-11
102. Psalm 102
Psalm 102
Prayer to the Eternal King for Help
A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.
1
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you.
2
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call.
3
For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
4
My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
I am too wasted to eat my bread.
5
Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my skin.
6
I am like an owl of the wilderness,
like a little owl of the waste places.
7
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8
All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9
For I eat ashes like bread,
and mingle tears with my drink,
10
because of your indignation and anger;
for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
11
My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.