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Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Bible Reading Reflection from Mark 1-9

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible] 

MARK 1:7

"And he preached, saying, ‘There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.’"

Oh! The humility of John! To give all the glory to Christ. To talk more of His grace than my effort in any achievement. Help me, Lord!

 

MARK 2:4-5

“And being unable to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof over where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”” [Legacy Standard Bible]

Wow! I want to increase my faith like them!

Help me, Lord! To trust You. To continue to put my hope in You, even when the world is saying, "There's no way!"

 

MARK 3:31-35

“Then His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him, calling Him. And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.’ And answering them, He *said, ‘Who are My mother and My brothers?’ And looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.’”

It looks like Jesus was not loving His family members, is it not? But Jesus is God, and all of us are His children. He has no extra love for His earthly family members than He has for all of us. God loves us equally. What a wonderful love of Jesus!

 

MARK 4:8

“And other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they were yielding a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Lord, thank you for fertilizing the soil of my heart. It was wayside, rocky, thorny before you till the ground. Now, may I not be complacent with thirtyfold, but would You make me yield sixtyfold even if my heart is not ready for a hundredfold! Amen!

 

MARK 5:2-4

“And when He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.”

What a perfect illustration for sinners! Sinners are exactly like this man. A dead man walking. Nothing can restrain him. No behavior modification can cure him. Only new life or real life can cure sinners of a zombie life!

I was once like this man, a zombie, now I am cured by the grace of Jesus Christ! Praises be to God! 👍

 

MARK 6:31, 46

v31. “And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest awhile.’ (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)”

v46. “And after bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.”

After a busy mission trip, Jesus told his disciples to rest for a while. Rest is important, right? God created 6 days to work and the 7th day is to rest. But how did Jesus rest after His busy schedule? He went alone to be with God in prayer.

How do we take a rest? How do we spend our holiday? How do we spend our Sunday?

In prayer? In meditating upon God's word? Or in sinful worldly entertainment? Or in empty unprofitable things?

In John 4, Jesus was wearied, hungry, thirsty, and resting. Yet He had a gospel conversation with that woman, and said that was more important than food and water!

 

MARK 7:25

"There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man."

We are worse than what others think of us. We are worse than what we think of ourselves. We are worse than what we ever know of ourselves.

Purify my heart. Set me apart. Make me live worthy, holy, and acceptable before You, my God!

 

MARK 8

(Particularly v34-38)

How terrible is a life that rejects Christ! How unwise is a man who counts his life more precious than to follow Christ!

"He is not a fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot keep!" [Jim Elliot]. The only way to have eternal life is to lay down (surrender) our life to the eternal Christ.

 

MARK 9:24

“Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’”

One of the simplest yet profound, shortest yet genuine, and effective prayers in the Bible! Oh! How I need to trust God in all things! Help my unbelief, Lord!