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 9, 2024, 7:11 AM
Passage Read: Hosea 12 - Joel 1
Meditation Verses: Hosea 14:1-4
Thought
This is what repentance looks like: Turning away from our own wisdom and ways, and coming back to the Lord; coming to the Lord and asking for cleansing from sin and that He would receive us, so that we could bring to Him what He deserves, the fruit of our lips, not just words but actions consistent with what we say; confessing that it is the Lord alone that saves, that no other power that we once turned to can deliver us or show mercy to us like the Lord can.
Jul 8, 2024, 7:13 AM
Passage Read: Hosea 8-11
Meditation Verses: 11:1-5
Thought
This hits home. I am not the first father to experience this, nor will I be the last. Even God has endured the rejection of His sons. When they were young, He loved them and called them out of Egypt, out of the world. He taught them to walk, trained them, provided for them, carried them in His arms, healed them, but they didn't know it, they forgot it, it didn't register with them.
Jul 7, 2024, 7:14 AM
Passage Read: Hosea 4-7
Meditation Verses: 7:13-14
Thought
Ephraim is destroyed for lack of knowledge. When God desires to heal them, their sin is uncovered. To them, it is all like a game: Say the magic words when things get tough, offer the right sacrifices when trouble comes, and God will fix things, God will restore blessing. Ephraim would like God to bless them, but they speak lies against Him.
Jul 6, 2024, 7:16 AM
Passage Read: Daniel 12 - Hosea 3
Meditation Verses: Hosea 2:8-15
Thought
Those whom the Lord loves, He rebukes and disciplines. He loves Israel but Israel keeps going after other gods, ignoring His commands and His ways, and pursuing those who grant her every wish and fulfill her every want. She thinks it is her lovers who provide all her riches and wealth and comfort, but it is the Lord, her Husband and Maker.
Jul 5, 2024, 7:17 AM
Passage Read: Daniel 8-11
Meditation Verses: 9:26-27
Thought
This prophecy came in the first year of Darius, so the command to rebuild the temple hadn't come yet, not to rebuild the city. But both city and sanctuary are mentioned in this prophecy, telling Daniel and all who read it that the city and temple would surely be rebuilt, just as it came to be. But then it sounds like a future ruler of foreigners will come and destroy city and temple, and stop the sacrifices and set up the abomination of desolation.
Jul 4, 2024, 7:19 AM
Passage Read: Daniel 4-7
Meditation Verses: 6:20-23
Thought
Daniel had so distinguished himself that Darius had so much respect for him, even caring about him. Darius tried to put off sentencing Daniel, and when he couldn't put it off any longer, he regretfully cast Daniel into the lion's den, saying, "Your God will deliver you." Daniel, for his part, made no defense or argument, apparently at complete peace with what was happening, trusting fully in God's deliverance or ready to depart and be with His Lord.
Jul 3, 2024, 7:20 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 48 - Daniel 3
Meditation Verse: Daniel 3:28
Thought
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego weren't trying to be rebellious and agitators, but only trying to be personally faithful to God. They could not worship any god or idol, in obedience to the Lord, to worship Him alone. It was because others pointed them out, dragged them before the king that they became known. When questioned by the king, they freely confessed their reason for refusing to bow to the king's image, and accepted humbly the consequence of their disobedience.
Jul 2, 2024, 6:57 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 44-47
Meditation Verses: 44:23-24
Thought
So the priests will teach the people to obey the Law of Moses in all is points, including the laws of cleanness and uncleanness. Whenever there is a dispute, they will judge the people according to all God's laws and statutes. So the Law with be the law of the land of Israel, and if this really points to the millennial reign of Christ, then the Law will likely be the law of all lands. The Law has never been done away with and is still God's standard of righteousness on earth, and will continue to be.
Jul 1, 2024, 6:58 AM
Passage Read: Ezekiel 40-43
Meditation Verses: 43:6-11
Thought
A voice comes from the temple with a man standing beside Ezekiel, saying that this is His dwelling place forever among the Israelites. The Israelites are to remove the dead bodies of their kings from near Him when they die, which implies that this temple must yet be during the reign of Christ, when there are people who can die living on the earth. Is it the Father speaking, on behalf of His Son? Is it the Son standing beside Ezekiel?
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