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Daily Light's Evening Reading
Yet a little while, (Gr. how little, how little,) and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.—HEB. 10:37.
Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence.—Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.—Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”
Mark 16:16
Mr. MacDonald asked the inhabitants of the island of St. Kilda how a man must be saved. An old man replied, “We shall be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God.” “Yes,” said a middle-aged female, “and with a true heart too.” “Aye,” rejoined a third, “and with prayer”; and, added a fourth, “It must be the prayer of the heart.” “And we must be diligent too,” said a fifth, “in keeping the commandments.” Thus, each having contributed his mite, feeling that a very decent creed had been made up, they all looked and listened for the preacher’s approbation, but they had aroused his deepest pity. The carnal mind always maps out for itself a way in which self can work and become great, but the Lord’s way is quite the reverse. Believing and being baptized are no matters of merit to be gloried in—they are so simple that boasting is excluded, and free grace bears the palm. It may be that the reader is unsaved—what is the reason? Do you think the way of salvation as laid down in the text to be dubious? How can that be when God has pledged his own word for its certainty? Do you think it too easy? Why, then, do you not attend to it? Its ease leaves those without excuse who neglect it. To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely upon Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the converted ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion. The outward sign saves not, but it sets forth to us our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord’s Supper, is not to be neglected. Reader, do you believe in Jesus? Then, dear friend, dismiss your fears, you shall be saved. Are you still an unbeliever, then remember there is but one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 1 Samuel 7
7. Samuel Subdues Philistines
1And the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord, and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated his son, Eleazar, to have charge of the ark of the Lord.
2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
Samuel as Judge
3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”4So Israel put away the Baals and the Astartes, and they served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”6So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and said, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines.8The people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, and pray that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”9So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.10As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the Lord thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel.11And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as beyond Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”13So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.14The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.16He went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all these places.17Then he would come back to Ramah, for his home was there; he administered justice there to Israel, and built there an altar to the Lord.
New Testament in Four Years - Ephesians 4:1-6
4. Unity in the Body of Christ
Unity in the Body of Christ
4
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,5one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 71
71. Psalm 71
Psalm 71
Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
1
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
3
Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress, to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6
Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.
7
I have been like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8
My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all day long.
9
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10
For my enemies speak concerning me,
and those who watch for my life consult together.
11
They say, “Pursue and seize that person
whom God has forsaken,
for there is no one to deliver.”
12
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
13
Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
let those who seek to hurt me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14
But I will hope continually,
and will praise you yet more and more.
15
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all day long,
though their number is past my knowledge.
16
I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17
O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.
Your power19and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21
You will increase my honor,
and comfort me once again.
22
I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23
My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.
24
All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,
for those who tried to do me harm
have been put to shame, and disgraced.