The Bemenderfers - Mark's Personal Devotions

July 6, 2026

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:02:00 +0000

Passage Read: Ezekiel 20-23 Meditation Verse: 22:30 Thought How can God say this when He Himself had appointed and sent Jeremiah to call the people to repentance and righteousness? Ezekiel was among the exiles in Babylon, but Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem at this time. Wasn't he standing before the Lord on behalf of the land? But the Lord forewarned Jeremiah that no one would listen to him.

July 5, 2026

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:47:00 +0000

Passage Read: Ezekiel 16-19 Meditation Verse: 18:2 Thought The sense of this proverb is that the fathers do wrong and get away with it, but their sons must endure the consequences. With it, the latter generation blames the former generation for their trials and difficulties. Their fathers sinned against the Lord but lived out their days in prosperity and safety, but their sons live under the oppression of a foreign king, no freedom, humiliated, starving.

July 4, 2026

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:05:00 +0000

Passage Read: Ezekiel 12-15 Meditation Verses: 13:6-7 Thought There were prophets who maybe thought they were doing good by giving the people words of encouragement, promising them peace (though there was no word from God assuring peace). But their words of encouragement didn't move the people to change their ways but to remain in them.

July 3, 2026

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:11:00 +0000

Passage Read: Ezekiel 8-11 Meditation Verse: 11:13 Thought Ezekiel thought the Israelites still remaining in Jerusalem were the remnant of Israel, but they weren't. It's the Jews who went into exile who will be preserved, at least those who recognize their sin and repent. The Lord will protect them and be a sanctuary to them until He brings them back to the land of Israel. When they return, they will cleanse the land of the abominations that led to their exile.

July 2, 2026

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:36:00 +0000

Passage Read: Ezekiel 4-7 Meditation Verses: 5:7-8 Thought The Lord chose Israel and established them as a nation, so that they might walk in His decrees and regulations, so that He could bless them so richly that all the surrounding nations would marvel at their God and come to learn about Him. Instead, they became worse than all the nations around them.

July 1, 2026

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Passage Read: Lamentations 5 - Ezekiel 3 Meditation Verses: Ezekiel 3:5-7 Thought Ezekiel wasn't sent to the Babylonians, among whom he was exiled, but to his own people, with whom he was exiled. He didn't have to learn a foreign language or compete with a foreign culture or religion. He was sent to people "who should listen to you," to his own people, to people who should believe in the Lord.

June 30, 2026

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:03:00 +0000

Passage Read: Lamentations 1-4 Meditation Verses: 3:62-66 Thought Jeremiah has suffered so much in the Lord's service, so much that it seemed like God completely ignored him and his pleas, even while continuing to give him messages for the people. The more he preached, the more he was hated and the more the people schemed against him and attacked him.

June 29, 2026

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:45:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 49-52 Meditation Verses: 51:5-6 Thought The Lord is a God of vengeance! He is faithful to His people--even when He determined to punish them for their sin against Him! His punishment of His people is meant to bring them to repentance and restore them to faithful obedience and honor. Or to remove from their midst those who cause the rest to stumble.

June 28, 2026

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 12:19:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 45-48 Meditation Verses: 45:3-5 Thought Baruch is among those in the last days of Judah to have a promise of protection because of their faith in and service for God. He probably didn't understand what it would cost him to become Jeremiah's scribe, but he found out. It wasn't wrong for him to grieve, especially when God's only comfort was that he would survive despite the destruction around him.

June 27, 2026

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:37:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 41-44 Meditation Verses: 42:5-6 Thought These people sound so devoted and faithful, but they have been worshiping other gods in violation of the Lord's commands. They speak as if they trust that whatever message Jeremiah brings back to them is indeed the Lord's Word. "Whatever God says through you we'll do, whether it's pleasant or not!"

June 26, 2026

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:23:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 37-40 Meditation Verses: 38:17-20 Thought Zedekiah could have saved Jerusalem, if only he trusted Jeremiah, if only he believed the Lord was speaking through Jeremiah. But he was afraid that things would go badly for him if he gave himself up. He was more afraid for his personal safety than he cared what was best for the city and its people.

June 25, 2026

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:57:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 33-36 Meditation Verses: 36:23-24 Thought This is the worst possible response to the Word of God, to fear nothing of what He says. To have the audacity to ignore it, or worse, to carve it up and throw it into the fire. To have such contempt of God so as to fearlessly cast aside anything He says. Fear is key to a right response.

June 24, 2026

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:03:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 29-32 Meditation Verses: 32:24-25 Thought The city is surrounded and about to be overthrown. All the people of Judah will be driven out and exiled, yet God calls Jeremiah to buy a piece of land from his uncle. Jeremiah is a prisoner in the court of the guard! The whole situation is as crazy as can be! Jeremiah will never get to take possession of the property.

June 23, 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:39:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 25-28 Meditation Verses: 27:14-15 Thought The false teachers and prophets don't care about the people, they only care about themselves. They tell the people what they want to hear, for rewards from the people, for fame and recognition, at the impulse of their own sinful hearts or the inciting of demonic powers. They are not sent by the Lord, though they claim to be; they are inspired by those who want the Lord to act against His chosen people.

June 22, 2026

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 22:04:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 21-24 Meditation Verses: 23:21-22 Thought There are no lack of teachers and prophets who love to speak and teach the people, but not all of them actually spend time in the counsel of the Lord. They speak from their own ideas and from their own understanding, instead of spending time with God in His Word.

June 21, 2026

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:36:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 17-20 Meditation Verses: 20:6-9 Thought What was Pashhur the priest prophesying? Obviously, it wasn't what Jeremiah was preaching. Pashhur had Jeremiah arrested and put in stocks for his preaching, so Pashhur didn't like the message of judgement and the call for repentance. As Jeremiah himself says, every time he opened his mouth, it was only violence and destruction. His preaching has only brought him shame and derision. He's a laughingstock, mocked and hated by everyone.

June 20, 2026

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:08:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 13-16 Meditation Verses: 13:9-11 Thought The Lord called Abraham and made his descendants into a nation that He intended to bring Him glory and praise and renown. They were to do that not by being rich and powerful, but by following His Word and ways so that He could bless them in every possible way. Then all the peoples of the earth would marvel at the goodness of this people and the greatness of their God.

June 19, 2026

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:28:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 9-12 Meditation Verses: 12:5-8 Thought Jeremiah pleads with the Lord for justice, that He would judge and destroy the wicked from the land, especially those who do evil but speak God's name over themselves. God's answer? You don't know the half of it, Jeremiah! It's far worse than you think. Your own family may act politely to your face, but they rage against you behind your back!

June 18, 2026

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:13:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 5-8 Meditation Verses: 5:3-6 Thought Because the Lord does not treat us as our sins deserve, so we can build up a resistance to His discipline and correction. He calls, and we ignore. He rebukes, and we tell ourselves that He means someone else. He brings a little trouble and we call it a minor setback. He sends greater discipline and we encourage each other to "bend but don't break."

June 17, 2026

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:45:00 +0000

Passage Read: Jeremiah 1-4 Meditation Verses: 2:6-8 Thought If this happened in Israel, how much more can it happen here and now, in God's own church? Do we all speak peace and prosperity, while God has forsaken us because of our godlessness? Can we tell the difference between worldly prosperity and God's blessing? Can we tell when God is displeased with us? Would we recognize when He has removed His presence and blessing?