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
Aug 6, 2024, 7:16 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 27-28
Meditation Verses: 27:63-64
Thought
The chief priests and the Pharisees understood that Jesus had promised to rise on the third day. Jesus' own disciples didn't get the message; they didn't understand, though Jesus had repeated it multiple times. Yet these unbelievers had a better understanding of Jesus' words! Remarkable! They didn't believe that Jesus would, but they thought His disciples might steal the body and claim that He had.
Aug 5, 2024, 7:18 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 25-26
Meditation Verses: 26:62-64
Thought
The chief priests and elders bring in many "witnesses" who accuse Jesus of different evils, but Jesus doesn't answer a single charge. This amazes the priests and elders, because they would naturally fight any false charges against themselves. But Jesus makes no answer, because there's no need. On the one hand, the charges are false and everyone knows it. On the other hand, He has submitted Himself to the will of His Father and has no intention of arguing Himself out of condemnation. He also knows it's wasted breath in front of this crowd to defend Himself in any way.
Aug 4, 2024, 7:19 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 23-24
Meditation Verses: 24:48-51
Thought
Many say the Lord could return at any moment, but do they live in such a way as to be found doing His will when He arrives? Are they diligently seeking to know and understand the Lord's desires so as to be busy with fulfilling them, so that when the Lord returns He finds them busy doing His will? Or do we fall into the trap of thinking, "Everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation," and then start investing ourselves, our time and our treasure in building our own kingdom here on earth?
Aug 3, 2024, 7:20 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 21-22
Meditation Verses: 21:25-27
Thought
The chief priests and elders couldn't answer Jesus's question, not because they didn't have an answer but because they weren't willing to go on record with their honest answer. They hadn't believed John; they were offended by John as surely as they were offended by Jesus, because he called them out for their hypocrisy. So they had to believe that he came by his own design.
Aug 2, 2024, 7:21 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 19-20
Meditation Verses: 20:22-23
Thought
The cup Jesus is about to drink is that of His suffering and death, as payment for our sins. James and John would both drink of that cup, suffering for Jesus and His Gospel. James would be killed in short order, not long after the resurrection. John would live out his days, though not without incident. They would try to kill him, but their attempt would fail, so they would exile him to a labor colony on Patmos.
Aug 1, 2024, 7:23 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 17-18
Meditation Verses: 17:17-20
Thought
Jesus calls out His own disciples, not just the crowd or the father or the child! If they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they could move mountains! Casting out that demon would have been a simple thing! But they do not have even that little faith. Jesus calls them unbelieving! And this after they were given authority and went out to preach and cast out demons and heal diseases.
Jul 31, 2024, 7:25 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 15-16
Meditation Verses: 16:22-25
Thought
Jesus foretells His suffering, death and resurrection, but Peter rebukes Him (still thinking the two are mostly equals, I suppose), sure that nothing like Jesus says will ever happen. As if he knew that God would never allow it. God would never allow His righteous servant, the promised Messiah, to suffer and die, but surely He will exalt His appointed Christ and make all men worship and honor Him! Jesus then rebukes Peter, and warns all of them that if they do not give up their lives in order to follow Him, they cannot truly follow Him.
Jul 30, 2024, 7:27 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 13-14
Meditation Verse: 13:19
Thought
When someone hears the Gospel, the Word of God, and doesn't understand it, it is because Satan has snatched away that Word. It's gone! It's not still there percolating, waiting to sprout. It's gone. People want to use Isaiah 55 to convince and comfort themselves, that the Word sown in a heart will eventually do its work and bring that person to Christ. But not everyone who hears the Gospel will eventually believe it.
Jul 29, 2024, 8:29 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 11-12
Meditation Verses: 11:25-30
Thought
Repentance is evidently hidden from the wise and intelligent, but revealed to infants! The wise and learned see the things that Jesus says and does, but don't get that they need to change their ways and conform them to the teachings of God and of Christ. Indeed, Jesus alone knows the Father and the Father alone knows the Son, but the Son is on earth, walking and doing and talking. He can be known by anyone willing to come to Him and spend time with Him. He will not drive anyone away, but they will depart who do not like His teachings, who are not willing to submit to His leadership.
Jul 28, 2024, 8:30 AM
Passage Read: Matthew 9-10
Meditation Verse: 10:4
Thought
Judas Iscariot received authority to cast out demons and to heal every kind of disease. He went in partnership with another apostle to preach the gospel of the kingdom and perform miraculous signs. Yet he became the one who betrayed Jesus. He didn't simply lose faith and walk away; he turned against Jesus and betrayed him for money. He went to the chief priests and negotiated the price to betray Jesus, they didn't seek him out.