Mark 13:24-27 With great power and glory
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 2, 2018, Mark 13:24-27
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
(Understanding the Text) Here is another part that demonstrates that there is an application beyond the 70 A.D. destruction of the temple. It says that after that tribulation some things would happen. This seems to be referring to the time of tribulation that God cut short. It says the sun will get dark and there will be no moon. The stars will fall from heaven. It says the powers in the heavens will be shaken. The first part of this seems to indicate real natural phenomenon, but the last part about the powers in the heavens may be symbolic. I don’t know.
After these signs, we will see Jesus coming in the clouds with power and glory. I think this indicates the situation right before Jesus comes. It could be that one of those calamities that the Discovery Channel was always predicting would happen-maybe, an asteroid coming to close to the earth, maybe a man-made disaster like global warming and pollution, maybe something else. These will seem like cause for fear unless we remember that Jesus’ coming is next.
One point here is that Jesus’ coming will be visible. He will not come to earth yet. Instead, He will come with all (or many) of His angels. He will send them out to gather his people from the whole earth. The language indicates that none will be left behind or forgotten. It also indicates that Jesus’ people will be everywhere on earth, not just in one or two nations.
(Revelation of God) Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Right now, the world tries to ignore Him, but the day will come when no one will be able to deny His authority. He is also still love through and through. He is faithful and Just. He has promised to prepare a place for us with Him. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3). He will one day keep that promise and take us home to be with him.
(Application) The application for me is that Jesus promised that He will come and take me home. An angel will come and collect me and take me up into the clouds to be with Jesus. There is nothing to fear when these fearsome events happen and every reason to rejoice. Jesus has promised and this will really happen regardless of what the world thinks or says.
(Prayer) Please come soon and take Your people home.