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
Sep 17, 2026, 9:05 AM
Passage Read: John 21 - Acts 1
Meditation Verses: John 21:18-22
Thought
Peter received his restoration and personal commission, but with it, some hard news about the future. He would get his chance to prove his ultimate devotion to Christ by dying for Him. In the moment, though, whether out of curiosity or a bit of rivalry or a desire for equality, when he noticed John following them, he asked about John's future.
Sep 16, 2026, 12:33 PM
Passage Read: John 19-20
Meditation Verse: 19:11
Thought
Pilate was appointed governor by Rome, not by God, yet Jesus says here that Pilate's authority—even over Jesus—had been given by God. Therefore, Jesus submitted to Pilate and whatever Pilate decided. And whatever sin Pilate committed in condemning Jesus to death, it was less than those who had falsely accused Him in order to have Pilate put Him to death.
Sep 15, 2026, 6:41 AM
Passage Read: John 17-18
Meditation Verse: 18:37
Thought
"Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Jesus isn't simply saying that only those who belong to the truth can hear what He is saying; anyone near enough to Him heard what He was saying. But not everyone who heard Him accepted and believed what He said. Jesus means here that those who are of the truth hear and accept His words as the truth.
Sep 14, 2026, 6:26 AM
Passage Read: John 15-16
Meditation Verses: 16:31-32
Thought
"Do you now believe?" The disciples think they finally have it. Then Jesus says they will shortly be scattered, each to his own home. They don't yet have it. They are perhaps closer to true faith than ever before, but they're not there yet. They still have testing to undergo.
Sep 13, 2026, 9:05 AM
Passage Read: John 13-14
Meditation Verses: 14:23-24
Thought
The one who loves Jesus keeps His word, and the Father sees that and loves the one who so honors His Son. Because of his honor of the Son, both the Son and the Father come to dwell in him. But the person who does not keep Jesus' words, that one does not truly love Jesus; both the Father and the Son recognize that, and so should I.
Sep 12, 2026, 10:16 AM
Passage Read: John 11-12
Meditation Verse: 11:25
Thought
Jesus asks Martha if she believes that He is the resurrection and the life, that whoever believes in Him will never die, but will live even if they die. She answers yes, but then goes on to say that she believes He is the Christ, the Son of God. She doesn't affirm what He said about living even though dying and those who live and believe never dying.
Sep 11, 2026, 11:26 AM
Passage Read: John 9-10
Meditation Verse: 9:16
Thought
The Pharisees had the Sabbath all figured out. Or so they thought. They didn't understand Isaiah 58, instead they focused on minuscule rules that defined what keeping the Sabbath looked like. Some of their rules made them look like fools, but they didn't see that. They found ways to "outsmart" God by their rules, yet God saw clearly their foolishness—and their blindness.
Sep 10, 2026, 12:25 PM
Passage Read: John 7-8
Meditation Verse: 8:58
Thought
"Before Abraham was born, I am." There's no wiggle room here. Jesus puts this in a context that cannot be missed. "Before Abraham was born," that alone means Jesus is claiming to be about 2,000 years old, even if you don't count the "I am" as His identifying Himself as YHWH.
Sep 9, 2026, 8:11 AM
Passage Read: John 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:64-65
Thought
John is talking about Jesus' followers, His disciples, both among the Twelve and beyond. Jesus knew who among them actually believed and who didn't. He also knew who would betray Him. And with this teaching, many turn back from following Him. Jesus earlier said that if someone does not believe the writings of Moses, they do not really believe in Jesus.
Sep 8, 2026, 11:26 AM
Passage Read: John 3-4
Meditation Verse: 4:48
Thought
Jesus sounds unhappy or impatient with the people because they must see signs and wonders in order to believe. But signs and wonders testify to the presence of God with a prophet. Yet believing on the basis of signs and wonders does not mean a person believes in truth. They may just be there for the excitement!