Devotions from July 2022

Passage Read: Haggai 1 - Zechariah 2 Meditation Verses: Haggai 2:3-4 We are pretty self-absorbed. We put ourselves first, thinking that if we don't first make provision for ourselves, we won't be able to serve the Lord. But the Lord says otherwise. He afflicts our…

Passage Read: Zechariah 3-6 Meditation Verse: 3:9 In one day the Lord will remove iniquity from the land! That sounds a lot like Jesus' sacrifice, or His return. Like Joshua having his filthy clothes replaced by God with clean clothes, so Jesus' death and resurrection…

Passage Read: Zechariah 7-10 Meditation Verses: 8:14-17 In the past, Israel and Judah provoked the Lord to wrath, and He drove them out of their land because they had polluted their good land by their sins. But now He has determined to do them good,…

Passage Read: Zechariah 11-14 Meditation Verses: 11:8-10 What a tragic illustration! Yet how many fellowships fall into this same pattern? The leaders don't care about the needs of the flock, but only for how they can profit from it. The sheep become so entrenched in…

Passage Read: Malachi 1-4 Meditation Verses: 2:5-7 Fearing God brings obedience to His Word, obedience to His Word puts true instruction in the mouth, true instruction in the mouth brings many to repentance. Knowing God requires fearing God, fearing God moves one to know His…

Passage Read: Matthew 1-2 Meditation Verse: 1:6 Solomon was born of Uriah's wife, and this phrasing reminds me that this marriage was one of great sin. The first child of their union was conceived of adultery, and the Lord took his life as punishment on…

Passage Read: Matthew 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:17 Jesus preached the exact same message as John: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near." It was what all the prophets had preached right up to their days, and Jesus' disciples preached the same thing: "Repent…

Passage Read: Matthew 5-6 Meditation Verse: 6:30 If God so clothes the grass of the field with beautiful flowers, can I not believe that He will take care of me and my needs? Can I not trust that He will provide what I need, even…

Passage Read: Matthew 7-8 Meditation Verse: 8:32 Jesus didn't just let these pigs be killed, He destroyed these people's livelihood! Obviously, He knew what he was doing and what affect it would have on the people. He saved the men who were possessed by the…

Passage Read: Matthew 9-10 Meditation Verses: 10:21-22 Jesus didn't make following Him sound very peaceful and joyous, but hard and grievous. We shouldn't be surprised when men hate us! Instead, we should be concerned when we're loved and praised! But if that's the case, then…

Passage Read: Matthew 11-12 Meditation Verses: 12:41-42 There are those who are believing Jesus, many of whom are actually repenting and learning to do good. But there are still many more who refuse to believe. The repentant know that these words are not spoken against…

Passage Read: Matthew 13-14 Meditation Verses: 14:13-14 As much as Jesus wanted to get away by Himself to pray and work through His grief at the death of John, He allowed compassion for the crowd to lead Him. When He went off to seek solitude…

Passage Read: Matthew 15-16 Meditation Verses: 15:5-9 The problem with the Pharisees and scribes wasn't that they were so careful to keep the Law of the Lord, but that they were so crafty in coming to with ways to "keep" the Law without keeping it.

Passage Read: Matthew 17-18 Meditation Verse: 18:7 "It is necessary that offenses come." God isn't interested in protecting us from sin or temptation, but that we endure and stand firm against them. As much as I never want to be tempted again, as much as…

Passage Read: Matthew 19-20 Meditation Verses: 20:13-15 This parable is sandwiched between two others that teach that those who serve more are rewarded more, so this cannot mean that ultimately everyone will be rewarded the same, regardless of how much they labor for the Lord.

Passage Read: Matthew 21-22 Meditation Verses: 21:45-46 The chief priests and Pharisees knew Jesus was speaking against them, but instead of listening to the rebuke and being convicted, they made plans to entrap Jesus, discredit Him and even kill Him. That is not the response…

Passage Read: Matthew 23-24 Meditation Verses: 24:48-51 It is not good to be responsible for people, but then act only for yourself, especially in the Lord's church. The one who should be feeding and caring for the welfare of others, if he gives up on…

Passage Read: Matthew 25-26 Meditation Verses: 26:31-34 Jesus warned that they all would be offended in Jesus and fall away that night, yet He also spoke of meeting them in Galilee. It was a discouraging word, but followed by a hopeful word. But instead of…

Passage Read: Matthew 27-28 Meditation Verses: 28:19-20 Jesus said here clearly that all nations were to be discipled, not just the Jews. He was already announcing the Gospel was to include even Gentiles. The Jews, by and large, had rejected Him in dramatic fashion, crucifying…

Passage Read: Mark 1-2 Meditation Verse: 2:27 The Sabbath was made for the benefit of man, not for his harm, not to bind him, but to free him. It was to be a day free from work, a day to rest, to stay home and…

Passage Read: Mark 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:37 A great storm came up on the sea, such that even the fishermen among them feared for their lives. But when they woke Jesus and He calmed the storm, He rebuked them for their lack of faith. What…

Passage Read: Mark 5-6 Meditation Verses: 6:50-52 Jesus is literally claiming to be God as He approaches the disciples in their boat. And the disciples marvel greatly because, according to Mark, they didn't understand the miracle of the loaves. What is the connection between the…

Passage Read: Mark 7-8 Meditation Verse: 8:17 How often do I not understand because I have hardened my heart? Jesus is constantly teaching me through His Word, but am I listening? Am I willing to hear? There are things hidden because I'm not ready to…

Passage Read: Mark 9-10 Meditation Verses: 10:49-52 This is the last miracle Jesus does for a person before His crucifixion, except for healing the ear that Peter cuts off. This is the last request for healing anyone makes, and it is a blind man regaining…

Passage Read: Mark 11-12 Meditation Verses: 12:43-44 It is not the amount of money that we give to the Lord that matters to Him, but the cost to us that matters to Him. To give out of our abundance costs us nothing and requires no…

Passage Read: Mark 13-14 Meditation Verses: 13:12-13 Blood relatives are not the safest people to be around, but only those who truly believe in Christ. When persecution begins there will be pressure on all people to betray Christians. There will be false believers who care…

Passage Read: Mark 15-16 Meditation Verse: 15:10 Though Pilate didn't believe and was not necessarily a lover of Truth, still he recognized envy when he saw it. He knew it was because of envy that the religious leaders had handed over Jesus. He even tried…

Passage Read: Luke 1-2 Meditation Verse: 1:15 John was filled with the Spirit from his mother's womb, so that when Mary came with Jesus in her womb, John leaped with joy within his mother. Yet we hear nothing more of John until he comes in…

Passage Read: Luke 3-4 Meditation Verse: 3:18 John preached the Gospel to the people. He preached repentance. He preached that those who came to him needed to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. He preached that repentance meant a change of behavior, including especially contentment.

Passage Read: Luke 5-6 Meditation Verse: 6:17 There are three kinds of people here, all eager to learn from Jesus. There is the Twelve, whom He just appointed apostles from the rest of His disciples. There is also the crowd of His disciples, those who…

Passage Read: Luke 7-8 Meditation Verses: 8:47-48 She knew that if she only touched the hem of His garment, she would be healed. And it was so. Jesus called her out and confirmed that her faith had made her well. Power went out from Him,…