The center of Mark holds the core of Jesus' teachings, but it is not what anyone was expecting. Even today there are many who think they are followers of Jesus but don’t understand this idea. First and foremost the challenge is to us, to follow Jesus in this surprising way.
Does God deliberately harden people’s hearts to stop them repenting? Why did Jesus frequently accuse the disciples of unbelief? These are some of the questions that come up as we read through Mark, and lead to some powerful opportunities of hearing Jesus speak to us.
Begin with prayer that God will bless his Word through the Spirit.
Read through the day’s passage prayerfully, asking God to help you understand as you read.
You should always follow a plan of reading that takes you right through a book, starting each day where you left off the previous day.
Never plan to read too much, or there will not be time for the meditation. Ten to fifteen verses is usually ideal, depending on the kind of book. In the Epistles it may be less because there is so much content; but in narratives such as in the Old Testament it may be more.
It’s wonderful to live under Grace and not Law, but sometimes it can leave us with a level of confusion. —Is God pleased with me right now? —Does it matter what I do? What God actually wants from us is not what most of us think!
The most amazing promises of God being with people run through the Bible. If we can truly get hold of these promises and allow them to sink deeply into us, it will be a huge strength for us as we go into the New Year
