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
Apr 5, 2026, 8:20 AM
Passage Read: Job 21-24
Meditation Verses: 21:19-20
Thought
Yes, if only the wicked were punished before our eyes for the wickedness they do, that all knew exactly why they were being punished, then all men would see and fear and turn away from their sin. That's actually what God wrote into the Law for Israel! It's what He established with Noah. And it's what we've been promised will happen when Jesus reigns as king.
Apr 4, 2026, 8:55 AM
Passage Read: Job 17-20
Meditation Verse: 20:3
Thought
This is so great! All Job's friends heard were reproofs which insulted them. They didn't hear what Job was actually saying, all they heard was that he was rejecting their words and insulting them in the process. That gives them even more evidence that Job was in the wrong.
Apr 3, 2026, 9:42 AM
Passage Read: Job 13-16
Meditation Verse: 13:26
Thought
Because Job and his friends are convinced that such terrible things that have happened to him only come on those who do wrong, so Job must conclude that God is dredging up old sins, sins committed in his youth. God must be punishing him for things done long ago. That tells me that Job has learned and grown.
Apr 2, 2026, 9:48 AM
Passage Read: Job 9-12
Meditation Verses: 9:29-31
Thought
Job was righteous; God declared him so. But Job thought that meant he should never suffer harm or any kind of evil. Now he has suffered calamity after calamity, stripping him of every mark of blessing, including his own health. If all his righteousness cannot save from disaster, what's the point of doing good and right?
Apr 1, 2026, 7:03 AM
Passage Read: Job 5-8
Meditation Verses: 7:17-21
Thought
Why does God care about us? Why does God watch us and judge us? Why doesn't He just leave us be and let us go our way? Or just overlook anything we do wrong? Why does He make so much of us and test us? If we sin, what harm does it do to God? If we're just hurting ourselves, what does it matter?
Mar 31, 2026, 9:24 AM
Passage Read: Job 1-4
Meditation Verses: 1:15-19
Thought
The brutality of this passage! Satan kills who knows how many servants and all Job's children in a single day, almost within a single hour! All these lives are meaningless to him, just to get Job to curse God! Even more shocking, God allows Satan to do these things, all to test and prove Job. Human lives are casually thrown away to test one man's faith.
Apr 2, 2025, 9:01 AM
Passage Read: Job 37-40
Meditation Verses: 38:1-4
Thought
Knowing all He allowed to happen to Job, knowing how righteous Job has been, God still comes in like a flood! He is not soft and gentle. He is not compassionate and understanding. He blasts Job with question after question, illustrating how much greater God is than even the most righteous of men. It is sad that in all Job's understanding, he did not realize that we exist to honor and glorify God, in whatever circumstances that come upon us.
Apr 1, 2025, 9:12 AM
Passage Read: Job 33-36
Meditation Verses: 33:29-30
Thought
Elihu believes he can explain to Job exactly what is going on, and where Job is wrong. He believes he can do so better than Job's three friends, men older and wiser than him, who failed to bring Job to repentance. His argument is that God warns men all the time of their sin and need for repentance. Perhaps in a dream or in a quiet voice in the heart or through trial and suffering. So the terrible things that have happened to Job are obviously God's way of telling him he needs to repent.
Mar 31, 2025, 8:56 AM
Passage Read: Job 29-32
Meditation Verse: 31:23
Thought
The fear of God was so great and so real to Job, that's what kept him from doing evil of any sort. He dreaded the destruction God could bring, and the ultimate destruction of eternal torment. He knew enough of the splendor of God that He feared to rouse the Lord against himself. The greatness and glory of God struck Job with fear and dread that kept him from doing evil and drove him to do what was right.
Mar 30, 2025, 9:15 AM
Passage Read: Job 25-28
Meditation Verses: 27:2-6
Thought
Job understands that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and shunning evil is understanding. He understands that better than most. What many pay lip service to, Job has lived out. Such that he declares here that he will never admit he has sinned, as his friends accuse. He will never lie, even if he thought it would turn the hand of God away from him. He has done everything right, to the best of his understanding of what God desires. He has feared the Lord and shunned evil.