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
Jul 8, 2023, 6:50 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 9-10
Meditation Verses: 10:14-15
Thought
If anyone doesn't listen to our Gospel message, we're under no further obligation to them. Even worse, they have chosen to reject the only chance at eternal life and are left with nothing but judgment. As tragic as that is, Jesus doesn't command His disciples to keep trying, but to walk away. Their choice is their responsibility, not ours. Our responsibility is to take the Gospel to as many people as possible. Whoever will listen, teach them further, but whoever refuses, leave as a testimony against them.
Jul 7, 2023, 6:52 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 7-8
Meditation Verses: 7:1-5
Thought
It seems the safest path is to never judge anyone, just speak truth without applying it specifically to anyone. But verses like Leviticus 19:17 imply that not rebuking your neighbor is to hate them and also to share in their guilt. Even here, Jesus goes on to imply that we should be helping each other with our sins, but the safest way to do that is to recognize that my sin is always far worse than your sin. And to recognize that I need the help of others more than they need mine.
Jul 6, 2023, 6:53 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 5-6
Meditation Verse: 5:7
Thought
How do you show mercy? Because I want to be shown mercy. Surely it includes forgiving those who seek forgiveness from you. Mercy doesn't hammer someone who shows repentance and humility, but extends grace and kindness and forgiveness. But mercy also looks at those who aren't (yet?) repentant, and desires that they receive mercy rather than judgment from God, so surely it steps up and warns those people to repent, pleads and urges them to turn to God in humility and repentance.
Jul 5, 2023, 6:55 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 3-4
Meditation Verses: 3:7-10
Thought
Right out of the gate, John seems pretty hostile to the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious people. It's as if he recognizes that they have a problem with appearances over substance. They're all about looking right, but not necessarily about doing right. Everyone needs repentance, but these religious people think they're mostly fine, just need to jump on the latest religious thing. John knows they need repentance, but they just think they need to add one more righteous marker to their lives, and they're even better.
Jul 4, 2023, 6:56 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 1-2
Meditation Verse: 1:5
Thought
Boaz's mother was Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute/innkeeper who hid the Israelite spies and pleaded for her life and the life of her family. Surely she was held in honor by that generation, though it is possible some still looked on her with contempt. So Boaz may have grown up with a complicated childhood. That may have made him more sensitive to the plight of Ruth and Naomi, and it may have driven him to seek the Lord more than others of his generation.
Jul 19, 2022, 8:41 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 27-28
Meditation Verses: 28:19-20
Thought
Jesus said here clearly that all nations were to be discipled, not just the Jews. He was already announcing the Gospel was to include even Gentiles. The Jews, by and large, had rejected Him in dramatic fashion, crucifying Him. There would yet be many Jews who believed, but His own people had publicly cast Him out and crucified Him, so the Gospel was now free to go to the Gentiles too. There is no people who are not to hear it; there is no people who are not to be discipled and taught to obey all Jesus commanded.
Jul 18, 2022, 8:42 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 25-26
Meditation Verses: 26:31-34
Thought
Jesus warned that they all would be offended in Jesus and fall away that night, yet He also spoke of meeting them in Galilee. It was a discouraging word, but followed by a hopeful word. But instead of hearing, accepting and processing what Jesus said, which was an important warning, Peter specifically was actually offended by Jesus' word! He protested instead of hearing what Jesus said and making preparations.
Jul 17, 2022, 8:43 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 23-24
Meditation Verses: 24:48-51
Thought
It is not good to be responsible for people, but then act only for yourself, especially in the Lord's church. The one who should be feeding and caring for the welfare of others, if he gives up on the Lord, stops fearing Him and starts doing whatever he wishes, especially taking advantage and abusing those entrusted to him, he will lose his salvation when the Lord comes. He will not be counted among the saved, but the damned.
Jul 16, 2022, 8:44 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 21-22
Meditation Verses: 21:45-46
Thought
The chief priests and Pharisees knew Jesus was speaking against them, but instead of listening to the rebuke and being convicted, they made plans to entrap Jesus, discredit Him and even kill Him. That is not the response of humility. Humility recognizes it has failings and weaknesses, and carefully considers any accusation against it. If there is truth to the accusation, it makes corrections; if by chance there is no truth whatsoever, then it remains confident in its pursuit of obedience to Christ.
Jul 15, 2022, 8:46 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 19-20
Meditation Verses: 20:13-15
Thought
This parable is sandwiched between two others that teach that those who serve more are rewarded more, so this cannot mean that ultimately everyone will be rewarded the same, regardless of how much they labor for the Lord. This must be talking about entry into the kingdom, which is a great reward, because regardless of how much the workers have labored, they all receive a day's wage. The warning is for those who invest more of themselves into serving the Lord not to be jealous of those who gain entry into heaven at the last minute, without having labored at all.