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 31, 2025, 7:00 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 11-14
Meditation Verses: 11:7-9
Thought
Zechariah is commanded to shepherd a flock marked for slaughter. He is supposed to take care of them, fatten them up and prepare them for destruction. He fires three shepherds in one month; the flock hates him and he grows weary of them. Then he quits. Is he then a worthless shepherd, according to the definition that follows? Does he not care for the lost, seek the young, heal the injured and feed the healthy?
Jul 30, 2025, 7:10 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 7-10
Meditation Verses: 10:2-3
Thought
There is so much confusion in Israel because of the multitude of their idols and the conflicting voices of their prophets. The diviners speak their own visions and they are false, just made up. They comfort the people, but it is a false comfort, keeping them from repentance and truth. So the people wander in confusion and are easily led astray and oppressed by everyone who comes along. There is no recognition or discernment of truth, there is only one new leader after another, who tells everyone to chase this way or that.
Jul 29, 2025, 6:43 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 3-6
Meditation Verses: 5:3-4
Thought
Of all the sins to single out, why thievery and false swearing? Both will be banished, with their homes destroyed. God hates theft, whatever form it takes, and God hates those who swear falsely by His name, they much is clear. But there are also do many other things God hates. Are these two just most common? Are they the easiest for men to do? Those who do that things, whatever form it takes, will have their home destroyed and be driven from the land.
Jul 23, 2024, 2:03 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 11-14
Meditation Verses: 11:7-10
Thought
There are worthless shepherds and there are flocks doomed to destruction. Some shepherds are called to pasture flocks doomed to destruction. They are flocks with ungodly shepherds who care nothing for the flock but only for themselves, and the flock itself doesn't understand, because they have no hope, they are doomed to destruction. The Lord's shepherd, when appointed over such a flock will come in conflict with those worthless shepherds that have abused the flock, and he will drive them out.
Jul 22, 2024, 2:05 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 7-10
Meditation Verses: 8:16-17
Thought
Before God sent Israel into exile and now, His desire for them has been the same: that they would speak truthfully to one another and judge all things truthfully and fairly, that no one would plot evil against his neighbor and no one lie under oath to harm a neighbor. His instruction has always been to do good to one another according to what He calls good, to be fair and treat each other as we ourselves desire to be treated.
Jul 21, 2024, 2:06 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 3-6
Meditation Verses: 3:5-7
Thought
Joshua was given clean garments; his filthy garments were replaced with these clean garments, symbolizing his cleansing from sin. Then the Lord admonished him, saying that if he walked in the Lord's ways and performed the Lord's service, he would govern the Lord's house and have free access to it. He was made clean, but he had to walk in the ways of the Lord to gain rulership and free access to the Lord's house. The same is true for us: Our cleansing from sin is just the beginning.
Jul 2, 2023, 6:45 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 11-14
Meditation Verse: 13:9
Thought
Two-thirds of the people will be destroyed, but a third will survive. Yet this third will be tested by fire to be refined, ultimately proving faithful to the Lord and saved by Him. The Lord has been betrayed again and again by faithless worshipers. Generation after generation have declared their loyalty only to wander after other gods or abandon all gods and go their own way. Of course God desires to test all who claim to believe and trust Him.
Jul 1, 2023, 6:46 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 7-10
Meditation Verses: 10:2-3
Thought
Jesus says almost the exact same thing in His day, looking on the crowds after going through all their towns and villages. He in effect says they are leaderless, though they have very many leaders and teachers. As in this instance, the problem is with the priests and prophets, the leaders. They follow idols, even while they think they follow the Lord. They are confused, not united. They have all kinds of competing ideas and messages, so the people are lost and scattered and confused, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jun 30, 2023, 6:48 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 3-6
Meditation Verse: 6:15
Thought
The people of Judah are building a temple right now, but Zechariah is prophesying about the Branch who will be a priest and king, like Melchizedek and in the same place as Melchizedek! When the Branch comes, He too will build a temple, but Zerubbabel will finish this current temple, so the Branch must build a different temple, another new temple. And people who are far away will help build that temple?
Jul 4, 2022, 8:36 AM
Passage Read: Zechariah 11-14
Meditation Verses: 11:8-10
Thought
What a tragic illustration! Yet how many fellowships fall into this same pattern? The leaders don't care about the needs of the flock, but only for how they can profit from it. The sheep become so entrenched in their sin that even when a shepherd from the Lord comes, he can do nothing to turn them back to the Truth! There's nothing left but to abandon the flock to their terrible fate. And how many marriages end for the same reason?