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
May 15, 2024, 10:47 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 26-29
Meditation Verses: 26:24-26
Thought
The one who hates disguises it with his lips, gathering deceit in his heart. He speaks graciously to the one he hates, but his heart is full of abominations. Though he is long successful in covering over his hatred, eventually his wickedness will be revealed in the assembly. What assembly? For sure in the final judgment.
May 14, 2024, 10:49 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 22-25
Meditation Verse: 24:25
Thought
There are several proverbs about the righteous rebuking the wicked, and how important that is. Here it says that the righteous who rebuke the wicked will be a delight and good blessing will come upon them. Will they be a delight to others or will they simply receive delight and enjoyment? Will the blessing come from other people or will it come from the Lord? It certainly has been the case in times past that people appreciated when the wicked were rebuked, as long as they were not also the ones rebuked.
May 13, 2024, 10:50 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 18-21
Meditation Verse: 21:31
Thought
Those who trust in the Lord know that despite all their preparations, victory belongs entirely to the Lord. The horse is made ready for battle, and we need to do everything we can to prepare for whatever challenge faces us; that is the responsible thing. But no matter how much we prepare, it is the Lord who grants or withholds victory. So no matter how diligent I am in preparing to face a challenge, I need to continually seek the Lord and walk in His ways, in order to know His will and do it, and so enjoy His favor, even if He decrees failure.
May 12, 2024, 10:51 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 14-17
Meditation Verse: 16:2
Thought
We naturally justify ourselves; we normally think we are the victims in any unfavorable circumstance. But we are not our own judge, not is another man; the Lord is judge and He sees clearly. He sees all the way into the heart; He sees the motives of a man more clearly than the man himself. So we are not the best judge of our own character, and other people use whatever standard they have assembled, but only God judges justly and truthfully.
May 11, 2024, 10:52 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 10-13
Meditation Verse: 12:1
Thought
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Those who desire to learn and understand more must love discipline and reproof and correction, but whoever loves their own way and their own wisdom hates reproof and correction and is stupid. Pretty blunt and pretty obvious. If I desire to understand things better, if I want knowledge and to be wise, then I must not merely accept reproof but love discipline and correction.
May 10, 2024, 10:54 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 6-9
Meditation Verses: 7:25-27
Thought
Nobody believes this, because they don't see the immediate consequences. They don't consider the consequences to be so severe. In fact, the consequences are the same for him who marries and for him who does not marry. People see little advantage to lifelong commitment over a continual trading of partners. They see freedom where there is actually death.
May 9, 2024, 10:55 AM
Passage Read: Proverbs 2-5
Meditation Verses: 3:25-26
Thought
Those who trust in the Lord should not easily give way to fear, in whatever form it takes, including the onslaught of the wicked. That onslaught is coming, there is no question of that, if we live a godly life. But when it comes, those who trust in the Lord should not give way to fear, though tempted, because the Lord promises to guard us and deliver us. Indeed, men can take our life, but they can't destroy our soul.