Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

NO MORE?

“They have no more wine.” –John 2:3 We also say we have no more money, no more time, no more hope, peace, joy, etc. Although the Lord has promised to provide all our needs, we sometimes seem to be lacking our “daily bread” (Mt 6:11). When we have “no more,” we should listen to Mary and do whatever Jesus tells us (Jn 2:5). If we simply obey Him, He will take the water of our insufficiency and transform it into the wine of His plenty. Jesus has given us hundreds of commandments, and by His grace we can obey them...

INSTANT

“As He moved on He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus at his tax collector’s post, and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Levi got up and became His follower.” –Mark 2:14 Could the Lord work with you as He did with Levi? Could He call you to leave everything immediately? Jesus, being the Lord, doesn’t always work step-by-step. For example, Saul is out looking for some lost asses and, before he knows it, he’s anointed king (1 Sm 9:3; 10:1). Joseph goes to bed one night and before morning he and his family are on their way to Egypt (Mt...

HELPING TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE?

“Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today?” –1 Samuel 4:3 The Israelites lost a battle against the Philistines. Four thousand soldiers were killed (1 Sm 4:2). “The elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines?’ ” (1 Sm 4:3) Then instead of waiting for God’s answer, they went into battle again. “It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers” (1 Sm 4:10). Bad things happen to all of us throughout our lives. Naturally, we ask the Lord, “Why?” Naturally, we often go on...

IN WITH THE FATHER, OUT WITH POWER

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” –Mark 1:38, RSV-CE In some translations, the text of Mark 1:38 reads “For this purpose have I come” (see Mk 1:38, RNAB). The Greek text for the word translated “come” has the meaning “come out.” After a powerful day of miracles and preaching, Jesus rose early the next morning to go to a “lonely place in the desert” to pray in communion with His heavenly Father (Mk 1:35). It is from this place of deep communion with the Father...

OBEY AND DESTROY

“Have You come to destroy us?” –Mark 1:24 The demons spoke to Jesus through the mouth of the possessed demoniac, saying “Have You come to destroy us?” (Mk 1:24) The answer to that question is “Yes.” “It was to destroy the devil’s works that the Son of God revealed Himself” (1 Jn 3:8). Jesus is gentle and humble of heart with sinful human beings (see Mt 11:28-30; 12:19-20). However, Jesus is not gentle with the strongholds of the evil one. He casts out demons and destroys the works of Satan’s kingdom of darkness with power and authority (see Mk 1:27)....