“And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”  Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him” (Mark 1:25-26).

Jesus has all authority and all that is created is under His authority.  If He speaks, the created must listen (or flee).  There are unclean spirits in this world and they are constantly busy leading those who will not listen to the Lord astray.  What voice will you listen to?  The voice of this world or the voice of the One through whom all things have their being?  Come to the One who teaches the way, truth and new life.

Lord God, You have promised that Your word will not come back void.  You have spoken Your Word and it has fallen upon my ears.  Let Your word pierce my heart, slay the sinner and resurrect those who will become like Jesus.  Your word is truth.  Lead me into all truth and guide me upon the path of redemption so that I may journey with You now and forever into the life for which You are re-creating me to live.

Lord Jesus, You have come in order that as many as believe, hearing Your voice of truth, would be redeemed and walk the path You have set before us.  Lead me in the way of salvation.  Guide me into all truth.  Do not let Your word slide away from me, but send it deep into my soul.  Help me to see that You have come bringing life and true liberty through the love You pour into those who walk with You.  Amen.

“Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:23-24)

The evil spirits know and believe, though they continue in rebellion.  They know, but we go on not even hearing their testimony.  The eternally wicked do not know that they have already been cast from God’s presence.  Jesus has not come to destroy, but to offer true life.  It is a matter of moving from where we are to where we need to be for eternity.  Some, including the evil ones, do not want to be in God’s presence.

Lord, help me to see with clarity that You have come to saves us.  That means being moved from where we are to where we need to be.  You are the tree of life, and You have come for us to be grafted into the eternal life which You offer.  Guide me so that I may receive Your offer, hear the testimony (even from the wicked who know who You are) and live into the eternal life You give.

Lord Jesus, the wicked ask, “What business do I have with You?”  I (and all others) would not have a new life except for You.  You have come to give us true life.  Lead me into that true life You give and teach me so that I may learn how to live this life which You are giving me.  Without You I am spiritually dead, but in You I have been granted new life which springs to eternal life.  Guide me in living the true life You have given me.  Amen.

“They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach.  They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:21-22).

Bold teachers may go out on the limb and tell you what they think, but Jesus told them as it is.  God in the flesh did not need to speculate, for He knew.  Anyone who could hear such teaching would be amazed.  The difference is between one who has learned and come to conclusions and One who knows and reveals the truth.  Listen to Jesus, for in Him you have the truth revealed.

Almighty God, I do know the difference between someone who knows what they are talking about and someone who is repeating what another has told them.  Help me to be discerning and understand things which are true.  You have revealed the truth in order to set me free from the bondage of this ignorant generation.  Guide me into all truth in order that I may be truly set free.

Lord Jesus, some treat You as a great teacher – and You are – but that is all they think of You.  You are a teacher, mentor, Savior, leader, and the One who can lead me into all truth.  Through Your Holy Spirit, guide me always in the way of truth. Help me to understand that only in You is there hope and a future.  Grant that I would sit at Your feet and learn from You, the Author and Finisher of my faith.  Amen.

“Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him” (Mark 1:20).

Everything was left behind.  We do not know the details.  Was there hardship?  Probably.  We are called to go on a journey with Jesus.  How far will we go?  Until we see Him face to face. Some disciples left along the way of the earthly ministry, but we have the testimony of the eleven faithful who followed to the end of their lives here.  We are called to go and follow Jesus wherever He will lead.

Lord God, I do not know the road before me, but You do.  You have called me and I want to follow, but often I am hampered by the obstacles that I think are getting in the way.  Help me to trust You so that in all circumstances I abide in the reality that You alone know all that lies ahead.  Help me to responsibly leave where I am to go where You call me.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to live by faith.

Lord Jesus, You have called, and I have thus far followed You.  Where I have been disobedient and stopped along the way, show me the way forward so that I may pick up my cross and continue to follow You.  You must be the author and finisher of my faith.  Lead me to faithfully follow wherever You lead so that I may become what You will make of me.  Teach me once again how to be faithful.  Amen.

“Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.  Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets” (Mark 1:18-19).

Jesus gathers around Him those who will be His disciples.  That was not just there and then, but it is also here and now.  Heed the call of Jesus and be led by Him.  You have heard His voice, and Jesus said that the sheep know the voice of the Master.  Leave behind what He will have you leave behind and come onto the path of salvation which He sets before You.  He will give you a new life.

Lord, in following You all of these years, I have come to understand the subtle touches which have changed who I am and how I think.  Guide me ever deeper into the life You have set before me.  When I am bogged down with questions, lead me through them to trust You above all things.  Help me, dear Lord, to live the new life You have given me as You prepare me for the eternal life for which You are shaping me.

Lord Jesus, with great intentionality, You have walked through the wilderness of this world, and generation after generation sees those who heed Your call and follow You.  You have also called me.  Guide me, dear Lord, so that I humbly walk the path You set before me.  Help me to overcome the obstacles that will get in the way so that I live into the new life which shall be lived with You forever.  Amen.

“As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-17).

The Lord calls us and we either follow Him or else we do not.  Maybe we will follow Him now, or sometimes, perhaps, later.  Ultimately, one either follows the Lord or else they do not.  Jesus calls and when we follow Him, He will lead us to become children to the Father.  He must accomplish this, for we do not know how to do it.  Come, follow Jesus; become what He will lead you to be.

Lord, I know there is longing in my heart that calls me forward.  The world tugs at me in so many different directions.  Guide me up and out of this world’s thinking to humbly and simply heed Your call to follow You wherever You will take me, making of me what You will.  You have called me through the water of my baptism to come and heed Your call on my life.  Help me to hear and heed You Lord.

Lord Jesus, You have joined my path in this life, beckoning me to come and follow You.  My circumstance does not matter.  What does matter is that I hear and heed Your call.  Guide me in the way You alone know I need to be guided.  Help me to live into the life for which You have called me and for which You paid the ultimate price.  Make of me what You will and help me to trust Your leading above all things.  Amen.

“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

The kingdom of God is at hand.  Is it all about humbly and simply being eternally united with Christ?  Well, this is a first step.  We do not know what eternity looks like, but the One who has come from eternity to unite us with Him to go to eternity does.  I do not know what heaven will be like, but I do know that Jesus will be there to greet us.  This is the starting place of walking the eternal life.

Lord God, so many in this world have such conditionality that we want to know what things will be like before we embark on the journey.  But then, it would not be faith alone.  Help me get past all of the places where I am conditional to that place where I trust You above all things.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to know that I will need more grace for my salvation.  Take me to the place where I do trust that what You have in mind is far above anything I can possibly imagine.

Lord Jesus, at a cost that I cannot imagine, You have prepared the way for all who believe to be forever united with You in eternal love.  Guide me now and always to humbly walk in the way You have established and follow You wherever You lead.  Lead me, Lord, on the journey of salvation and help me through all of the obstacles that will come my way.  In Your goodness may I dwell now and always.  Amen.

“Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.  And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him” (Mark 1:12-13).

We all go through temptations, but Jesus alone was able to resist all the temptation of the wicked one, avoiding the sin of not walking in the Father’s will.  Is this not the source of all the misery on this earth?  We have the ten commandments which we cannot keep, but obeying the Lord is the source of all joy.  Learn how to be ministered to by the angels and learn to seek the Lord’s will in all things.

Lord, You know that I am unable to do this without you.  With You, all things are possible.  Guide me in the journey You have laid before me, for You alone know all of the true pitfalls that come along while wandering through this age.  I need to be saved.  Sometimes daily and sometimes moment by moment.  Guide me, for I need Your experienced help.  You have set the path before me; help me to walk the path.

Lord Jesus, I suspect You have done and are doing more than I can imagine.  Above all of the meditations I contemplate, bring me to the place where I trust Your experienced leading.  Guide me according to Your plan of salvation and help me overcome the obstacles that will stand in the way.  Lead me always into the life You intend for me as You prepare me for eternity.  Amen.

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:9-11).

It takes a perfect man to perfectly repent.  Jesus underwent the baptism we need, and when we are united with Him in repentance, He unites with us so that through His death and resurrection, we are united to His life.  Our hope is in hearing the same words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  Jesus came as the perfect servant of the living God in order to create in us children of the Heavenly Father.

Lord God, the mystery of this is great, but help me to see the simple truth that You offer to save us, redeem us, and grow us into the likeness of Christ.  He is the first-fruit, but You have called for us to follow Him as He, the author and finisher of our faith, makes of us children of God.  Help me, beyond my understanding, to humbly submit to Your eternal plan, following Your beloved Son.

Thank You Jesus for doing all that is needed so that the completion of the Father’s creation of me as a child of God may take place.  Guide me today and every day that You give me in this age to reach for the place where I may join with all of the faithful saints who have striven to do the Father’s will and receive the prize of eternal life with the words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  Help me always Lord Jesus.  Amen.  

“And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.  I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-8).

Jesus called John the greatest of those born of women.  Jesus is greater.  He is the One through whom all things have their being.  The Almighty has come through the Incarnation and has walked among us.  John gave us a baptism of repentance, but Jesus has come and given us eternal life.  To be baptized is to be immersed.  Will you be immersed in the life you have, or the life that Jesus gives you?

Lord, help me to see that I cannot walk a Sunday morning, church going, part-time religion and live the life You intend.  Help me to understand that You have come to immerse me in the true life which comes through You.  Guide me ever deeper into the mystery of faith so that I may humbly walk in Your presence and be led by Your goodness and mercy every step of the way.

Lord Jesus, Mighty Savior, overcome my unbelief, take me and never let me go.  Guide me ever deeper into the journey of faith which You have prepared before me.  Lead me in the way I need to go and wash away any hindrances that may come my way.  You know all that is needed.  Guide me in the right way of walking according to the Father’s will.  Keep me in the righteousness You intend for me that I may grow into Your likeness.  Amen.