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
Apr 30, 2022, 8:12 AM
Passage Read: Ecclesiastes 3-6
Meditation Verse: 3:14
Thought
What God does, it stands forever. What God says, He says with all generations in mind. His words are true and never need to change, because He sees the beginning from the end. He knows all of mankind from Adam to the last generation to be born on earth. He knows what is true for all men and has recorded that for all mankind, so His Word is trustworthy and true for all generations. Nothing should be taken from it and nothing should be added to what He has said.
Apr 29, 2022, 7:23 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 30 - Ecclesiastes 2
Meditation Verses: Ecclesiastes 2:13-14
Thought
At the end of the first chapter, Solomon said that more wisdom and knowledge bring grief and pain. Wisdom and understanding bring pain because you can see what is true and real, and that it is all temporary and in the end for nothing good but to keep oneself fed and clothed. To be clueless would seem better because you think everything you're doing has great value, though still you eventually leave it to others.
Apr 28, 2022, 8:14 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 26-29
Meditation Verse: 28:9
Thought
If a man is not willing to listen to the Law of the Lord and learn from it, then his ways will be an abomination to the Lord and so will his prayers! Not only are his ways disgusting to God, but the Lord refuses to listen to his prayers because they too disgust Him! That man doesn't know the Lord, doesn't know what the Lord is concerned about, doesn't know what the Lord desires. In fact, that man has no interest in knowing the Lord or living by His instructions; he cares only about what he thinks it's good and right, and of course prays for his priorities, not God's.
Apr 27, 2022, 8:15 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 22-25
Meditation Verse: 22:1
Thought
A man's reputation is more important than his bank account. A good reputation is worth far more than wealth, and the favor that it brings, the trust and the honor that a good reputation bring are more valuable than silver and gold. Men today care more about money than about their reputation. They even think it's a good thing to have a reputation as a hard-driver, as someone driven after wealth and high position.
Apr 26, 2022, 8:16 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 18-21
Meditation Verse: 21:2
Thought
Every man believes he is doing well, he justifies himself, but the Lord knows the truth. There are those who don't even know the Lord, and they will justify themselves, they will think they are good and right in most, if not all, of their doings. Those who read the Bible in humility hopefully have a more accurate estimate of themselves, and those who humbly read their Bible and meet with others to discuss it hopefully have an even more accurate understanding of themselves.
Apr 25, 2022, 8:18 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 14-17
Meditation Verse: 16:19
Thought
Verse 5 says that everyone proud in heart is disgusting to the Lord, and this one says that it is better to be of a humble spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. The verse links wealth with pride and robbing others, but puts contentment together with humility and the appearance of poverty. Those who have their heart set on being rich will make every effort to gain it, even if it means hurting those around them.
Apr 24, 2022, 8:19 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 10-13
Meditation Verse: 13:10
Thought
The wise know how and when to take advice. Because they are wise they should also have good advice to give. The prideful only know how to give advice, but not how to receive it, so they usually stir up argument. They just want to teach, they don't want to learn, and they want to force their opinion on others, because they are more concerned about being perceived as right than about understanding truth.
Apr 23, 2022, 8:20 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 6-9
Meditation Verse: 6:32
Thought
Chapters 6 and 7 both contain strong condemnation for adultery, and the foolish woman of 9 shares characteristics with the adulteress. There are lots of things that mess up a man and ruin his life, including greed and bad friends and bad women. It is alarming to read these chapters and realize how dangerous to a man's soul the wrong woman can be. It is so true, but these days we think we've rewritten relationships so that these truths no longer apply.
Apr 22, 2022, 8:21 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 2-5
Meditation Verse: 3:7
Thought
If I really want to know God and walk in His ways, I need to be careful not to be wise in my own eyes, not to think more highly of my own wisdom and intelligence and ability to avoid sin and foolishness. I need to fear the Lord and believe His definition of evil and turn away from evil. Interesting that: Not only do I need to leave evil behavior, but I need to depart from the presence and haunts of evil. If I want to keep from doing wrong, I need to stay away from places and people who frequently do wrong, who disagree with God's definition of wrong.
Apr 21, 2022, 7:47 AM
Passage Read: Psalm 148 - Proverbs 1
Meditation Verses: Psalm 149:5-9
Thought
The saints at present are subject to the whims of the wicked. The wicked do as they please, they even gain power and rule, and all are subject to them. They make the rules, they dictate right and wrong to the masses, and they get away with their wickedness. But the righteous, the saints have cause to rejoice on their beds, in private away from the crowds, because they have this promise: Though the wicked rule today, the day is coming when the Lord will set the righteous over the wicked and put a sword in the hand of the righteous to execute vengeance and justice, to bind up all those who have hated them and even ruled over them and execute judgment on them.