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
Jun 21, 2023, 6:59 AM
Passage Read: Joel 2 - Amos 2
Meditation Verses: Joel 2:12-14
Thought
The Lord is willing and able to restore the autumn and spring rains, if His people humble themselves and plead for mercy. He calls for fasting and weeping and mourning, but not just a noisy display, rather a real repentance, rending hearts not just clothes. God knows the difference; He's not fooled by a display of repentance, a likeness. What He calls for is true repentance, true change of heart and behavior.
Jun 20, 2023, 7:01 AM
Passage Read: Hosea 12 - Joel 1
Meditation Verses: Joel 1:13-15
Thought
The priests are the last to understand how desperate times have become. Only when the people are so impoverished that they no longer have money and crops to offer as sacrifices, only then do the priests realize how bad things are. Then they think to humble themselves and plead with God, which is correct. Only then do they think to call a sacred assembly, gathering even the leaders to humble themselves and pray.
Jun 23, 2022, 7:34 AM
Passage Read: Joel 2 - Amos 2
Meditation Verses: Joel 2:16-18
Thought
Joel calls for all the people to be gathered, for everyone, even bride and bridegroom who should be rejoicing over their wedding day. He calls them to gather and weep before the Lord and plead for the land and the people, that the Lord have pity on them. Because the Lord can be moved to pity, to have mercy on His people. There is hope that the Lord will have compassion and turn away His anger. But it would take everyone coming together to confess their sin and plead for mercy.