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
Nov 12, 2024, 8:49 PM
Passage Read: James 4-5
Meditation Verses: 5:6-9
Thought
Twice in his letter, James warns believers against complaining against one another or judging each other. But in both cases, he is rebuking wrong behavior! He is judging believers, pointing out their faults and calling them to repent! This second time, he warns against complaining against one another, after just rebuking the rich for taking advantage of the poor, of their workers. Then, he turns to those who are being taken advantage of and tells them to be patient and not speak against their brothers. Where's the justice?
Nov 11, 2024, 8:51 PM
Passage Read: James 2-3
Meditation Verses: 3:16-18
Thought
Earthly, natural, demonic wisdom ignores bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. It denies the existence of such things in the heart and justifies every expression of bitterness and jealousy and selfish ambition. So it produces disorder and every evil thing. God is a God of order, so this wisdom is not from Him. The wisdom that comes from God must produce order, at least in the heart and life of the one who possesses it. So it must be pure, not hypocritical, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruit and unwavering.
Nov 10, 2024, 8:52 PM
Passage Read: Hebrews 13 - James 1
Meditation Verses: James 1:6-8
Thought
There should be no doubt when asking for wisdom, because God does want to give it to everyone. It is not hard to find: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of it, and the Scriptures teach it. But there are other things where my doubts rise, I don't know for sure if they are truly God's will to do. Healing, deliverance from trial or torment....