"Never Satisfied" March 4 Readings: Numbers 19-20, Mark 8:1–21, Psalm 31:19–24, Proverbs 8:1-2

  

Reading the Bible in 2025

Each day this year we will read a selection from the Old Testament, the New Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and part of Proverbs. By the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible. We read this way to give you a bit of variety. 

NOTE: If you get behind, do not give up. Read today's readings and try to catch up when you have a chance. The goal is not to "accomplish a task" but to meet God in his word. Read the word. Also, if you are short on time, READ GOD'S WORD and skip my devotional!

Bible Readings: Numbers 19-20, Mark 8:1–21, Psalm 31:19–24, Proverbs 8:1-2

    Scriptures linked to Bible Gateway in ESV version 

Daily Devotional: Never Satisfied

Jesus was wandering through the Galilee area doing amazing miracles. Mark 8:1-10 records an astounding work where he fed 4000 people with seven loaves, having just recently fed even more people with even less food. He had healed the sick, made the lame walk, helped the blind to see, cast out demons, and even raised the dead back to life. The area around Capernaum was abuzz with the amazing works of the Nazarene who claimed to be the long-awaited and promised Messiah.

Jesus did amazing things!

Then, he got in a boat and went to a place called Dalmanutha. It is not clear where that is, but it is believed by many to be Magdala, on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum. It was there that the Pharisees came to him to pick a fight, to start an argument with him. They were not there as students of the truth or seekers of God. They were jealous of Jesus' power and popularity and were there to try to find something against him, a way to bring him down.

So, they came to him and demanded a sign from him, some evidence of the power of God working through him that would prove that he was truly from God, that he was the Messiah he claimed to be.

Wait a minute. What kind of sign did they want?

• Did feeding 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish not count as a sign? 
• How about feeding 4000 with 7 loaves? 
• Did casting the legion of demons out of the man of Gerasene not demonstrate the power of God? 
• The lame walked. The blind saw. The sick were made well. Could that not count as a sign? 
• The water turned into wine, how about that? 
• And the biggest, best, greatest miracle of all - Jesus raised the dead to life. Did the Pharisees not consider that a sign from above? 

What more could Jesus do? What did they want from him? The simple fact is that there was nothing Jesus could do that could convince them to believe. Whatever he did - it would never be enough for their skeptical, hardened, unbelieving hearts. John 11 records perhaps the most spectacular miracle Jesus ever did. After 4 days in the grave, after the process of bodily decay had already begun, Lazarus was called forth from the dead and brought back to life. What did the religious leaders do at that point? They did not repent. They did not turn from their hatred of Jesus. They gathered an emergency meeting of the Council to discuss how to get rid of Jesus once and for all. Jesus just brought a man back from the dead and all they could think was how they could destroy him!

Here's the point. Our job is not to prove ourselves to everyone or win the respect of doubters and deniers. There will always be those who disrespect the church, the faith, and the individuals in it. If you want to be universally liked and affirmed, don't bother serving Jesus. Many people hated him and some won't love you either.

Jesus didn't waste his time trying to curry favor with those who disdained the work of God. His focus was on God's glory and his desire was to serve him. We ought to be kind and respectful to all people, but we ought to live to please God and to seek his approval alone.

Jesus refused to perform tricks in a futile attempt to gain the favor of the Pharisees. "No sign will be given," he said. And he got up and left. There is great work to be done and our job is to proclaim Christ and not to make people like us.

Father, may your glory be my goal. Help me not to live for the approval or by the opinions of others, but simply for your approval, by your power and for your kingdom. 

Consider God's Word:

Which of these four passages spoke most clearly to you today? 

Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed and dealt with that was revealed in one of these passages? 

Is there something in your life that needs to change?

Is there a struggle in your life that one of these passages spoke to? 

Remember to simply live out your faith and trust God to convince those who doubt or criticize. You can never prove yourself to anyone and ought not to waste your energy defending yourself. Just live for Jesus and trust him to defend you.