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 10, 2023, 3:21 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 31-34
Meditation Verses: 33:14-16
Thought
Sinners are dismayed and the godless afraid; the Lord is like an unquenchable fire to them, something to be terrified by. But those who do what is right, who love justice and do righteousness, to them, the Lord is a secure fortress and full provision. The Lord is a safe place to those who humble themselves and live in obedience to Him. The Lord is a refining fire, but He is only frightening to those who insist on living in sin, to those who reject Him.
May 9, 2023, 3:22 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 27-30
Meditation Verses: 30:9-10
Thought
It is a dangerous thing to refuse the message of prophets and demand messages of peace and pleasant things. Isaiah calls them illusions! If all I want to hear are pleasant words, words of peace and love, then I'll probably be in trouble.
May 8, 2023, 3:23 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 23-26
Meditation Verse: 26:10
Thought
Though they experience grace, they do not recognize or appreciate it. They think all good happens to them because they are pretty awesome. Their pride blinds them to the kindness they are actually experiencing. They think it's dumb luck or because of their skill. So they continue in sin with no thought for God or His kindness. Even when dwelling with the righteous who recognize the Lord and His grace, they don't believe, they cannot humble themselves, so they continue in their wicked ways.
May 7, 2023, 3:25 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 19-22
Meditation Verses: 22:12-13
Thought
When trouble comes, we should cry out to the Lord with repentance, we should fast and humble ourselves before the Lord, that He might have pity and compassion on us. In this instance, instead of seeking the Lord, Judah made whatever preparations they could think of, then prepared to be overrun and destroyed. There was no sense of repentance, no thought that their trouble might be because they had sinned against the Lord, and so no thought to repent and humble themselves before Him, pleading for mercy.
May 6, 2023, 3:26 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 15-18
Meditation Verse: 16:6
Thought
Pride is no defense against the Lord, especially when that pride is in self. A people may have even accomplished much and done great things, but if they do not acknowledge the Lord, if they really think they accomplished something by their own power, that is even more dangerous. The Lord will not endure the pride of men, but at some point will overthrow the arrogant. He will put them down, no matter how high they have climbed or exalted themselves.
May 5, 2023, 3:28 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 11-14
Meditation Verses: 14:9-11
Thought
It doesn't matter how high and exalted anyone becomes, they all end up in the same place: the grave. I can become high and mighty, but at death, I'll become as weak and impotent as all who have gone before me. So earthly greatness is meaningless; it only lasts a few years then it will all be forgotten. And if anyone considers himself great, I don't need to be overly impressed by him; his greatness will all be lost with his death.
May 4, 2023, 3:29 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 7-10
Meditation Verse: 10:15
Thought
Much like last night, reading 1 Corinthians, here again is the same idea: Those used by God to carry out His wrath and punishment should not become proud, as though they raised themselves up to such a height that towers over other men with frightening authority. God did it for His own purposes. Whom He raises up is no different from those he is raised above; they are all men, and they are all expected to honor and glorify the Lord.
May 3, 2023, 3:30 PM
Passage Read: Isaiah 3-6
Meditation Verses: 5:4-6
Thought
When His vineyard failed to produce good fruit after all He had done to help it succeed, the Lord determined to break down the protecting wall He had built so that it would be trampled. He decided to stop tending it and so providing for it, so that it would become overgrown and ugly and useless. This is the danger I have if I refuse to listen to and honor and obey the Lord: He will stop protecting me, He will withhold sustenance and He will let me be consumed by my sin.
May 2, 2023, 3:31 PM
Passage Read: Song of Solomon 7 - Isaiah 2
Meditation Verses: Isaiah 1:27-28
Thought
The penitent ones will be redeemed with righteousness, but the rebels and sinners will be broken and will perish. This is why the Gospel begins with "repent." We still need to turn from our evil ways; we need to acknowledge our evil ways and be ashamed of them and turn away from them. It is those who are ashamed and willing to forsake their sins who are saved, not those who merely claim to believe in Jesus.
May 1, 2023, 1:50 PM
Passage Read: Song of Solomon 3-6
Meditation Verse: 4:9
Thought
It's interesting that their love is so much based on the physical, their beauty and the delightfulness of their appearances. It is all passion and emotion, nothing about character or internal qualities. They are faint with love. Even the friends just want to look at the girl, to gaze on her as long as they can. And both lovers delight in the physical beauty of the other.