Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
O God, my heart is fixed.—PSA. 108:1.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.—He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.—In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Psa. 27:1.Isa. 26:3. -Psa. 112:7,8.Psa. 56:3. -Psa. 27:5,6.I Pet. 5:10,11.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“I will love them freely.”
Hosea 14:4
This sentence is a body of divinity in miniature. He who understands its meaning is a theologian, and he who can dive into its fulness is a true master in Israel. It is a condensation of the glorious message of salvation which was delivered to us in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. The sense hinges upon the word “freely.” This is the glorious, the suitable, the divine way by which love streams from heaven to earth, a spontaneous love flowing forth to those who neither deserved it, purchased it, nor sought after it. It is, indeed, the only way in which God can love such as we are. The text is a death-blow to all sorts of fitness: “I will love them freely.” Now, if there were any fitness necessary in us, then he would not love us freely; at least, this would be a mitigation and a drawback to the freeness of it. But it stands, “I will love you freely.” We complain, “Lord, my heart is so hard.” “I will love you freely.” “But I do not feel my need of Christ as I could wish.” “I will not love you because you feel your need; I will love you freely.” “But I do not feel that softening of spirit which I could desire.” Remember, the softening of spirit is not a condition, for there are no conditions; the covenant of grace has no conditionality whatever; so that we without any fitness may venture upon the promise of God which was made to us in Christ Jesus, when he said, “He that believeth on him is not condemned.” It is blessed to know that the grace of God is free to us at all times, without preparation, without fitness, without money, and without price! “I will love them freely.” These words invite backsliders to return: indeed, the text was specially written for such—“I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely.” Backslider! surely the generosity of the promise will at once break your heart, and you will return, and seek your injured Father’s face.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 1 Samuel 24
24. David Spares Saul's Life
David Spares Saul’s Life
24
When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.”2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to look for David and his men in the direction of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.3He came to the sheepfolds beside the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.4The men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” Then David went and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak.5Afterward David was stricken to the heart because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak.6He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to raise my hand against him; for he is the Lord’s anointed.”7So David scolded his men severely and did not permit them to attack Saul. Then Saul got up and left the cave, and went on his way.
8 Afterwards David also rose up and went out of the cave and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.9David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of those who say, ‘David seeks to do you harm’?10This very day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hand in the cave; and some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not raise my hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.’11See, my father, see the corner of your cloak in my hand; for by the fact that I cut off the corner of your cloak, and did not kill you, you may know for certain that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you are hunting me to take my life.12May the Lord judge between me and you! May the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.13As the ancient proverb says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you.14Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A single flea?15May the Lord therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it, and plead my cause, and vindicate me against you.”
16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Saul lifted up his voice and wept.17He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.18Today you have explained how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands.19For who has ever found an enemy, and sent the enemy safely away? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.20Now I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.21Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not wipe out my name from my father’s house.”22So David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home; but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
New Testament in Four Years - Philippians 1:7-11
1. Thanksgiving and Prayer
7It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.9And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight10to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless,11having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.Psalm a Day - Psalm 84
84. Psalm 84
Psalm 84
The Joy of Worship in the Temple
To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
2
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
3
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
4
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.Selah
5
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
7
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
8
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!Selah
9
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
10
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
12
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.