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, 2:49 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, 2:51 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, 2:52 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....
Oct 25, 2023, 2:56 AM
Passage Read: James 4-5
Meditation Verses: 4:7-10
Thought
Living for my own pleasures is friendship with the world; James links these two things. The only solution is to purify my heart and mind, to stop loving the world and being its friend. Either I love the Lord by humbling myself before Him, weeping and mourning over my sin and the world's sin, or I seek my own pleasures, just as everyone in the world does. I live for this life and the things of this world, or I humble myself before God, resist the devil, wash my hands and purify my heart.
Oct 24, 2023, 2:57 AM
Passage Read: James 2-3
Meditation Verses: 2:1-5
Thought
How easy it is to fall into this trap, seeking the favor of rich men and ignoring or belittling the poor, especially when we are involved in an endeavor that depends on money. A church, a mission agency, a business, everyone wants a rich patron, so everyone curries the favor of rich men, hoping that one might adopt our cause. Who cares about the poor man? He has no money for himself, let alone for our cause! He's going to cost money, not contribute.