Be Not Negligent – Stepping in the Light

“And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.” II Chronicles 29:5, 10-11

When Hezekiah became the king, he immediately began to seek the Lord. In the very first month of his reign, he began to repair the house of the Lord, which had been neglected for many years. He called together the Levites and charged them with cleansing the temple and preparing for the daily sacrifices to be made again. Hezekiah commanded the Levites, “Be not now negligent.” God had given very specific responsibilities to the Levites concerning the service of the temple, and these responsibilities had been neglected for many years.

Neglect is something that will cause a Christian to backslide. Just like the daily duties of the temple had to be attended to, our relationship with God needs constant care. Spending time in prayer and Bible reading each day will help us to walk closer with the Lord, and intentionally keeping godly and good thoughts in our minds throughout the day strengthens us spiritually. When we let these things slip, we immediately begin to drift away from God.

Morning: II Chronicles 28-29

Evening: John 17

About This Site

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

If you were to find yourself walking down a path in the dark of night with only an old-fashioned lantern to light the way, you wouldn’t be able to see very far ahead. You would be able to see just enough of the pathway to know which direction to take your next step and enough of the ground to choose the best place for your feet. When it comes to our daily lives, God’s Word is a lot like that lantern. It will not show us the whole path at once, but it is exactly what we need to help us decide how to take the next step.

The Bible is our source of spiritual light, and if we consistently seek God’s direction as we read from its pages, we will always have enough light for our next step along the pathway of life. It is then that we are, in the words of an old gospel song, “stepping in the light.”

The goal of this devotional guide is to encourage you to spend time in the Word of God each day. Reading the passages listed at the bottom of the page will take you all the way through the Bible in one year. The devotional thought for each day is taken from a text within that day’s reading, so even that small daily portion of reading will take you on a journey through God’s Word. It is my prayer that this guide would help you to walk closer to the Lord and that you will find yourself taking each step in the light of His Word.