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
Mar 28, 2026, 9:03 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 12 - Esther 2
Meditation Verses: Nehemiah 13:25-27
Thought
Nehemiah makes a great point here: Solomon was loved by God, made king and blessed beyond any other king. Yet none of that protected him from the danger of marrying unbelieving wives. His wisdom couldn't overcome the influence of his foreign wives. His favor with God couldn't protect him from the influence of wives who worshiped foreign gods.
Mar 27, 2026, 7:16 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 8-11
Meditation Verses: 8:9-10
Thought
All the people were weeping as they heard the Law of the Lord. That is a good sign! Their struck to the heart over their ignorance of God's Law and disobedience to it. They're ashamed of their behavior and grieved that they have put the Lord to shame. That is a cause for rejoicing! That the people recognize their sin and are grieved over it, grieved to the point of being willing to repent!
Mar 26, 2026, 6:59 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 4-7
Meditation Verses: 5:11-13
Thought
Nehemiah had gathered the people to work a solid 52 days to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He withstood intimidation and threats, and led the people to keep going despite their fear. Either Nehemiah had incredible charisma or else God was doing a work in the hearts of the people, and He just needed someone who saw what needed to be done and would rally the people.
Mar 25, 2026, 7:10 AM
Passage Read: Ezra 10 - Nehemiah 3
Meditation Verse: Nehemiah 2:18
Thought
Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. What did he know about rebuilding a city wall or governing a province? Yet as cupbearer, he may have heard many plans and progress reports from other big projects, and learned many unexpected things in his position. So when he heard about the situation in Jerusalem and got this idea to go and rebuild the walls, he also thought through a plan to complete such a task.
Mar 20, 2025, 7:27 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 12 - Esther 2
Meditation Verses: Nehemiah 13:23-25
Thought
Nehemiah returned to Babylon for a time, but when he came back to Jerusalem, many of his reforms were undone! All the people had taken an oath to be the Lord's people and do His will, but Nehemiah turns his back for a short time, and the people forget their oath! Just like that! Does their word mean nothing to them? Does the Lord mean nothing to them? Is there no way to convince people to do what is right from the heart? Must they always require someone who will enforce God's law in order for them to faithfully obey?
Mar 19, 2025, 7:56 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 8-11
Meditation Verses: 8:9-12
Thought
What a great illustration of what my response to the Word of God should be: As I read it, I should be convicted and grieved over what it commands and how I've failed, of the judgement I deserve. I should be overcome with grief. But then I should also rejoice, because now I understand what it says and can change my ways to conform to its instruction. That should be cause for joy!
Mar 18, 2025, 7:16 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 4-7
Meditation Verses: 4:4-5
Thought
Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Nehemiah asked God to remember their enemies and their insults, and judge them accordingly. David had prayed something similar, but only after doing all he could to show kindness to those who hated him. We are being insulted majorly online at present.
Mar 17, 2025, 8:19 AM
Passage Read: Ezra 10 - Nehemiah 3
Meditation Verses: Nehemiah 1:2-3
Thought
God had granted favor to the exiles and allowed them to return to their own land. God kept His promise to bring the people back after seventy years. But that doesn't mean He was done punishing or disciplining them. They had been greatly reduced in number, humiliated, and they remained under the rule of foreign powers. Sometimes those powers were more favorable to them, sometimes less.
Mar 17, 2024, 8:00 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 12 - Esther 2
Meditation Verses: Nehemiah 13:10-12
Thought
There is a natural bent in people to turn away from the Lord. Though they begin well, under the lead of a dedicated ruler, if he departs, they go back to their old ways. Nehemiah and Ezra had led the people to read the Law multiple times. Each time they read it, they discovered something new and determined to obey it. But once Nehemiah returned to Babylon, the people and the officials no longer considered the service of God and His temple to be so important.
Mar 16, 2024, 8:01 AM
Passage Read: Nehemiah 8-11
Meditation Verses: 9:30-31
Thought
God was committed to His people, but that doesn't mean He saved every last Israelite. The soul who sinned, died. And that surely means that he was lost to eternity. In the story of Lazarus the beggar, it is clear that there are many Jews in torment. The Lord is faithful to His people and refuses to let them all perish, but He disciplines the nation by killing those who forsake Him. He disciplines all by sending prophets to rebuke them, and those who refuse to repent are destroyed.