Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Be not far from me; for trouble is near.—PSA. 22:11.
How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?—Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.—The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.—Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.—Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.—My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Psa. 13:1,2. -Psa. 27:9.Psa. 91:15. -Psa. 145:18,19.John 14:18. -Matt. 28:20.Psa. 46:1. -Psa. 62:1. -Psa. 62:5.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”
Lamentations 3:41
The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favours without constraining us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust. Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer which it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labour of prayer. Prayer plumes the wings of God’s young eaglets, that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer girds the loins of God’s warriors, and sends them forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm. An earnest pleader cometh out of his closet, even as the sun ariseth from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race. Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which routs the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding defeat to the Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. We know not what prayer cannot do! We thank thee, great God, for the mercy-seat, a choice proof of thy marvellous lovingkindness. Help us to use it aright throughout this day!
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 1 Samuel 13
13. Samuel Rebukes Saul
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
13
Saul was . . . years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two years over Israel.
2 Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; the rest of the people he sent home to their tents.3Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba; and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”4When all Israel heard that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines, the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.6When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.7Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away from Saul.9So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the offerings of well-being.” And he offered the burnt offering.10As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived; and Saul went out to meet him and salute him.11Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the people were slipping away from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were mustering at Michmash,12I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord’; so I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”13Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever,14but now your kingdom will not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”15And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal toward Gibeah of Benjamin.
Preparations for Battle
Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped at Michmash.17And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual,18another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the mountain that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “The Hebrews must not make swords or spears for themselves”;20so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, or sickles;21The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.22So on the day of the battle neither sword nor spear was to be found in the possession of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines
23 Now a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash.
New Testament in Four Years - Ephesians 5:3-7
5. Living as Children of Light
Renounce Pagan Ways
3 But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints.4Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving.5Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.7Therefore do not be associated with them.
Psalm a Day - Psalm 77
77. Psalm 77
Psalm 77
God’s Mighty Deeds Recalled
To the leader: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A Psalm.
1
I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3
I think of God, and I moan;
I meditate, and my spirit faints.Selah
4
You keep my eyelids from closing;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5
I consider the days of old,
and remember the years of long ago.
6
I commune with my heart in the night;
I meditate and search my spirit:
7
“Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8
Has his steadfast love ceased forever?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”Selah
10
And I say, “It is my grief
that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11
I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord;
I will remember your wonders of old.
12
I will meditate on all your work,
and muse on your mighty deeds.
13
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14
You are the God who works wonders;
you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.Selah
16
When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
the very deep trembled.
17
The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18
The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19
Your way was through the sea,
your path, through the mighty waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.