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 21, 2022, 7:23 AM
Passage Read: Mark 3-4
Meditation Verse: 4:37
Thought
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 did He expect? He expected them to trust in the Lord who said they were to go to the other side. He expected them to trust in the Lord who still had work to do and would not perish until that work was done. They should have no fear of death as long as He was with them.
Jul 20, 2022, 7:24 AM
Passage Read: Mark 1-2
Meditation Verse: 2:27
Thought
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 relax and enjoy all that God has provided. Not a day to do evil, but a day to do good, to enjoy friends and neighbors and family. The scribes and scholars turned it into a burdensome thing. What God made for good, men distorted into something hard.
Jul 19, 2022, 8:41 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 27-28
Meditation Verses: 28:19-20
Thought
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 Him. There would yet be many Jews who believed, but His own people had publicly cast Him out and crucified Him, so the Gospel was now free to go to the Gentiles too. There is no people who are not to hear it; there is no people who are not to be discipled and taught to obey all Jesus commanded.
Jul 18, 2022, 8:42 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 25-26
Meditation Verses: 26:31-34
Thought
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 hearing, accepting and processing what Jesus said, which was an important warning, Peter specifically was actually offended by Jesus' word! He protested instead of hearing what Jesus said and making preparations.
Jul 17, 2022, 8:43 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 23-24
Meditation Verses: 24:48-51
Thought
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 the Lord, stops fearing Him and starts doing whatever he wishes, especially taking advantage and abusing those entrusted to him, he will lose his salvation when the Lord comes. He will not be counted among the saved, but the damned.
Jul 16, 2022, 8:44 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 21-22
Meditation Verses: 21:45-46
Thought
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 of humility. Humility recognizes it has failings and weaknesses, and carefully considers any accusation against it. If there is truth to the accusation, it makes corrections; if by chance there is no truth whatsoever, then it remains confident in its pursuit of obedience to Christ.
Jul 15, 2022, 8:46 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 19-20
Meditation Verses: 20:13-15
Thought
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. This must be talking about entry into the kingdom, which is a great reward, because regardless of how much the workers have labored, they all receive a day's wage. The warning is for those who invest more of themselves into serving the Lord not to be jealous of those who gain entry into heaven at the last minute, without having labored at all.
Jul 14, 2022, 8:47 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 17-18
Meditation Verse: 18:7
Thought
"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 I want to be free from temptation, the best I can hope for is that the temptations I face will be within my strength to resist. Offenses must come, to test my faith, to test my obedience, to strengthen both. But as my faith and obedience grow, so too do the power of those temptations, so it seems always that the temptations are as strong as ever. And as tiring, exhausting as ever.
Jul 13, 2022, 8:48 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 15-16
Meditation Verses: 15:5-9
Thought
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. They spent so much time debating what God meant and desired that they completely lost sight of what God wanted from them! They made up new rules and interpretations that completely undermined God's actual commands and intent!
Jul 12, 2022, 8:50 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 13-14
Meditation Verses: 14:13-14
Thought
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 and found the crowd waiting for Him, He had pity on them and healed their sick. They didn't understand what He was feeling, but only understood their own desperation for healing. He chose pity and put off getting alone with His Father, satisfying the pleadings of the people and more before taking time for Himself.
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