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
Jun 10, 2023, 10:29 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 32-35
Meditation Verses: 33:18-20
Thought
The Israelites wanted people to be established as either wicked or good, with no possibility of change. That was far easier than having to continually evaluate people to determine if they were evil or good. That was especially good for those determined to be good, because then they could carry on however they like in the assurance that they would be safe. They could also have those who were evil without ever having to worry about forgiveness.
Jun 9, 2023, 10:30 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 28-31
Meditation Verses: 31:10-12
Thought
It doesn't matter how powerful a nation may become, how great it may be on the earth. It is still subject to the Lord and expected to honor Him. The nation or people who become proud, thinking they made themselves and they alone rule over the nations, they are doomed to destruction. This is why every great empire collapses, because the do not acknowledge God, they do not humble themselves before the Lord of all Creation.
Jun 8, 2023, 10:31 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 24-27
Meditation Verses: 24:13-14
Thought
Judah refused to be cleansed of their impurity, their sin, but God would not give up on the nation. He would pour out His wrath on them until they were finally cleansed. They resisted and refused to repent and change their ways, but He would have His way. Sadly it would require them to endure the fullness of His wrath. But once He finished His wrath, they would then be cleansed of their wickedness and impurity.
Jun 7, 2023, 10:32 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 20-23
Meditation Verse: 20:49
Thought
No matter how clearly Ezekiel preaches, no matter how clearly the Lord prophesies through him, the people have a ready excuse to protect themselves from the Lord's message: He's just speaking parables! That way no one can know for sure what he means! Everyone can obscure the meaning of Ezekiel's message. The Lord's message is not unclear. He speaks clearly, but we deliberately confuse the message so we think we have an excuse for not obeying.
Jun 6, 2023, 10:33 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 16-19
Meditation Verse: 16:63
Thought
When God makes His atonement for our sins, it shouldn't result in pride and arrogance. That's what happened at the beginning, when God first chose Israel, they became prideful because they had been chosen by the Lord. They thought they were something great, and so sought attention from all kinds of other gods; they became unfaithful to the Lord because they thought it was because of themselves that the Lord chose them.
Jun 5, 2023, 10:35 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 12-15
Meditation Verse: 13:22
Thought
There are workers of magic and lies that actually cause grief to the righteous and encourage the wicked not to turn from their wicked ways. They cause grief surely because they encourage people to remain in their sin, but also perhaps because they cause the righteous to second guess his beliefs and faith. The righteous are grieved by the magic symbols that are sold to the foolish; he knows they are useless and only deceive the foolish, ensuring his downfall.
Jun 4, 2023, 10:37 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 8-11
Meditation Verses: 9:9-10
Thought
"The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see" was the excuse the Israelites gave for seeking other gods. But the truth was that they had sought other gods first, which caused the Lord to withdraw His protection and blessing. He didn't forsake the land, but sent prophets to warn them and call them to repentance, but they refused. He saw everything they were doing, and it only provoked Him all the more.
Jun 3, 2023, 10:38 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 4-7
Meditation Verse: 6:9
Thought
God is grieved by our adulterous hearts, which turn away from Him, and our eyes, which lust after idols. He is jealous and heartbroken that we find Him lacking and unattractive, though He has given everything we have to us. He takes care of all our need, gives us life and blesses us with your things, yet we bow to the things of this world, whether actual idols or other things we treasure: stuff, money, position, power, whatever.
Jun 2, 2023, 10:39 AM
Passage Read: Lamentations 5 - Ezekiel 3
Meditation Verse: Ezekiel 3:27
Thought
Ezekiel wasn't made responsible for the response of the people, but he was responsible for his response to the Lord. He was supposed to speak what the Lord told him, but he wasn't responsible for whether the people listened or not. He was only responsible to speak to whomever the Lord directed and say whatever the Lord commanded. Interesting that at one point, he is overwhelmed by the Lord's own anger and bitterness.
Jun 1, 2023, 10:41 AM
Passage Read: Lamentations 1-4
Meditation Verses: 3:19-23
Thought
These latter two verses are very famous and recited for comfort, but the context makes them even more tragic. In the midst of his affliction and the tragedy of the overthrow of Judah and Jerusalem, Jeremiah recognizes that the reason there is a tiny remnant left is because of the Lord's great love and His compassion that is new every morning. This is not the victory that it first seems, but recognition that despite the wickedness with which they have provoked the Lord, a remnant of Israel survives because of the Lord's compassion.
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