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
Aug 31, 2024, 9:01 AM
Passage Read: John 9-10
Meditation Verse: 10:10
Thought
The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to bring life to His sheep. Yet not all will believe Him and receive life. Not all are His sheep. Earlier He said He came into the world for judgment, because He is divisive: people either believe in Him or they reject Him. He is a rock of stumbling and a stone of offence. He came to bring life, but many reject His right to rule and to command. Many refuse to believe and obey Him, even though He offers eternal life. The thief's only purpose is to destroy, and that thief can refer to Satan or to any false teacher who cares only about himself.
Aug 30, 2024, 9:02 AM
Passage Read: John 7-8
Meditation Verse: 7:7
Thought
The world doesn't hate those who fit in with them, who follow in its ways. It hates those who call out its sins. The world didn't hate Jesus's brothers because they didn't point out the sins of those around them; instead, they were one with the world, doing what everyone else did and believing what everyone else thought was right and wrong.
Aug 29, 2024, 9:04 AM
Passage Read: John 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:63-65
Thought
The Spirit gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The Spirit alone calls and transforms men, so true salvation is indeed a miracle of God. There are many who admire Jesus or admire His teachings, and they are drawn to Him, but it is only the flesh, and that has no value. Eventually, the fleshly man will become offended and turn back from following Jesus.
Aug 28, 2024, 9:05 AM
Passage Read: John 3-4
Meditation Verses: 4:35-38
Thought
As the disciples once said, "Lord, increase our faith!" Jesus says that the fields are white unto harvest, but I can't see it. Open my eyes, Lord, let me see it. It seems the harvest is long past in this place. Yes, I must go out and seek to reap. The harvest doesn't just show up in the barn, laborers must go out and gather it. So too must I go out and gather it. Whether that's knocking on doors or preaching in a park or some other effort.
Aug 27, 2024, 9:06 AM
Passage Read: John 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:23-25
Thought
A proverb says, "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man, who can find?" Jesus knows what's in the hearts of men. They believe in Him because of the signs and miracles, but who will truly follow Him? Who will listen to Him and do as He commands? While things are good and easy, many will believe in Him. While there is no apparent cost, many will follow Him. But when His teachings become too challenging, most will turn away. In the end, how many of these who "believe in Him" will be crying, "Crucify Him!"?
Aug 26, 2024, 7:19 AM
Passage Read: Luke 23-24
Meditation Verse: 24:47
Thought
"Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations:" this is the Gospel. Not simply believe in Jesus for forgiveness of sins, but repentance for forgiveness, forgiveness which is only possible because of Jesus, His death and resurrection. Forgiveness isn't granted because we believe there is a man accredited from God by miracles and great teachings, by death and resurrection.
Aug 25, 2024, 7:21 AM
Passage Read: Luke 21-22
Meditation Verse: 21:36
Thought
Jesus says this about the hard times that are coming against believers, that we need to pray for strength to endure, to survive, to escape all that is coming on the earth. This is the same thing He told His disciples to pray while in the garden, that they would not fall into temptation, temptation to fight back and defend themselves, that they would not fall before the temptation to deny Jesus.
Aug 24, 2024, 7:22 AM
Passage Read: Luke 19-20
Meditation Verses: 19:14,27
Thought
Jesus tells this parable to those who expect the kingdom of God to be established at this visit to Jerusalem. It will not be set up at this time, not as a physical kingdom. But everything Jesus is doing and will accomplish at Jerusalem is part of the process of Him petitioning to receive the kingdom. After His death and resurrection, He'll go away to obtain the kingdom, then return at a later date, having received authority to reign. Those servants of His are commissioned and expected to do business with His property, funds that He gives them, and be ready to give an account when He returns.
Aug 23, 2024, 7:24 AM
Passage Read: Luke 17-18
Meditation Verses: 18:22-25
Thought
Jesus asked what seems impossible and unreasonable of this man, to go from being rich to selling everything, leaving everything behind to follow Him. And the man decided he couldn't do it. Why did Jesus require so much of him? Think of what he could do for others if he kept not only his wealth but his means of making that wealth? But Jesus not only didn't care about that, He implies that the man could not be saved without giving up everything! Is that true only of that one man or of so many of us as well?
Aug 22, 2024, 7:25 AM
Passage Read: Luke 15-16
Meditation Verses: 15:2-5
Thought
The Pharisees have nothing but contempt for Jesus. They look at the "rabble" that He welcomes and they condemn Him. They are disgusted that sinful people are seeking Jesus and finding mercy. They are disgusted because they're not like them who have perfected the art of dressing and acting like perfect people. So they belittle them by calling them sinners, because that is what they were; and in calling them sinners, they make Jesus look like an unholy man, like one who condones sin and probably participates in it.