Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Evening Reading
What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee?—I SAM. 3:17.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?—To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good.
As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for The just shall live by faith. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.
Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.
Mic. 6:8. -Deut. 10:13.Gal. 3:10,11,19.Heb. 1:1,2.I Sam. 3:9.
Spurgeon's Evening Reading
“He had married an Ethiopian woman.”
Numbers 12:1
Strange choice of Moses, but how much more strange the choice of him who is a prophet like unto Moses, and greater than he! Our Lord, who is fair as the lily, has entered into marriage union with one who confesses herself to be black, because the sun has looked upon her. It is the wonder of angels that the love of Jesus should be set upon poor, lost, guilty men. Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus’ love, be also overwhelmed with astonishment that such love should be lavished on an object so utterly unworthy of it. Knowing as we do our secret guiltiness, unfaithfulness, and black-heartedness, we are dissolved in grateful admiration of the matchless freeness and sovereignty of grace. Jesus must have found the cause of his love in his own heart, he could not have found it in us, for it is not there. Even since our conversion we have been black, though grace has made us comely. Holy Rutherford said of himself what we must each subscribe to—“His relation to me is, that I am sick, and he is the Physician of whom I stand in need. Alas! how often I play fast and loose with Christ! He bindeth, I loose; he buildeth, I cast down; I quarrel with Christ, and he agreeth with me twenty times a day!” Most tender and faithful Husband of our souls, pursue thy gracious work of conforming us to thine image, till thou shalt present even us poor Ethiopians unto thyself, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Moses met with opposition because of his marriage, and both himself and his spouse were the subjects of an evil eye. Can we wonder if this vain world opposes Jesus and his spouse, and especially when great sinners are converted? for this is ever the Pharisee’s ground of objection, “This man receiveth sinners.” Still is the old cause of quarrel revived, “Because he had married an Ethiopian woman.”
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 1 Samuel 8
8. Israel Asks for a King
Israel Demands a King
8
When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.3Yet his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,5and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.”6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord,7and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.8Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you.9Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
10 So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.11He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots;12and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers.15He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.16He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work.17He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
Israel’s Request for a King Granted
19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us,20so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”21When Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord.22The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and set a king over them.” Samuel then said to the people of Israel, “Each of you return home.”
New Testament in Four Years - Ephesians 4:7-13
4. Unity in the Body of Christ
7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.8Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.”
9 (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?10He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 72
72. Psalm 72
Psalm 72
Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
Of Solomon.
1
Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
8
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9
May his foes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
11
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
12
For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
13
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
15
Long may he live!
May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.
16
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field.
17
May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
may they pronounce him happy.
18
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
20
The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.