Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.—JOHN 13:1.
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.—Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.—A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.—Christ . . . loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
John 17:9,10,15,16.John 15:9. -John 15:13,14. -John 13:34.Phi. 1:6. -Eph. 5:25,26.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Come unto me.”
Matthew 11:28
The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, “Come.” The Jewish law harshly said, “Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt live.” The law was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge; the gospel draws with bands of love. Jesus is the good Shepherd going before his sheep, bidding them follow him, and ever leading them onwards with the sweet word, “Come.” The law repels, the gospel attracts. The law shows the distance which there is between God and man; the gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it.
From the first moment of your spiritual life until you are ushered into glory, the language of Christ to you will be, “Come, come unto me.” As a mother puts out her finger to her little child and woos it to walk by saying, “Come,” even so does Jesus. He will always be ahead of you, bidding you follow him as the soldier follows his captain. He will always go before you to pave your way, and clear your path, and you shall hear his animating voice calling you after him all through life; while in the solemn hour of death, his sweet words with which he shall usher you into the heavenly world shall be—“Come, ye blessed of my Father.”
Nay, further, this is not only Christ’s cry to you, but, if you be a believer, this is your cry to Christ—“Come! come!” You will be longing for his second advent; you will be saying, “Come quickly, even so come Lord Jesus.” You will be panting for nearer and closer communion with him. As his voice to you is “Come,” your response to him will be, “Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone the throne of my heart; reign there without a rival, and consecrate me entirely to thy service.”
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 2 Kings 2
2. Elijah Taken to Heaven
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.3The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.5The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.”11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.14He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
15 When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.16They said to him, “See now, we have fifty strong men among your servants; please let them go and seek your master; it may be that the spirit of the Lord has caught him up and thrown him down on some mountain or into some valley.” He responded, “No, do not send them.”17But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him.18When they came back to him (he had remained at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?”
Elisha Performs Miracles
19 Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.”20He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.21Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.”22So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!”24When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.25From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria.
New Testament in Four Years - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
5. The Coming of the Lord
5
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.3When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!4But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief;5for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.6So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober;
Psalm a Day - Psalm 119:145-160
119. Psalm 119
145
With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord.
I will keep your statutes.
146
I cry to you; save me,
that I may observe your decrees.
147
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I put my hope in your words.
148
My eyes are awake before each watch of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
149
In your steadfast love hear my voice;
O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.
150
Those who persecute me with evil purpose draw near;
they are far from your law.
151
Yet you are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are true.
152
Long ago I learned from your decrees
that you have established them forever.
153
Look on my misery and rescue me,
for I do not forget your law.
154
Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to your promise.
155
Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156
Great is your mercy, O Lord;
give me life according to your justice.
157
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
yet I do not swerve from your decrees.
158
I look at the faithless with disgust,
because they do not keep your commands.
159
Consider how I love your precepts;
preserve my life according to your steadfast love.
160
The sum of your word is truth;
and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.