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Daily Light's Evening Reading
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.—EPH. 5:14.
It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.—Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.—Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord.
Rom. 13:11. -I Thes. 5:6-8.Isa. 60:1,2.I Pet. 1:13. -Luke 12:35,36.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“Ye serve the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:24
To what choice order of officials was this word spoken? To kings who proudly boast a right divine? Ah, no! too often do they serve themselves or Satan, and forget the God whose sufferance permits them to wear their mimic majesty for their little hour. Speaks then the apostle to those so-called “right reverend fathers in God,” the bishops, or “the venerable the archdeacons”? No, indeed, Paul knew nothing of these mere inventions of man. Not even to pastors and teachers, or to the wealthy and esteemed among believers, was this word spoken, but to servants, aye, and to slaves. Among the toiling multitudes, the journeymen, the day labourers, the domestic servants, the drudges of the kitchen, the apostle found, as we find still, some of the Lord’s chosen, and to them he says, “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” This saying ennobles the weary routine of earthly employments, and sheds a halo around the most humble occupations. To wash feet may be servile, but to wash his feet is royal work. To unloose the shoe-latchet is poor employ, but to unloose the great Master’s shoe is a princely privilege. The shop, the barn, the scullery, and the smithy become temples when men and women do all to the glory of God! Then “divine service” is not a thing of a few hours and a few places, but all life becomes holiness unto the Lord, and every place and thing, as consecrated as the tabernacle and its golden candlestick.
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“Teach me, my God and King, in all things thee to see; And what I do in anything to do it as to thee. All may of thee partake, nothing can be so mean, Which with this tincture, for thy sake, will not grow bright and clean. A servant with this clause makes drudgery divine; Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws, makes that and the action fine.” |
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 1 Kings 19
19. Lord Appears to Elijah
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
19
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”3Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.”5Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.”6He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.7The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”8He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.9At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
Elijah Meets God at Horeb
11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”14He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”15Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill.18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elisha Becomes Elijah’s Disciple
19 So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him.20He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”21He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
New Testament in Four Years - 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
3. Timothy's Encouraging Report
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.12And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.13And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 119:65-80
119. Psalm 119
65
You have dealt well with your servant,
O Lord, according to your word.
66
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
67
Before I was humbled I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
68
You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
69
The arrogant smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your precepts.
70
Their hearts are fat and gross,
but I delight in your law.
71
It is good for me that I was humbled,
so that I might learn your statutes.
72
The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
73
Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word.
75
I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right,
and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.
76
Let your steadfast love become my comfort
according to your promise to your servant.
77
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my delight.
78
Let the arrogant be put to shame,
because they have subverted me with guile;
as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
79
Let those who fear you turn to me,
so that they may know your decrees.
80
May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
so that I may not be put to shame.