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
Feb 28, 2023, 8:07 AM
Passage Read: Esther 3-6
Meditation Verse: 6:13
Thought
Suddenly all Haman's advisors recognize that Mordecai is of Jewish origin? Didn't they know that from the beginning? Why now do they suddenly recognize Haman can't win? It's almost like they meant to help his downfall! They should have warned him from the beginning. Did they hope they could defeat the Jews, and at this point recognize there is no chance? They are poor counselors indeed, or treacherous.
Feb 27, 2023, 8:08 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 12 - Esther 2
Meditation Verse: Nehemiah 13:22
Thought
It's interesting that Nehemiah is concerned about God remembering his good works on behalf of the Lord and His people. He was truly concerned about honoring the Lord and making sure His people walked in His ways. He was very forceful, but not necessarily wrong. We could really use some stronger representatives of God. Bolder and more direct.
Feb 26, 2023, 8:09 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 8-11
Meditation Verses: 9:34-38
Thought
The leaders of the people here acknowledge that they are all slaves in their own land, though the Jews in Jesus' day will declare that they have never been slaves of anyone! This generation acknowledges that they are ruled by a foreign king, and that the bulk of their produce goes to their foreign rulers. And it is because their forefathers sinned by failing to obey the Law of the Lord. So this day they rededicate themselves to submit to and carry out the words of the Law.
Feb 25, 2023, 8:11 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 4-7
Meditation Verse: 6:14
Thought
It is sad that these foreign leaders who cared nothing about the welfare of the Jews would be able to hire prophets from among the Jews to intimidate one who was seeking to do good to the people. It is sad that there were spiritual people, prophets, who were willing to be used by others to frustrate a work that was beneficial to the people. It is a reminder that not all who claim to know God actually do.
Feb 24, 2023, 8:12 AM
Passage Read: Ezra 10 - Nehemiah 3
Meditation Verse: Ezra 10:1
Thought
Both Ezra and Nehemiah found people who were willing to support and cooperate with the burden God impressed on both of them. Ezra was mourning over the sins of his people, and as he wept and humbled himself others gathered around him to join him. They were willing to change their ways, to repent and make the required changes. They were willing to support Ezra in leading this reform, though they had no ideas how best to go about it.
Feb 23, 2023, 8:14 AM
Passage Read: Ezra 6-9
Meditation Verses: 9:13-14
Thought
Ezra says they are in difficult circumstances, though now they have been returned to their own land. They have been released from exile and permitted to return to their ancestral homes, which is very good. But other books indicate that they cannot make ends meet, they are selling their children and themselves into slavery and borrowing heavily to make ends meet. What they are able to earn, a significant portion disappears before they make it home.
Feb 22, 2023, 8:15 AM
Passage Read: Ezra 2-5
Meditation Verses: 4:1-4
Thought
It is great that these Samaritans wanted to help rebuild the temple, because they had been worshiping what they understood to be God from early on after their deportation to Israel. However, they also worshiped all their original gods and the priests that were sent to instruct them about Israel's God very likely were those who thought God was worshiped by a golden calf. They didn't know God, though they wanted to worship Him.
Feb 21, 2023, 7:05 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 34 - Ezra 1
Meditation Verse: 2 Chronicles 34:21
Thought
Just from reading the Book of the Law, Josiah understood that the Lord was exceedingly angry at Israel. He sent for confirmation from the Lord and received it, along with a reprieve because he was humble and responsive to the Law, and ashamed at the faithlessness of the Lord's people. He was so moved and convicted by what he read that he wept over the sins of the people, their ignorance and his own.
Feb 20, 2023, 7:07 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 30-33
Meditation Verse: 32:1
Thought
Hezekiah promised the people of Israel that whoever turned to the Lord and joined their Passover celebration, the Lord would cause the captors of their brothers and sons to show them favor and let them return to their homes. That was a big promise he hopefully received from the Lord. But there's no record I'm aware of that that happened. In fact, instead of wonderful things happening to the people because they returned to the Lord, the Assyrians now came against them.
Feb 19, 2023, 7:08 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 26-29
Meditation Verse: 29:34
Thought
Had the priests lost faith? During Ahaz's reign, they were driven out and the people turned against them, worshiping other gods. If they were loyal to the Lord, they had nothing to do but tend their lands. Did they think this revival was going to be small or only temporary, so that many didn't bother to prepare themselves? Were they discouraged or did they just get caught up in their own fields and labors?