Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Evening Reading
Jehovah-shalom: (The Lord send peace.)—JUDG. 6:24.
Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
Behold, a greater than Solomon is here.—Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.—My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; when it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
He is our peace.—This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.
I Chr. 22:9.Matt. 12:42. -Isa. 9:6. -Isa. 32:18,19.Eph. 2:14. -Mic. 5:5.Rev. 17:14.John 14:27.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“It is time to seek the Lord.”
Hosea 10:12
This month of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio, which signifies to open, because all the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year. Reader, if you are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal awakening of nature, be opened to receive the Lord. Every blossoming flower warns you that it is time to seek the Lord; be not out of tune with nature, but let your heart bud and bloom with holy desires. Do you tell me that the warm blood of youth leaps in your veins? then, I entreat you, give your vigour to the Lord. It was my unspeakable happiness to be called in early youth, and I could fain praise the Lord every day for it. Salvation is priceless, let it come when it may, but oh! an early salvation has a double value in it. Young men and maidens, since you may perish ere you reach your prime, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Ye who feel the first signs of decay, quicken your pace: that hollow cough, that hectic flush, are warnings which you must not trifle with; with you it is indeed time to seek the Lord. Did I observe a little grey mingled with your once luxurious tresses? Years are stealing on apace, and death is drawing nearer by hasty marches, let each return of spring arouse you to set your house in order. Dear reader, if you are now advanced in life, let me entreat and implore you to delay no longer. There is a day of grace for you now—be thankful for that, but it is a limited season and grows shorter every time that clock ticks. Here in this silent chamber, on this first night of another month, I speak to you as best I can by paper and ink, and from my inmost soul, as God’s servant, I lay before you this warning, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Slight not that work, it may be your last call from destruction, the final syllable from the lip of grace.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Exodus 7
7. The Plague of Blood
7
The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.2You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.4When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.5The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”6Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Miraculous Rod
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a wonder,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.’ ”10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.11Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts.12Each one threw down his staff, and they became snakes; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up theirs.13Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.15Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; stand by at the river bank to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake.16Say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness.” But until now you have not listened.17Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord.” See, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall be turned to blood.18The fish in the river shall die, the river itself shall stink, and the Egyptians shall be unable to drink water from the Nile.’ ”19The Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, and its ponds, and all its pools of water—so that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ”
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and of his officials he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the river, and all the water in the river was turned into blood,21and the fish in the river died. The river stank so that the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout the whole land of Egypt.22But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.24And all the Egyptians had to dig along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the river.
25 Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.
New Testament in Four Years - Romans 12:1-2
12. Living Sacrifices
The New Life in Christ
12
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 68:19-35
68. Psalm 68
19
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation.Selah
20
Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21
But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of those who walk in their guilty ways.
22
The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23
so that you may bathe your feet in blood,
so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe.”
24
Your solemn processions are seen, O God,
the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25
the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them girls playing tambourines:
26
“Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27
There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in a body,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28
Summon your might, O God;
show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before.
29
Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings bear gifts to you.
30
Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample under foot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31
Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
let Ethiopia hasten to stretch out its hands to God.
32
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
sing praises to the Lord,Selah
33
O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34
Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel;
and whose power is in the skies.
35
Awesome is God in his sanctuary,
the God of Israel;
he gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!