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
Mar 22, 2026, 8:59 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 34 - Ezra 1
Meditation Verses: 2 Chronicles 34:1-3
Thought
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, so there were certainly counselors behind him who really ran the kingdom. But these counselors must have been from the latter part of Manasseh's reign, men who honored the Lord, because by sixteen, Josiah determined to seek the Lord, unlike his own father.
Mar 21, 2026, 9:27 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 30-33
Meditation Verses: 32:22-26
Thought
Hezekiah experienced some great things from the Lord, specifically deliverance from the Assyrians and personal healing with a miraculous sign. After all his faithfulness, he seems to have lost sight of the cause of his blessing: the God he promoted! He didn't thank the Lord.
Mar 20, 2026, 9:05 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 26-29
Meditation Verse: 28:19
Thought
God humbled Judah because Ahaz had brought about a lack of restraint and was very unfaithful to the Lord. That seems like an understatement. There was certainly a lack of restraint in terms of worshiping other gods. But there was likely also a lack of restraint in many other areas, in moral areas.
Mar 19, 2026, 7:24 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 22-25
Meditation Verses: 25:14-16
Thought
Amaziah listened to the Lord and released the men of Israel that he had hired for his battle against Edom. God promised him success if he listened to him, and because he obeyed and trusted the Lord would make up the lost money, he succeeded. But as he was away at war, the men he released plundered some of his unguarded cities.
Mar 18, 2026, 7:10 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 18-21
Meditation Verses: 19:9-10
Thought
Jesus said to not judge by appearances but to make right judgments. Jehoshaphat's instructions to his judges are helpful in understanding what Jesus meant. Judgment that pleases God is to give warning to brothers and sisters to protect them from sinning against the Lord, incurring His wrath and heaping up guilt before Him.
Mar 17, 2026, 9:32 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 14-17
Meditation Verses: 17:9-12
Thought
Most people think the way to attain peace and security is to work heard to collect things that will make you feel secure. But Jehoshaphat sent his officials and the priests to teach the Law of the Lord throughout the land, and the Lord responded by causing all the nations around Israel to fear Him.
Mar 16, 2026, 6:54 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 10-13
Meditation Verse: 12:14
Thought
This one sentence explains so much! Rehoboam did evil because he didn't set his heart to seek the Lord. It's just as simple as that. If someone sets their heart to seek the Lord, they are too busy to do evil. They are too enamored with the glory of the Lord to do anything that would offend Him.
Mar 15, 2026, 9:16 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 6-9
Meditation Verses: 6:28-31
Thought
This is a frightening prayer, but it is just a restatement of all the other prayers. When trouble comes in whatever form it takes, because of the unfaithfulness of the people, when they humble themselves and repent and pray for relief, forgive them and grant them relief and blessing.
Mar 14, 2026, 6:35 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 2-5
Meditation Verses: 2:5-6
Thought
The Lord God is greater than all gods, which is why there is no image of Him in His own house. He cannot be contained within any structure on earth, so the best anyone can do is build a building in which to offer incense and set out the showbread. Any other god has an idol to represent them; they can be captured by a likeness that fits within their temple or shrine.
Mar 14, 2025, 7:56 AM
Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 34 - Ezra 1
Meditation Verse: 2 Chronicles 34:21
Thought
Josiah heard the words of the Book of the Law, and knew the Lord was angry with Judah, even though he had begun making reforms, he had begun seeking the Lord. Nothing bad was happening to them at the time, and Josiah was bringing things in line with what he knew of God. Yet just by reading the Law, he knew God was furious with Judah. He sent to a prophetess for confirmation, and the Lord confirmed his fears.