Personal Devotions
Notes from Mark's personal Bible reading and meditation
With a goal to apply one truth from each day's reading to my life that day
May 21, 2026, 9:53 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 10-13
Meditation Verse: 10:29
Thought
Doing things God's way is like a mighty fortress to those who do so, but to those who delight in doing wrong, God's ways bring disaster. Those who trust God's wisdom so as to obey it will find it is the safest way to live. God will guard him and bless him and use adversity to store up treasure for him.
May 20, 2026, 7:22 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 6-9
Meditation Verses: 9:7-9
Thought
The Gospel is for the lost, but according to these verses, there is a kind of wicked man that the wise do not bother to rebuke. The scoffer is wise in his own eyes, wiser than all those who know God's wisdom. He doesn't merely ignore reproof, he mocks and insults those who reprove him.
May 19, 2026, 7:49 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 2-5
Meditation Verses: 5:21-23
Thought
We give too much credit to sin and Satan and the world and even God. God doesn't have to do us harm, we bring it on ourselves! Satan and sin and the world don't have to haunt us and pester us and trick us and attack us, we do just fine on our own! We choose to do evil or give in to our own wrong desires, and we bring consequences on ourselves.
May 18, 2026, 7:26 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 148 - Proverbs 1
Meditation Verses: Proverbs 1:23-26
Thought
It is not good to ignore wisdom when she calls out fools for their folly, when she raises her reproof, when she offers correction and instruction. She desires to help and will gladly pour out her wisdom and give guidance. But if she is spurned, if she is rejected, if she is ignored, she will in turn laugh at the calamity that befalls such fools.
May 17, 2026, 7:40 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 144-147
Meditation Verse: 145:5
Thought
It is important to meditate daily on God's glorious splendor and His mighty works. God is always glorious and the mighty acts He has done remain forever. Meditating on them gives me reason to praise Him daily, no matter what my life at present looks like, because He and His deeds remain unchanged.
May 16, 2026, 8:45 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 140-143
Meditation Verses: 140:1-4
Thought
There are wicked men who seek to do evil, who look for opportunities to do violence. And there are evil men who are evil just because they don't know God, but they aren't looking to attack or harm anyone. They keep mostly to themselves; they don't go out of their way to hurt others.
May 15, 2026, 7:06 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 136-139
Meditation Verse: 138:6
Thought
Though the Lord is exalted above all men and angels and all of creation, though there is no one higher, yet the Lord looks upon the lowly. Though He is the highest, yet He has little regard for the haughty, for those who think and act like they're something important or powerful or great. He truly is the greatest, but any man who thinks he is great is a fool who knows nothing. He takes on himself a status he doesn't deserve.
May 14, 2026, 7:10 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 132-135
Meditation Verse: 133:1
Thought
This is actually the whole point of the Law, in particular the case laws and the moral laws. They all teach or give examples how to love our neighbor as ourselves, which would produce a unity among brothers and neighbors far and near. When everyone worships, fears and follows the same directives from God, then all are on the same page, actually living in love for one another.
May 13, 2026, 7:12 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 128-131
Meditation Verses: 131:1-3
Thought
What a picture and what a challenge! Like a weaned child rests against his mother, so David has composed and quieted his soul within him. A young child resting against his mother is a peaceful image indeed. He hasn't a single care in the world. He knows nothing of the rigors, worries or cares of the adult world. He's completely at peace, nothing to worry about, resting against his mother.
May 12, 2026, 7:34 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 124-127
Meditation Verses: 124:2-4
Thought
The enemies Israel usually faced and feared were other nations, neighbors who were stronger than them and opposed them, usually when they had sinned against the Lord. They were material, physical, life-threatening problems. There were also their spiritual enemies. Satan incited David to number the people.