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 25, 2025, 7:27 AM
Passage Read: Micah 5 - Nahum 1
Meditation Verses: Micah 7:9-10
Thought
Jesus quotes from this passage, just a few verses earlier, to describe the days in which His apostles will preach the Gospel of the kingdom. God is speaking about Israel and the judgment coming her way, but He is also speaking about our latter days. The godly have perished from the land, children will dishonor parents and rise up against them. Even a man's own wife cannot be trusted.
Jul 24, 2025, 7:19 AM
Passage Read: Micah 1-4
Meditation Verses: 3:1-4
Thought
God promises a time when these rulers who have abused His people, who think they're still in good with God, though they do everything backwards, calling evil good and good evil, there will come a time when they have the audacity to cry out to God because of overwhelming trouble and God will not answer them. It is amazing to me that they will even bother to cry out to God, but it will likely be because they have cried out to all their false gods and received no deliverance, so they break down and cry out to the God who originally brought them out of Egypt, who is supposed to be Israel's God.
Jul 17, 2024, 2:12 AM
Passage Read: Micah 5 - Nahum 1
Meditation Verses: Micah 7:5-10
Thought
When the days are evil, they will be very evil. Friend will be foe, family will be enemy. The believer will not be able to trust anyone, even those who should be closest and most committed to them. Neighbor, friend, wife. Children will treat parents contemptuously, a man's own household will rise up against him. Because he will have been given over to contempt; he will fall.
Jul 16, 2024, 2:13 AM
Passage Read: Micah 1-4
Meditation Verses: 2:6-7
Thought
How badly we misunderstand God. We are no better than Israel and Judah at this time. A true prophet speaks, and we say, "Silence! Do not say such things! That's not what the Lord is like!" But if we silence the prophets who show us our sins, how will there be repentance? How will the reproach coming our way be turned back? There will only be death and destruction coming our way. In truth, God's Spirit is impatient with sin! God has given us who trust in Christ everything we need to live a holy life, but we keep pursuing the world and the desires of our flesh.
Jun 26, 2023, 6:53 AM
Passage Read: Micah 5 - Nahum 1
Meditation Verse: Micah 5:2
Thought
The priests of Jesus's day knew that the Messiah was supposed to be both in Bethlehem based on this verse, but they didn't recognize that his origin was from of old and from ancient times? It didn't occur to them that the Messiah might be someone very special and unique? Surely it would be hard to comprehend based on our usual experience and way of thinking, but when the prophet says that the one to come from Bethlehem and return as king would also be very ancient, shouldn't they expect something outside their experience?
Jun 25, 2023, 6:54 AM
Passage Read: Micah 1-4
Meditation Verses: 3:11-12
Thought
Zion will be destroyed because of her leaders. Rulers judge for a bribe, priests teach for a price and prophets tell fortunes for money. All are greedy for gain, none seek the Lord, understand His ways and do as He requires. They only think of themselves, their own benefit and how they can extort more money from the people. They do not fear the Lord, but use Him for their own gain. They don't know Him or walk in His ways.
Jun 27, 2022, 8:45 AM
Passage Read: Micah 1-4
Meditation Verses: 4:6-7
Thought
The Lord promises to set the lame and the one cast off into a strong nation, never to be abandoned, never to be oppressed again, not as long as He reigns. He will establish justice throughout the earth, no nation shall practice evil. The weak will no longer have anything to fear. Though now we are weak and anyone can do whatever they want with us, then we will be safe and be able to enjoy our own home and land with nothing to make us afraid.