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“Do not be afraid….” (devo reflection)

Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.”
In both verse 13 and verse 30, one of the first things the angel says is: “Do not be afraid.” Worry, fear, anxiety have been such a part of my life for so long that the angel’s words are a balm to my soul. “Do not be afraid.”
Luke 1:18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The other thing that strikes me about verse 13 specifically is the fact that the angel tells Zechariah that the Lord has heard his UNSPOKEN prayer for a son, the prayer that he held in the quiet of his heart, the prayer he had probably given up on. Zechariah reacts with disbelief (“How can I be sure of this?”). I feel his disbelief on a gut level as it is something I struggle with as well.
Luke 1:30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”
Precious Savior, Thank You for the repeated reminder not to be afraid. Thank You for hearing the prayers that we hold in the quiet of our hearts. Thank You for the promise to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5), for the promise of a divine plan for us (Jer 29:11), for the promise to work all things to our good and Your glory (Rom 8:28). Help me never to lose sight of the fact that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Luke 1:37 “For no word from God will ever fail.”
Have a blessed day.
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God’s got me, no matter the trials I face…. (devo reflection)

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Two thoughts and two verses came immediately to mind as I read this scripture this morning. The first thought is that Mary and the other women wanted to honor their Lord by preparing His body properly for burial, something there was no time for in the rush before Passover. This brought to mind Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Mark 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb…

The second thought that struck me at verse 3 was that as they approached the tomb, they were worrying about how to move the stone that was much too heavy for them so that they could get to the body to prepare it properly. (I’m a worrier. Trust me, I get their worry.) This brought to mind Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Mark 16:3 …and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

Lord, Thank You for this beautiful illustration of Your truths in action. These women wanted to honor You by preparing Your body for burial. They were called according to Your purpose. You supplied their needs by removing the stone and by showing them that Your physical body was no longer in that tomb. You are risen. Help me to take these truths, this knowledge with me always, knowing that You’ve got me, no matter the trials I face. You will work all things to my good and Your glory and You will supply my needs. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Mark 16:4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

Have a blessed day.

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Jealousy, complacency, cowardice, realization that comes too late…. (devo reflection)

Mark 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
It is so easy for me to analyze this scene for wrongdoing. The chief priests were jealous, pure and simple. If they had only focused on the common goal, creating followers of God, how much good could they have done? The people were sheep, following along with what their leaders said: Surely Jesus must be guilty of something if the chief priests accuse Him.
Mark 15:14“ Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
Pilate was a coward. He didn’t see any guilt in Jesus but he didn’t want to incite a riot with the Jews, so he washed his hands of the situation, doing nothing when he could have stopped it. Only the Roman centurion realized who Jesus truly was and only after His death. Jealousy, complacency, cowardice, realization that comes too late….
Mark 15:15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Precious Savior, Only You could bring beauty from the ashes of this chapter. Jesus had to die for our sins in order for us to be reconciled to You. Thank You for Your mercy and compassion on us. Jealousy, complacency, cowardice, realization that comes too late… these are still things that we struggle with. Often. Forgive us. Help us to ask, seek, knock. Help us to shine Your light and glorify Your name. Always. Amen.
Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Have a blessed day.
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“I will go ahead of you….” (devo reflection)

Mark 14:18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”
Jesus knows that not only will Judas betray Him but also that all of the disciples will fall away during this crucial time. He *knows* this with certainty. But He doesn’t rant and rave at the disciples for the betrayal that is coming. He doesn’t cast them out into the streets.
Mark 14:19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”
Instead, He shares the Passover meal with them, equating the bread to His body and the cup to His blood. He shares a meal with those He knows will not support Him during the coming trial. But verse 28 is the kicker. Not only does He share communion, He reminds them of what comes after…. “I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Mark 14:27 “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them….
Precious Savior, Thank You for not casting us out, even though You know we are fleshly and fallible and will stumble more than once. Thank You for the reminder that when we do stumble in our walk, that You are waiting for us on the other side and that we need to turn our hearts back to You and meet You in Galilee. Help us to love ourselves and those who fall away in times of our distress as You love the disciples and as You love us. Amen.
Mark 14:28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Have a blessed day. I love you.
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Use every moment wisely…. (devo reflection)

Mark 13:33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
These verses could be read as a warning: Watch out! Be careful! But I choose to see them as a way of being: Live every moment wisely. Tell folks what they mean to you. Give the compliment. Do the kind deed. Don’t wait. Love each other fully as I love you.
Mark 13:35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
A quote attributed, some say erroneously, to John Wesley is: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” For me, this, too, hits at the heart of what Jesus is saying here: You don’t know when I will return. Use every moment wisely.
Mark 13:36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
Lord, Thank You for this reminder to live every moment fully. It is so easy to squander the time You have given us. Help us to use our time wisely, praising Your name and giving You glory. Amen.
Mark 13:37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”
Have a blessed day.
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Just love everyone…. (devo reflection)

Mark 12:28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

The four verses here can be summed up quite succinctly by a billboard I once saw, which read: “Just love everyone. I’ll sort them out later. ~God” When I struggle in my faith, I often default to this condensed version of Mark 12:28-31.

Mark 12:29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

It isn’t always easy, but being able to show unconditional positive regard to every life that walks through my classroom door is a gift. Encouraging them, supporting them, allowing them space to breathe and process and be, it is what God has called me to do. It grows my faith and my trust in God every single day. And I am so far from perfect at doing it, but every day I have the opportunity to try again.

Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Lord, Thank You that Your foundation is love. Thank You for showing us again and again through Your word how to love those who seem less than lovable. Help me to “just love everyone,” knowing my actions help draw us both closer to You. Amen.

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Have a blessed day.

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Being fruitful…. (devo reflection)

Mark 11:14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

This tale has always perplexed me a bit, but in light of yesterday’s devo, it makes a bit more sense. Yesterday, the rich man wanted to know what he could DO to gain heaven, and Jesus’s response was, essentially, it’s not about works but about faith in Him.

Mark 11:20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.

The issue today is similar but different. Commentary says, “This tree was cursed because it professed to have fruit, but did not.” This sentence brought to mind Matthew 15:8, “’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” The leaf implies fruit, yet there was no fruit. Their hearts were far from God and, therefore, their actions were futile in His kingdom work.

Mark 11:21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

Lord, I know I cannot work my way into heaven. Salvation is a gift from You. Thank You. But I also know that, because I am Your beloved child, You call me to Your kingdom work. Help me to do that work with my whole heart. Help me to be fruitful in all that I do in Your name. To You be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.

Mark 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

Have a blessed day.

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What must I do….? (devo reflection)

Mark 10:17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Commentary points out that the rich man asks specifically about what he must DO to inherit eternal life, implying that it is received based on works instead of relationship. This idea contrasts sharply with the behavior of the blind Bartimaeus in verses 46-52.

Mark 10:20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus saw that the rich man was relying on himself and his own efforts. He saw that the rich man’s possessions owned him. He knew that the rich man was not capable at that moment of a right relationship that put Jesus above self and relied on His mercy. (But He loved him anyway. I love that part.) Bartimaeus, however, blind, alone, insistent, knew that Jesus’s mercy was his only chance. He risked the ridicule of the crowd for the compassion of Jesus.

Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Precious Savior, From the world’s perspective, the rich man is in a much more desirable place than the blind man. Thank You for showing my heart what the world cannot understand—it’s not about riches, following rules, or what we can do. Being Your disciple is about humbling ourselves, maintaining relationship, and serving others. Help me to unabashedly call on Your mercy always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Mark 10:22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Have a blessed day.

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Drawing closer to God in the process…. (devo reflection)

Mark 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.

I understand this father on a gut level. He had just, unsuccessfully, asked the disciples to rid his son of the demon, and they failed. His comment in verse 22–“if you can do anything”—isn’t about God’s ability but about his faith, which has already been shaken. I totally get that.

Mark 9:22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

This passage changed my prayer life. Instead of praying, “God, please heal…” “God, please fix….” I say, “God, I know You can do all things. And *insert my will* is what I want. But Your ways are not my ways, so if that is not Your will, please give us strength to walk Your path and draw us all closer to You in this journey.”

Mark 9:23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Precious Savior, I believe. I know You can do all things. I also know that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Help me to be specific in my prayers but also to put Your Will above my own, Your glory above all. Help me remember that if we are drawn closer to You in the process, then we are more than victorious. Amen.

Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Have a blessed day.

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Taking meager human resources and providing abundantly…. (devo reflection)

Mark 8:17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?

It is so easy for me to be frustrated with the disciples. They have seen Jesus—recently—perform two miracles where He took the meager human resources and provided abundantly. How do they not understand who He is and what He can and will do for His beloved?

Mark 8:18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?

But it doesn’t take long for me to realize that I am the same way. Again and again and again, Jesus has taken my meager human resources and provided abundantly, beyond anything I could have hoped or imagined, yet fear, worry, and anxiety still plague me far more often than I care to admit.

Mark 8:19-20 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for who You are and who You are to me. Thank You for continually taking my meager resources and using them to bless me and others abundantly. Help me not to doubt or fear, Lord, because I have seen Your goodness. Help me to trust You always. Amen.

Mark 8:21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Have a blessed day.