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
Jan 31, 2026, 9:13 AM
Passage Read: Joshua 14-17
Meditation Verse: 17:16
Thought
Eighty-five-year-old Caleb is chomping at the bit to take Hebron and its surrounding villages, even though the rulers there are the descendants of Anak. He's not afraid of them, but still holds firmly his faith in the power of God to enable him to succeed in claiming the land promised to him. The sons of Joseph come to Joshua to complain that their portion is too small for the size of their tribes and the Canaanites have iron chariots.
Jan 30, 2026, 6:50 AM
Passage Read: Joshua 10-13
Meditation Verse: 11:20
Thought
This is an interesting tidbit inserted into the narrative at this point. The Lord honored the vow the elders made with Gibeon, even though they didn't consult Him first. When Achan took things that were forbidden, the Lord ceased to bless and accompany Israel in battle, so they were defeated.
Jan 29, 2026, 6:55 AM
Passage Read: Joshua 6-9
Meditation Verse: 6:18
Thought
Joshua knew and announced before the battle that if anyone took anything under the ban, that the whole nation would be accursed and they would bring trouble on everyone. So when they went up to Ai and were defeated, he should have known right then and there that someone had sinned.
Jan 28, 2026, 7:08 AM
Passage Read: Joshua 2-5
Meditation Verses: 4:23-24
Thought
If you lack rain and you pray to your god for rain and it comes, is that coincidence or the hand of your god? The Lord God of course can control the rain, whether it comes in season or out of season, or is withheld altogether. But He does even greater things than that, things which cannot be confused with happenstance.
Jan 27, 2026, 8:49 AM
Passage Read: Deuteronomy 32 - Joshua 1
Meditation Verses: Joshua 1:7-8
Thought
There are two paths to success. One is to trust in the Lord and diligently learn from Him to do His will, then He will grant success. The other is to work as hard as possible to overcome all the challenges in the way, to carve a path to success by our own strength and wisdom. God promises success to the one who does the first, and success would be to accomplish all that God lays on our hearts.
Jan 26, 2026, 8:46 AM
Passage Read: Deuteronomy 28-31
Meditation Verses: 29:24-26
Thought
The Word of God and all He requires of His people, none of it is difficult to understand. The people won't turn away from God because they didn't understand what He asked of them. They'll turn away because they found a god who did not require anything significant from them.
Jan 25, 2026, 9:30 AM
Passage Read: Deuteronomy 24-27
Meditation Verse: 24:16
Thought
If this is what God declares in His Law, then this is also how God Himself operates. That means no man dies for Adam's sin but Adam alone. I die for my sin and Adam dies for his. The concept of original sin can only mean that Adam's sin was the first, and I sin in his likeness. It cannot mean that I deserve death because Adam sinned.
Jan 24, 2026, 8:35 AM
Passage Read: Deuteronomy 20-23
Meditation Verse: 20:1
Thought
There is no condition on this, only that they go out to war, for whatever reason. They are not to be afraid because the Lord is with them. But if they have sin or some indecency, they will not enjoy the Lord's blessing on their efforts. They need to clear up any problem. But otherwise, they should not be afraid to face their enemies because the Lord is with them.
Jan 23, 2026, 3:35 PM
Passage Read: Deuteronomy 16-19
Meditation Verses: 17:11-12
Thought
When a judge or priest makes a ruling, the one whose case is being judged must obey. If he does not, he is to be put to death, even if his original judgment didn't require death. He has committed a new crime, worthy of death, by refusing the judge's judgment. The judge is supposed to explain the law that was broken and the reason for the verdict given, then the one judged must obey.
Jan 22, 2026, 6:56 AM
Passage Read: Deuteronomy 12-15
Meditation Verses: 13:6-9
Thought
This requires such loyalty and devotion to the Lord, to be so jealous for the Lord that you would be the first to throw a stone at your child or wife or dearest friend to kill them. This is what it means to love the Lord with all your heart, and this reveals who you love most, who is your god.