Meditate
with a daily devotion
Daily Light's Morning Reading
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.—PROV. 3:9.
He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.—Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister.
I beseech you . . . brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.—The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.—Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
II Cor. 9:6. -I Cor. 16:2.Heb. 6:10.Rom. 12:l. -II Cor. 5:14,15. -I Cor. 10:31.
Spurgeon's Morning Reading
“A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.”
Song of Solomon 1:13
Myrrh may well be chosen as the type of Jesus on account of its preciousness, its perfume, its pleasantness, its healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and its connection with sacrifice. But why is he compared to “a bundle of myrrh”? First, for plenty. He is not a drop of it, he is a casket full. He is not a sprig or flower of it, but a whole bundle. There is enough in Christ for all my necessities; let me not be slow to avail myself of him. Our well-beloved is compared to a “bundle” again, for variety: for there is in Christ not only the one thing needful, but in “him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;” everything needful is in him. Take Jesus in his different characters, and you will see a marvellous variety—Prophet, Priest, King, Husband, Friend, Shepherd. Consider him in his life, death, resurrection, ascension, second advent; view him in his virtue, gentleness, courage, self-denial, love, faithfulness, truth, righteousness—everywhere he is a bundle of preciousness. He is a “bundle of myrrh” for preservation—not loose myrrh to be dropped on the floor or trodden on, but myrrh tied up, myrrh to be stored in a casket. We must value him as our best treasure; we must prize his words and his ordinances; and we must keep our thoughts of him and knowledge of him as under lock and key, lest the devil should steal anything from us. Moreover, Jesus is a “bundle of myrrh” for speciality; the emblem suggests the idea of distinguishing, discriminating grace. From before the foundation of the world, he was set apart for his people; and he gives forth his perfume only to those who understand how to enter into communion with him, to have close dealings with him. Oh! blessed people whom the Lord hath admitted into his secrets, and for whom he sets himself apart. Oh! choice and happy who are thus made to say, “A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.”
Old Testament Chapter a Day - Esther 6
6. Mordecai Honored
The King Honors Mordecai
6
On that night the king could not sleep, and he gave orders to bring the book of records, the annals, and they were read to the king.2It was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus.3Then the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”4The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him.5So the king’s servants told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”6So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?”7So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king wishes to honor,8let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and a horse that the king has ridden, with a royal crown on its head.9Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials; let him robe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him conduct the man on horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.’ ”10Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to the Jew Mordecai who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”11So Haman took the robes and the horse and robed Mordecai and led him riding through the open square of the city, proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor.”
12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.13When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him.”
Haman’s Downfall and Mordecai’s Advancement
14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
New Testament in Four Years - James 2:1-4
2. Favoritism Forbidden
Warning against Partiality
2
My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?2For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in,3and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,”4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
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.