Peter, James, and John

Re:Verse passage – Mark 5:21-23, 35-43(day six)

Have you ever experienced something that completely changed the way you see the world? Falling in love, holding your child for the first time, or traveling to a place that shifts your perspective?

That’s what happened to Peter, James, and John in that small room. Just them, the girl’s parents, and Jesus. Everyone knew she was gone. But then, with a touch and two simple words, she breathed again and stood up.

Ever since they met Jesus, their world had been changing, but this moment was different. This wasn’t just another miracle—this was power over death itself. Life could never go back to the way it was.

Later, Peter would say to Jesus, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68). I imagine he remembered the words Jesus spoke in that room. Who else could he trust but the Lord of life?

Mark would have you ask the same question.

Restore

 

“But Jesus said, ‘No, go home to your family…’” – Mark 5:19

We don’t know how this man became possessed, but we see the devastating effects—separation from his family, isolation from his community, and a loss of his very humanity. That’s what evil does. It isolates, degrades, and destroys.

But Jesus came to restore.

With a word, He cast out the evil spirits, returning the man to his right mind, his family, and his community. Jesus didn’t just free him; He gave him back his life.

That’s what Jesus still does today. He restores what’s been broken, heals what’s been wounded, and calls us back into relationship—with God and one another.

Where do you need His restoration today?

Building Trust

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:35-41 (day six)

“Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain? Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct?” —Job 38:34-35

When Job questioned God’s wisdom in his suffering, God didn’t explain—He declared His power over creation. Why? Because knowing who God is changes everything.

The disciples had the same realization after Jesus calmed the storm. Terrified, they asked, “Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41).

Like Job, they stood before the Lord of Creation—the One who commands the storm, the One who holds all things together. And if He has authority over the wind and waves, He certainly has authority over our lives.

To trust Him is wisdom. To doubt Him is foolishness. Because if even the storm obeys Him—why wouldn’t we?

God’s Might

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:26-32 (day six).

The disciples must have been discouraged. Things weren’t going as they had imagined—people weren’t responding like they’d hoped. Perhaps they thought Jesus’ parables were too obscure, too confusing, and surely there had to be a better way to gather a following than telling stories that sounded like riddles.

The world’s way of accomplishing big things is through force, strength, and control: fill the streets with angry crowds, build up the campaign fund, broaden the base. The world’s answer is always more. More power. More influence. More noise.

But Jesus offers a radically different perspective in Mark 4:26-32. He assures his disciples that it’s not about their strength or strategies—growth is God’s work. He invites them to trust in the small and seemingly insignificant. A farmer plants the seed, but the miracle of life and growth is entirely in God’s hands. The tiniest mustard seed grows into something mighty, providing shelter and blessing beyond what anyone could imagine.

This is the upside-down Kingdom of God. His plans don’t follow our rules or expectations. We certainly wouldn’t send the Savior to die in weakness and shame, but God’s wisdom works through what the world calls foolishness. He uses the small, the humble, and the few to bring about something extraordinary. In God’s hands, little is never wasted, and weakness becomes strength.

Kingdom Light

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:21-25, 33-34 (day six)

A lamp exists to shine—that’s its purpose. In the same way, the Kingdom of God is meant to radiate and reveal. This is the heart of what Jesus teaches here: the Kingdom is never hidden. It’s always shining, always revealing, always making itself known.

This truth challenges us in two key ways.

First, if we fail to see the Kingdom, the problem isn’t with God but with us . From the beginning of creation, God has made his Kingdom visible—in the world he crafted, in the Scriptures he gave, and most fully in Jesus, the Word made flesh. He has held nothing back.

Second, we cannot compartmentalize God’s Kingdom. Its light is inseparable from its nature. We can’t dim it, hide it, or turn it off without denying what the Kingdom truly is. If we belong to the Kingdom, its light must shine through us. Let it shine—boldly, faithfully, and without hesitation.

Gone Fishing

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:1-20 (day six)

For Jesus, it was never about keeping the crowd; it was about reaching the few. This is a sobering truth. Too often, we invest heavily in maintaining the crowd while struggling to lead the few. We measure success by numbers—how many are in the audience, how many likes on Facebook, how many followers on Instagram—a mile wide and an inch deep.

But not Jesus. He wasn’t interested in shallow popularity. He was teaching his disciples how to fish for the few—those ready to follow, to surrender, to bear fruit for the Kingdom.

City on a Hill

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 72:1-14 (day six)

The Church is called to be a living preview of the kingdom to come—a foretaste of the universal reign of Jesus. We are meant to embody the justice, blessing, and flourishing promised in Psalm 72. As heirs of God’s promises, we are empowered to confront the brokenness around us and bring renewal.

Where injustice reigns, we work to set things right. In a world of crooked paths, we are called to walk uprightly and lead others to do the same. Where there is suffering, we bring healing. Where there is need, we respond with generosity. Where darkness looms, we shine the light of Christ. When the world exalts power and greed, we exalt the humble and eternal King, Jesus—the heir to David’s throne, who reigns from everlasting to everlasting.

Until the day of His return, we are the city on a hill, shining with the light of hope, love, and redemption. In every act of justice, mercy, and grace, we reflect the reign of our coming King and point the world to the glorious day when His kingdom will come in its fullness.

Weighty

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96 (day six)

Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. Luke 2:14

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14

The root of the Hebrew word for glory is “heavy” or “weighty,” as in heavy treasure. Something glorious has inherent value. Therefore,  “ascribing glory” (Psalm 96:7) is not adding value but acknowledging value.

When John writes, “We have seen his glory,” he is saying that they encountered the whole nature of Jesus, the Son of God; they saw him for who he was. It is an awesome thought that the Creator became man (entered creation) so the disciples (and others) could behold his glory or see him for who he really was. And now, through their testimony, so do we.

Steadfast

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 89 (day six)

For the mountains may move
    and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
    My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”
    says the Lord, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:10

One of the words most often used to describe God’s love is steadfast. The word comes from the old English words “stede,” meaning place, and “fæst,” meaning firm or fixed. It is hard to imagine anything more firmly fixed in place than a mountain. Geologists estimate Enchanted Rock is one billion years old (if you are comfortable with an old earth). Even if it were a few thousand years old, that’s firmly fixed in its place. And yet God’s love is even more steadfast; it is immovable, eternally reliable, unwavering, and resolute.

We don’t always describe love in those terms. Our love can be fickle; it changes with the wind. We fall in and out of love.

God never falls in or out of love, he is love. It is that kind of love that is turned towards us in Christ.

Amen.

Scope

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 98 (day six)

The scope of Psalm 98 is breathtaking. It commands us to sing a new song—a joyful response to God’s glorious acts. This is not merely a song of the moment but one rooted in inexhaustible inspiration. The display of His righteousness in Jesus is a wellspring that never runs dry. His glory is infinite.

Psalm 98 invites us to reflect on God’s mighty deeds in the past and anticipate His future work in Christ. The content of our joyful singing spans past, present, and future, declaring that His redemption is complete.

The psalm moves in expanding circles of praise: first Israel, then all the world, and finally all creation. It calls everything in the heavens and on earth to sing, shout, and roar in worship. This new song is a cosmic chorus, encompassing all of creation.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of scope. He is worthy of all our praise—of everything we can give and more. That is the point: His glory deserves nothing less.