Posts by Rev. Steve Holm
Jeremiah 31:10-14… “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” vs. 13 In spite of his concern for Jerusalem and his contempt for the policies of the king, Jeremiah could scarcely contain himself as he thought about the future the Lord had in mind for the people. His vision is magnificent, and…
Daily Devotions
Jeremiah 31:7-9… “See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labour, together; a great company, they shall return here.” vs. 8 Jeremiah was a hard-nosed prophet, and as we read his book we get an earful of judgment. The Lord was not pleased with the faithlessness of Israel and Judea. They were…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 63:7-9… “I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us, and the great favour to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” vs. 7 When the people returned from exile in Babylon they found that the land of their dreams had been devastated. The walls of Jerusalem had been…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 2:13-18… “Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’” vss. 14-15 In the gospel of Matthew Jesus is presented as a new Moses, a leader chosen by God to inaugurate a new covenant with Israel. Rescued from King Herod as a…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 2:16-23… “But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.” vs. 22 In an age when tribal connections meant everything and many people expected that the messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, David’s tribe, it was a bit of a mystery how Jesus would have been raised in the…
Daily Devotions
John 1:1-14… “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” vss. 3b-5 John doesn’t have an infancy narrative in his gospel. For him what happened in Jesus was connected not to a stable but to the Word through whom life itself had come into being. This life was the light of all people and exposed them to…
Daily Devotions
Luke 2:1-14… “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” vs. 7 When Luke wrote his beautiful account of Jesus’ birth, his graphic details emphasize the humble setting. Jesus wasn’t born in a royal palace but in a stable, and his first visitors were shepherds, not kings. There was intention in Luke’s description. Jesus was of humble…
Daily Devotions
Titus 2:11-14… “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly…vss. 11-12 In these final days of Advent it’s hard to go anywhere without being greeted by the words “Merry Christmas,” or at least, “Happy Holidays.” The Birth of Jesus is not sneaking up on anyone! We’ve been aware that it’s on the way ever since…
Daily Devotions
December 22, 2025 Isaiah 9:2-7… “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” vs. 6 When Hezekiah ascended to the throne of Judah in the late 8th century BC, Isaiah took note of the hopes and dreams that accompanied the beginning of his reign. Hezekiah knew that the rising power of Assyria was a threat to the…
Daily Devotions
John 1:1-14… “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” vss. 3b-5 John doesn’t have an infancy narrative in his gospel. For him what happened in Jesus was connected not to a stable but to the Word through whom life itself had come into being. This life was the light of all people and exposed them to…
Daily Devotions
December 21, 2025 Matthew 1:22-25… “All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, “God is with us.”’” vss. 22-23 During the lifetime of Jesus there is no indication that any of his disciples knew anything about his virgin birth. Paul, the writer of a large portion of the New Testament, doesn’t mention anything about it. But when Matthew…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 1:18-21… “But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” vs. 20 Like Luke, when Matthew put together his account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he decided to include the story of Jesus’ birth, but his description doesn’t have the flair…