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 30, 2026, 8:03 AM
Passage Read: Lamentations 1-4
Meditation Verses: 3:62-66
Thought
Jeremiah has suffered so much in the Lord's service, so much that it seemed like God completely ignored him and his pleas, even while continuing to give him messages for the people. The more he preached, the more he was hated and the more the people schemed against him and attacked him.
Jun 29, 2026, 7:45 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 49-52
Meditation Verses: 51:5-6
Thought
The Lord is a God of vengeance! He is faithful to His people--even when He determined to punish them for their sin against Him! His punishment of His people is meant to bring them to repentance and restore them to faithful obedience and honor. Or to remove from their midst those who cause the rest to stumble.
Jun 28, 2026, 7:19 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 45-48
Meditation Verses: 45:3-5
Thought
Baruch is among those in the last days of Judah to have a promise of protection because of their faith in and service for God. He probably didn't understand what it would cost him to become Jeremiah's scribe, but he found out. It wasn't wrong for him to grieve, especially when God's only comfort was that he would survive despite the destruction around him.
Jun 27, 2026, 7:37 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 41-44
Meditation Verses: 42:5-6
Thought
These people sound so devoted and faithful, but they have been worshiping other gods in violation of the Lord's commands. They speak as if they trust that whatever message Jeremiah brings back to them is indeed the Lord's Word. "Whatever God says through you we'll do, whether it's pleasant or not!"
Jun 26, 2026, 8:23 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 37-40
Meditation Verses: 38:17-20
Thought
Zedekiah could have saved Jerusalem, if only he trusted Jeremiah, if only he believed the Lord was speaking through Jeremiah. But he was afraid that things would go badly for him if he gave himself up. He was more afraid for his personal safety than he cared what was best for the city and its people.
Jun 25, 2026, 7:57 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 33-36
Meditation Verses: 36:23-24
Thought
This is the worst possible response to the Word of God, to fear nothing of what He says. To have the audacity to ignore it, or worse, to carve it up and throw it into the fire. To have such contempt of God so as to fearlessly cast aside anything He says. Fear is key to a right response.
Jun 24, 2026, 7:03 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 29-32
Meditation Verses: 32:24-25
Thought
The city is surrounded and about to be overthrown. All the people of Judah will be driven out and exiled, yet God calls Jeremiah to buy a piece of land from his uncle. Jeremiah is a prisoner in the court of the guard! The whole situation is as crazy as can be! Jeremiah will never get to take possession of the property.
Jun 23, 2026, 7:39 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 25-28
Meditation Verses: 27:14-15
Thought
The false teachers and prophets don't care about the people, they only care about themselves. They tell the people what they want to hear, for rewards from the people, for fame and recognition, at the impulse of their own sinful hearts or the inciting of demonic powers. They are not sent by the Lord, though they claim to be; they are inspired by those who want the Lord to act against His chosen people.
Jun 22, 2026, 5:04 PM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 21-24
Meditation Verses: 23:21-22
Thought
There are no lack of teachers and prophets who love to speak and teach the people, but not all of them actually spend time in the counsel of the Lord. They speak from their own ideas and from their own understanding, instead of spending time with God in His Word.
Jun 21, 2026, 7:36 AM
Passage Read: Jeremiah 17-20
Meditation Verses: 20:6-9
Thought
What was Pashhur the priest prophesying? Obviously, it wasn't what Jeremiah was preaching. Pashhur had Jeremiah arrested and put in stocks for his preaching, so Pashhur didn't like the message of judgement and the call for repentance. As Jeremiah himself says, every time he opened his mouth, it was only violence and destruction. His preaching has only brought him shame and derision. He's a laughingstock, mocked and hated by everyone.