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 5, 2025, 3:09 PM
Passage Read: Luke 23-24
Meditation Verse: 23:28
Thought
Did these women weep for Jesus or for all three who were about to be crucified? Did they know Jesus or just mourn over the death of their own people at the hands of the Romans? Jesus indicates that they have no idea what's coming, and will be caught up in the disaster. It does not sound like they are faithful followers.
Sep 4, 2025, 3:29 PM
Passage Read: Luke 21-22
Meditation Verses: 21:17-19
Thought
"All men will hate you because of Me." Jesus couldn't be more clear. Yet I have grown up in a world that has tolerated Christians and even honored them. Only of late has there been some open hostility. But I am taught to be careful and kind to everyone I meet, so as not to give offense. 1 Peter 3:15-16: Be gentle and respectful in responding to those who want to know my hope. But what about those who do not want to repent of sin?
Sep 3, 2025, 2:51 PM
Passage Read: Luke 19-20
Meditation Verses: 19:20-23
Thought
The last servant comes and says he was afraid of his master, calling him a "hard man," greedy and always taking more than he deserved. For being afraid of his master, this servant has serious guts to insult his master! He's bold enough to criticize, judge and condemn his master. It's his justification for doing nothing with his master's money, but returning it as given to him.
Sep 2, 2025, 2:29 PM
Passage Read: Luke 17-18
Meditation Verses: 17:1-6
Thought
How often have I read these two verses and heard the doom of the one who causes a little one to sin. And of course I think of truly wicked people who have no hope of repentance. But then it is immediately followed by Jesus' command to "watch yourselves." And the latter is tied to the former by a "so." In other words, the required response to the deserved judgment of one who causes little ones to sin is to rebuke the one who sinned, not to write off such a sinner!
Sep 1, 2025, 3:20 PM
Passage Read: Luke 15-16
Meditation Verses: 16:9-12
Thought
Worldly wealth is ultimately for one purpose: To make friends who will welcome us into heaven, or in other words, for the purpose of helping others be saved. It is not primarily for my comfort or even my provision, though providing for my basic needs is fine--yet the widow was praised for giving all she had to live on to the Lord. All I possess and all I earn are best spent on advancing Christ's kingdom and even better, personally helping others believe in Him.
Aug 31, 2025, 2:51 PM
Passage Read: Luke 13-14
Meditation Verses: 13:1-5
Thought
Jesus' response to these tragedies suggests that the people all held the idea that when someone dies unnaturally or even cruelly, it must have been because they did evil. In fact, they must have done more evil than the average person, to have their life cut short. That would fit with the teaching of Scripture, because God promises a long and peaceful life to those who walk in His ways.
Aug 30, 2025, 5:24 PM
Passage Read: Luke 11-12
Meditation Verses: 11:27-28
Thought
This is such an interesting statement from a modern perspective. This woman sounds like an ancient times feminist! It doesn't have to be read that way, of course, she can just be saying how proud Jesus' mother must be to see her son speaking such wisdom and proclaiming God's truth and performing great miracles! But wouldn't his father also be proud? Why no mention of him? It is also a backhanded compliment to Jesus.
Aug 29, 2025, 3:32 PM
Passage Read: Luke 9-10
Meditation Verses: 10:8-12
Thought
Jesus references Sodom first as comparison to the judgment the rejecting town will receive. Does He also have in mind the same reception/rejection that the angels received in Sodom? Is He telling his disciples that when they come to a town, first sit in the town square and see if there's anyone who will welcome them into their home and give them a place to stay? Or should they go into town preaching and see if there's still someone willing to receive them into their home?
Aug 28, 2025, 7:15 PM
Passage Read: Luke 7-8
Meditation Verses: 7:29-30
Thought
John came to prepare a people for the Lord. He did so by preaching and warning the people to repent; he even gave specific examples of how their repentance should look. Tax collectors, soldiers and many other sinners came to him to be baptized in repentance. That's why there were so many tax collectors and sinners ready to believe in Jesus, to spend time with Him and learn from Him. They had already come to repentance under John's preaching!
Aug 27, 2025, 2:59 PM
Passage Read: Luke 5-6
Meditation Verses: 5:30-32
Thought
The Pharisees are upset that Jesus is dining at the feast Levi throws for Him. Levi has come to faith and is delighted that Jesus has called him to follow Him. He wants to share the joy of what he has found with his friends, all of whom are sinners and tax collectors, many who would like salvation but perhaps feel there's no hope for them. Jesus, of course, goes because that is why He came into the world, to preach the gospel to those who need it and call the unrighteous to repentance!