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, 2025, 8:49 AM
Passage Read: Esther 7-10
Meditation Verses: 8:11-12
Thought
There are times when God does all the fighting, where the Jews have to only watch and wait and see the Lord deliver them. But most of the time, He requires them to take part, to fight for their freedom or advancement or deliverance. That's the case here.
Mar 21, 2025, 8:51 AM
Passage Read: Esther 3-6
Meditation Verse: 4:16
Thought
Esther was willing to risk her life on the basis of her cousin's remarks. Perhaps she had come to royalty for such a time as this. Perhaps her family would be destroyed while all the rest of the Jews were delivered. But perhaps none of that would happen! Perhaps she would have no favor with the king and she would perish, because God had a completely different idea to save His people.
Mar 19, 2024, 6:58 AM
Passage Read: Esther 7-10
Meditation Verse: 10:3
Thought
Even in this life, the Lord is willing to reward and exalt those who seek the good of their own people and of the nation that hosts them. Of course, the Lord defines what is good and good should include not just protecting their lives, but teaching them to walk in God's ways, so that God is free to bless them rather than leave them to their own devices and to the whims of their enemies.
Mar 18, 2024, 6:59 AM
Passage Read: Esther 3-6
Meditation Verse: 6:3
Thought
Mordecai didn't care about reward for himself, for he hadn't reported the plotted assassination in his own name, but had reported it to Esther, who credited Mordecai. He probably thought to make Esther even more valuable in the King's eyes, but she gave credit where credit was due. Nothing came of it until this key moment, when Haman sought to kill Mordecai.