Daily Devotions · October 30
Reading for October 30
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Job 21 · Mark 5–6
Job 21 · Mark 5–6, Berean Standard Bible
Job 21
Then Job answered: 2 “Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me. 3 Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking. 4 Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient? 5 Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth. 6 When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror. 7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? 8 Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. 10 Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry. 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about, 12 singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute. 13 They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. 14 Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’ 16 Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked. 17 How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction? 18 Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm? 19 It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it. 20 Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out? 22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high? 23 One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease. 24 His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow. 25 Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity. 26 But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both. 27 Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me. 28 For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’ 29 Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports? 30 Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath. 31 Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done? 32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. 33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number. 34 So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
Mark 5
On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes. 2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. 3 This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains. 4 Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him. 7 And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!” 9 “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region. 11 There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. 12 So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. 14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it described what had happened to the demon-possessed man and also to the pigs. 17 And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region. 18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him. 19 But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.” 20 So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed. 21 When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea. 22 A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet 23 and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him. 25 And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse. 27 When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who touched My garments?” 31 His disciples answered, “You can see the crowd pressing in on You, and yet You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 But He kept looking around to see who had done this. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him trembling in fear, and she told Him the whole truth. 34 “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.” 35 While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?” 36 But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” 37 And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” 40 And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child. 41 Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” 42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). And at once they were utterly astounded. 43 Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 6
Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He went around from village to village, teaching the people. 7 Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic. 10 And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area. 11 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.” 12 So they set out and preached that the people should repent. 13 They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil. 14 Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. 18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” 19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly. 21 On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” 24 Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. 28 The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb. 30 Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place. 33 But many people saw them leaving and recognized them. They ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived before them. 34 When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things. 35 By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. 36 Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?” 38 “Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves. 45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. 46 After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray. 47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them, 49 but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost— 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus 55 and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. 56 And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain.
How to SOAP
Grab a journal and a pen. Read the chapters above and watch for the verse that stops you. Then take it through four steps.
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Scripture
Write out the verse that stood out to you.
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Observation
What is it saying? Who is speaking, and to whom?
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Application
What does it mean for your life today? Be specific.
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Prayer
Talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you live it.
Why daily devotions?
Devotions are time set aside each day to read God's Word and let Him speak. The point isn't checking off chapters. It's meeting with Him.
Ten or fifteen minutes is enough to start. Pick a time and a place and keep the appointment. Mornings work well for a lot of us, before the phone and the day start talking.
Missed a day? Don't start over. Read today's chapters and keep going.