Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.—GAL. 6:2.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who . . . took upon him the form of a servant.—Even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.—He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
When Jesus . . . saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.—Jesus wept.—Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Phi. 2:4,5,7. -Mark 10:45. -II Cor. 5:15.John 11:33. -John 11:35. -Rom. 12:15.I Pet. 3:8,9.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.”
Ruth 1:14
Both of them had an affection for Naomi, and therefore set out with her upon her return to the land of Judah. But the hour of test came; Naomi most unselfishly set before each of them the trials which awaited them, and bade them if they cared for ease and comfort to return to their Moabitish friends. At first both of them declared that they would cast in their lot with the Lord’s people; but upon still further consideration Orpah with much grief and a respectful kiss left her mother in law, and her people, and her God, and went back to her idolatrous friends, while Ruth with all her heart gave herself up to the God of her mother in law. It is one thing to love the ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to cleave to them under all discouragements and difficulties. The kiss of outward profession is very cheap and easy, but the practical cleaving to the Lord, which must show itself in holy decision for truth and holiness, is not so small a matter. How stands the case with us, is our heart fixed upon Jesus, is the sacrifice bound with cords to the horns of the altar? Have we counted the cost, and are we solemnly ready to suffer all worldly loss for the Master’s sake? The after gain will be an abundant recompense, for Egypt’s treasures are not to be compared with the glory to be revealed. Orpah is heard of no more; in glorious ease and idolatrous pleasure her life melts into the gloom of death; but Ruth lives in history and in heaven, for grace has placed her in the noble line whence sprung the King of kings. Blessed among women shall those be who for Christ’s sake can renounce all; but forgotten and worse than forgotten shall those be who in the hour of temptation do violence to conscience and turn back unto the world. O that this morning we may not be content with the form of devotion, which may be no better than Orpah’s kiss, but may the Holy Spirit work in us a cleaving of our whole heart to our Lord Jesus.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 2 Kings 1
1. Lord's Judgment on Ahaziah
Elijah Denounces Ahaziah
1
After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay injured; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.”3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’4Now therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah went.
5 The messengers returned to the king, who said to them, “Why have you returned?”6They answered him, “There came a man to meet us, who said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him: Thus says the Lord: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but shall surely die.’ ”7He said to them, “What sort of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?”8They answered him, “A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ”10But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He went up and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order: Come down quickly!”12But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. So the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight.14Look, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.”15Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he set out and went down with him to the king,16and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron,—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.”
Death of Ahaziah
17 So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. His brother, Jehoram succeeded him as king in the second year of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?
New Testament in Four Years - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
4. Living to Please God
A Life Pleasing to God
4
Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more.2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication;4that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor,5not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;6that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.7For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.8Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another;10and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more,11to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you,12so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.
The Coming of the Lord
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.15For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died.16For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 119:129-144
119. Psalm 119
129
Your decrees are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
130
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
131
With open mouth I pant,
because I long for your commandments.
132
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your custom toward those who love your name.
133
Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
134
Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
135
Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136
My eyes shed streams of tears
because your law is not kept.
137
You are righteous, O Lord,
and your judgments are right.
138
You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
and in all faithfulness.
139
My zeal consumes me
because my foes forget your words.
140
Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
141
I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your law is the truth.
143
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
but your commandments are my delight.
144
Your decrees are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live.