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Daily Light's Morning Reading
Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.—PSA. 40:17.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.—In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.—Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy maker?
I am with thee to deliver thee.—Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.—Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
Psa. 37:23,24. -Prov. 14:26. -Isa. 51:12,13.Jer. 1:8. -Deut. 31:6.Psa. 59:16. -Psa. 32:7.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham.”
Zephaniah 1:5
Such persons thought themselves safe because they were with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God, and hypocrisy his soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart is with the world and the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run with the hounds, is a dastard’s policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double- minded man is despised, but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree. The penalty pronounced in the verse before us is terrible, but it is well deserved; for how should divine justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his heart?
My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty of double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of Jesus—dost thou truly love him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of the family of old Father Honest, or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends? A name to live is of little value if I be indeed dead in trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the sea of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence there is no room for another god; if, then, he reigns in my heart, there will be no space for another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified, and live alone for him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set upon so doing? If so, blessed be the mighty grace which has led me to salvation; and if not so, O Lord, pardon my sad offence, and unite my heart to fear thy name.
Old Testament Chapter a Day - 2 Samuel 16
16. David and Ziba
David’s Adversaries
16
When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred of summer fruits, and one skin of wine.2The king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who faint in the wilderness.”3The king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “He remains in Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’ ”4Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” Ziba said, “I do obeisance; let me find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
Shimei Curses David
5 When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out whose name was Shimei son of Gera; he came out cursing.6He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; now all the people and all the warriors were on his right and on his left.7Shimei shouted while he cursed, “Out! Out! Murderer! Scoundrel!8The Lord has avenged on all of you the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, disaster has overtaken you; for you are a man of blood.”
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.”10But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”11David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him.12It may be that the Lord will look on my distress, and the Lord will repay me with good for this cursing of me today.”13So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, throwing stones and flinging dust at him.14The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary at the Jordan; and there he refreshed himself.
The Counsel of Ahithophel
15 Now Absalom and all the Israelites came to Jerusalem; Ahithophel was with him.16When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”17Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?”18Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but the one whom the Lord and this people and all the Israelites have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain.19Moreover, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? Just as I have served your father, so I will serve you.”
20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your counsel; what shall we do?”21Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, the ones he has left to look after the house; and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”22So they pitched a tent for Absalom upon the roof; and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.23Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the oracle of God; so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.
New Testament in Four Years - Colossians 1:18-20
1. Supremacy of Christ
18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.Psalm a Day - Psalm 104:19-35
104. Psalm 104
19
You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
20
You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the animals of the forest come creeping out.
21
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22
When the sun rises, they withdraw
and lie down in their dens.
23
People go out to their work
and to their labor until the evening.
24
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
creeping things innumerable are there,
living things both small and great.
26
There go the ships,
and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
27
These all look to you
to give them their food in due season;
28
when you give to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
30
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the ground.
31
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord!