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
Jul 31, 2022, 8:21 AM
Passage Read: Luke 7-8
Meditation Verses: 8:47-48
Thought
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, but it was the result of her faith. How much does healing depend on the faith of the one to be healed, and how much on the will of God? There are many who presume on God and get nothing, but there are also those who trust in the Lord's power and kindness, and are healed.
Jul 30, 2022, 8:22 AM
Passage Read: Luke 5-6
Meditation Verse: 6:17
Thought
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 were not chosen as apostles, but who spent much time following Him. And there were the rest of the people, a great multitude, who came to hear Him and to be healed of diseases. So there are at least three groups of learners: the inner circle of disciples, the larger crowd of disciples and the rest of the hearers.
Jul 29, 2022, 8:23 AM
Passage Read: Luke 3-4
Meditation Verse: 3:18
Thought
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. He preached that there was another coming after him who would be far greater than him, and they needed to make ready to receive Him. He would baptize them, as a sign that they were washing away their sin by trusting in God's provision for their cleansing and living out that newly cleansed likeness.
Jul 28, 2022, 8:24 AM
Passage Read: Luke 1-2
Meditation Verse: 1:15
Thought
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 preparation for the Lord. He didn't speak in tongues or do any amazing miracles, but lived in the wilderness, learning from the Lord, waiting for the day when he was sent to start and fulfill his mission.
Jul 27, 2022, 7:16 AM
Passage Read: Mark 15-16
Meditation Verse: 15:10
Thought
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 to release Jesus, if for no other reason than to annoy the Jewish leaders, perhaps even to rebuke them for their duplicity. Unbelievers are not necessarily fools. They are not blind to the ways of men.
Jul 26, 2022, 7:17 AM
Passage Read: Mark 13-14
Meditation Verses: 13:12-13
Thought
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 more for their own lives than for their fellow Christians, and they will betray them to those seeking their lives. Family members, perhaps even also appearing to be believers, perhaps not, will also betray their own flesh and blood in order to save their own lives.
Jul 25, 2022, 7:18 AM
Passage Read: Mark 11-12
Meditation Verses: 12:43-44
Thought
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 faith in Him. But to give what we need to live on, that requires faith in God, that He will indeed supply our need in spite of us giving away what we needed. This widow gave all she had, so either she still has some food at home and knew that she could get more money somehow, or she knew someone would provide what she needed to live.
Jul 24, 2022, 7:19 AM
Passage Read: Mark 9-10
Meditation Verses: 10:49-52
Thought
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 his sight. Jesus knows He's on His way to His death, but no one else understands that, not even His disciples, whom He's warned three times. He's on His way to His execution, but here's one last person who wants help.
Jul 23, 2022, 7:20 AM
Passage Read: Mark 7-8
Meditation Verse: 8:17
Thought
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 understand them, I'm not mature enough, I haven't practiced enough to be ready to receive greater understanding. But how often do I refuse to hear a message, because of my hardened heart?
Jul 22, 2022, 7:22 AM
Passage Read: Mark 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:50-52
Thought
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 two? How would understanding the miracle of the loaves cause them to marvel less at Jesus walking on the water? They were involved with the bread, they had passed it out. They should have seen the baskets filling or never running out.