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
Oct 31, 2025, 3:33 PM
Passage Read: Philippians 3-4
Meditation Verses: 3:10-12
Thought
Paul knows that salvation is by faith alone. He just said he considered all those things that made him the ideal Jew, righteous by his own pedigree and efforts, rubbish in order to gain Christ and obtain from Him the righteousness gifted by God. Yet here, just a few verses later, he almost sounds like he hasn't yet obtained salvation and must still pursue it.
Oct 30, 2025, 9:37 AM
Passage Read: Philippians 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:20-21
Thought
Paul praises Timothy as a higher example of what he just called the Philippians to do and be. He called them to a humility that considers others better and that looks out for the interests of others as well as for their own. That's already a tough but amazing challenge. But then he calls them to pattern their humility after Christ's, who went further, who gave up all claim to Himself and submitted Himself to the Father as a slave, a servant without rights over Himself.
Oct 29, 2025, 6:48 AM
Passage Read: Ephesians 5-6
Meditation Verses: 5:5-7
Thought
Immorality, impurity, greed, anyone who practices these things in any of their forms, has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. They will not be saved. So Paul has simple and clear instructions: Avoid all these things, be as far from them as possible, so that there's not even a hint of them among the believers!
Oct 28, 2025, 7:46 AM
Passage Read: Ephesians 3-4
Meditation Verses: 4:24-27
Thought
The new self is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. For me to put it on means that I must no longer conceal any truth, but walk in honesty and genuineness, especially with other believers because we are members of one body. Paul follows that up with this instruction not to sin in my anger.
Oct 27, 2025, 6:41 AM
Passage Read: Ephesians 1-2
Meditation Verses: 1:18-20
Thought
Paul's prayer is always instructive. His desire for these believers and therefore me and every other believer he might know of is that we know the hope to which we have been called, the riches of God's glorious inheritance in us saints, and His incredible power for us who believe. He goes on about the power, that it is the same power that brought Jesus back from the dead and raised Him to the highest place at God's right hand!
Oct 26, 2025, 8:15 AM
Passage Read: Galatians 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:13-15
Thought
These people who think a man must be circumcised in order to be saved don't understand what they're talking about! They are picking and choosing what commands of the Old Testament they should obey, instead of recognizing that the Law is an all-or-nothing proposition. Either you obey all of it or else you're condemned.
Oct 25, 2025, 9:10 AM
Passage Read: Galatians 3-4
Meditation Verse: 4:9
Thought
It is interesting how Paul corrects himself: "Now that you know God--or rather are known by God." It is not so much that he said something wrong--we have come to know God as compared to before when we knew nothing about God until someone shared the Gospel with us and we heard about God and believed in His Son, and were adopted into His family. We were formerly slaves, not really knowing our Master.
Oct 24, 2025, 6:53 AM
Passage Read: Galatians 1-2
Meditation Verse: 2:6
Thought
Paul is speaking about the original apostles and the current leaders of the earliest church, people who were in Christ long before him, people whom he once tried to persecute. They are significant and they should have the best understanding of the Gospel and all is implications for life in this world. But the Gospel did not originate with them, though they were the first to receive it and become proclaimers of it.
Oct 23, 2025, 6:52 AM
Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 12-13
Meditation Verse: 12:6
Thought
Paul could boast about all the Lord has shown him and taught him, and it would be impressive and true! But he doesn't want what was shown him to enamor people; he doesn't want people to judge him for what he has seen. He wants people to judge him by what he says and does. Does he speak truth? Does he live by the same?
Oct 22, 2025, 2:02 PM
Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 10-11
Meditation Verses: 10:4-6
Thought
Paul doesn't list the weapons or explain what they are, but only describes their power and effectiveness. They are spiritual weapons rather than physical weapons, clearly. He doesn't whip people or beat them. But he speaks truth to them and explains God's commands, purposes and ways to them. He rebukes them and calls the church to cut off fellowship from the unrepentant.