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Complete trust…. (devo reflection)

Mark 15:1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

What strikes me most in today’s reading is the fact that Jesus says very little in response to the charges brought against Him. He doesn’t try to defend or explain or clear up anything. He trusts His Father. He knows His truth. There is so much power in His silence.

Mark 15:2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

I think about human tendency, my tendency: throw lots of words at the situation, try to explain. Jesus knows they won’t listen, won’t understand. He knows that His Father is firmly in control. He knows that He is in the process of redeeming all of humanity. He knows complete trust.

Mark 15:3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

Lord, Thank You for this beautiful example of complete trust in the Father. Help me, when this world gets loud and insistent about who it thinks I am, help me to stay strong in You alone. You are my refuge. You are my truth. I trust You, Lord. Amen.

Mark 15:5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Have a blessed day.

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An answer I have to know for myself…. (devo reflection)

Mark 14:60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”

My students are getting ready for AP exams. They are nervous, not sure they are ready, but I have been with them every day, teaching them, guiding them, preparing them, I know they will be ready, but they doubt. So what does this information have to do with today’s scripture? A lot, I think.

Mark 14:61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Jesus spent His time with the disciples teaching them, guiding them, preparing them. He didn’t worry about labeling who *He* was. He just made sure they would be ready when the time came. The disciples doubted, but Jesus encouraged: “…I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32).

Mark 14:62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Lord, Thank You for showing me who You are again and again—in Your word and in my life. It doesn’t matter who the world says You are. That is an answer I have to know for myself. All my reading and studying and praying has helped me to understand, to prepare, to be ready, so that even in the difficult times, when life makes no sense, I can trust who You are and who You are to me. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Mark 14:63-64 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

Have a blessed day.

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More than the sum of our mistakes…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 26:49-50 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

These are Jesus’s disciples: one who betrays, one who is impetuous, who acts rashly, one who flees naked. Jesus knows exactly how this scene will go, exactly how these disciples will act, and yet they are His chosen, His beloved. He knows they are more than the sum of their mistakes. He loves them just because they are His. This is the foundation on which He built His church.

John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear…. Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

We serve a loving, compassionate, merciful Savior. The grace He gives His human, fallible disciples (and His persecutors), He freely gives us. We don’t have to—we can’t—do anything to be enough in His eyes. He loves us simply because we are His. Period.

Luke 22:50-51 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Lord, It is so easy to fall into the lies of the world—that we have to earn Your love, that we have to do something to be worthy of Your mercy. You love us deeply, fiercely just because we are Yours. That simple truth is hard for us to comprehend and trust. Help us, Lord. And thank You for Your undeserved grace. Amen.

Mark 14:51-52 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Have a blessed day.

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Freely giving…. (devo reflection)

Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.

Scripture about giving—freely giving, cheerful giving—always makes me think of my husband, who is one of the most generous people I know. If someone is in need and he can help, it’s second nature for him to help—without reservation or hesitation. I wish I were more like him in that regard.

Mark 12:42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

For me physical giving always feels more complicated. There’s always a scarcity mentality at play—What if I need this resource, this item, this money someday? But giving time, encouragement, prayers, support—those things I can easily, freely give. When I see someone hurting or struggling, I am compelled to reach out and try to assist or encourage. That’s giving freely, right?

Mark 12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.

Lord, Thank You for giving us many ways to give, to serve You. I absolutely have areas of shortcoming when it comes to giving. Help me to get better at those. But thank You for my compassionate, encouraging heart. Thank You for the insight that encouragement is a form of giving, too. Help me, Lord, to give freely out of a heart of love for You. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.

Mark 12:44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Have a blessed day.

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Love others as I love myself…. (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?”

I’ve heard the most important of all commandments short-formed to “Love God. Love others.” And while I really like that wording, it strikes me as marginally lacking because the original tells us to love our neighbors as *ourselves*.

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.’

While I think I’m pretty good at being loving, gracious, compassionate—to others, I’m often not very kind to myself. So the directive to love others as I love myself means that I need to do a better job at being loving and compassionate to myself than I currently do. I suspect I’m not alone in this habit and this need.

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

Lord, Thank You for the reminder of what’s important, “Love God. Love others.” Thank You also for the reminder that if I am to love others as I love myself, I need to be kinder and more compassionate to myself than I generally am. Thank You for the certainty that I am Your deeply loved child, even when I struggle. Amen.

Mark 12:33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Have a blessed day.

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Praying you through…. (devo reflection)

Mark 2:2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

To know that you are deeply, fiercely loved by the Creator of the universe even when you don’t feel like you have any value, to know that God is making a way in your wilderness, even when you can’t fathom any way out, these are important and powerful truths. So when I offer to pray for or with someone, these are the primary things I want to remind them: 1. God loves you. Period. Full stop. 2. He is in control. Even now. 3. He’s making a way, a perfect way through whatever wilderness you are facing, even if you can’t yet perceive it.

Mark 2:3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.

Saying that I’ll pray for someone is a promise I take very seriously. My sisters and I call it “praying you through,” and I’ve seen the power of prayers for others more than once, and I know that when I’m at the end of myself, the end of my faith, just knowing that others are lifting me up, praying me through, is incredibly powerful.

Mark 2:4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

Lord, Thank You for the power of prayer and for the ability to lift each other up to You in prayer. Thank You that the ability to pray each other through the trials of life is one more way that we can glorify You and encourage each other in this life. Help us never to forget the power of prayer. Amen.

Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Have a blessed day.

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I don’t understand, Lord. But I trust You with my life…. (devo reflection)

Mark 11:20-21 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

Today’s scripture is hard for me because I truly don’t understand. Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit—even though it wasn’t fig season. Why? Then He says that if we believe hard enough, if we pray without any doubt, we can have whatever we pray for. What?!?

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

I’m pretty sure we all have things we’ve prayed fervently for that did not come to pass. I can’t believe in a God who sees fervent prayer, yet says, “Nope. She quit praying 5 minutes too soon. No granted prayer for her.” So what’s going on here?

Mark 11:23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

Lord, You tell me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and all these things will be given to me (Matt 6:33). Jesus teaches me by example to say, “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). You assure me that Your thoughts are not like my thoughts and Your ways are far beyond anything I could imagine (Isaiah 55:8). I don’t understand, Lord. But I trust You with my life. “Not my will, but yours be done.” Always. Amen.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Have a blessed day.

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Belief and trust…. (devo reflection)

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

I’m currently reading Peter Enns’ The Sin of Certainty, still trying to wrestle with my discomfort with the certainty of commentary especially with texts like Revelation. Enns talks about how the word BELIEVE in the Bible is synonymous with TRUST.

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.”

Trust is something I have a really hard time with. I don’t know if it’s because of my hyper-developed self-sufficiency gene or what exactly, but I think it’s the root of so much of my anxiety, anger, bitterness, and fear. I believe, but it’s so hard to trust. Ridiculous, and yet utterly true.

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

Lord, I stand before You this morning in humility. I believe You are who You say You are, and yet, I struggle to trust, to be ok with uncertainty and unfairness and unknowing. Forgive me, Lord. Help me to remember Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Help me to let go of my fear and my need to control and to fully trust You. Help me, Jesus. 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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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.