Posts by Rev. Steve Holm

Posts by Rev. Steve Holm

Daily Devotions

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” vs. 14 Zephaniah 3:14-16 It’s likely that Zephaniah was active as a prophet during the reforms of Josiah, one of the few strong and moral kings of Judah. He began his ministry by calling for an end to corruption within the priestly hierarchy and was evidently thrilled when leaders paid attention to him. As far as he was concerned the reformation was…

Daily Devotions

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.” vss. 3-5 Philippians 1:3-7 Because many of us have been a part of a faith community since infancy, we often don’t realize what a blessing such a membership brings. Paul had come out of a tight-knit Jewish background but when he began his spirit-directed…

Daily Devotions

He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David… that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.” vss. 69, 71 Luke 1:68-75 Zechariah’s song of praise, as recounted by Luke, reflects the conviction of early disciples that the ministry of John the Baptizer was no accident of history, but was indicative of God’s continued care for the descendants of Abraham. The Jews had had…

Daily Devotions

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” vs. 25 Matthew 6:25-29 When Thanksgiving was established as a holiday in our country, it was intended to be an end of the year celebration during which participants could give thanks to God for the bounty of the harvest. Many times…

Daily Devotions

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you Iwait all day long.” vs. 5 Psalm 25:1-10 The psalmist didn’t have the convenience of artificial intelligence or social media, so when he wanted to know the truth he turned to the Lord. The question is, if we wanted to do the same thing, where would we go and what would we do? Would we pore over scripture? Since many of us…

Daily Devotions

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” vss. 5b-6 Psalm 93 This psalm is known as an enthronement psalm, a hymn that was sung as part of the temple worship at one of the fall festivals to give glory to God as the Sovereign King. We know from scripture…

Daily Devotions

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” vss. 5b-6 Revelation 1:4b-8 While it’s unlikely that the writer of Revelation was the apostle John, it did come from a church leader bearing that name and living in the mid to late first century at a time of intense persecution. The…

Daily Devotions

To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.” vs. 14 Daniel 7:13-14 One of the consolations that the losers have in our elections is that the winners aren’t going to be around forever. Even while we’re appalled at the policies and regulations that come with a change in regime,…

Daily Devotions

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord;I have no good apart from you.’” vss. 1-2 Psalm 16:1-6 There are times in life when it’s good to just take stock of who we are, and perhaps more importantly, whose we are. The psalmist is doing just that. There doesn’t seem to be any particular crisis and he’s not pleading with the Lord to do an intervention. In fact, he’s…

Daily Devotions

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” vs. 3 Daniel 12:1-3 Even though many have little interest in the apocalyptic messages found scattered through scripture, when we take the time to read them we can find what might be called “hidden gems.” Such is the case today with the vision recorded in this section of Daniel. These are words that those…

Daily Devotions

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.” vs. 41 Mark 12:41-44 It’s fascinating to read in Mark that while he was in Jerusalem Jesus took time away from his teaching to sit down by the treasury and watch people give. He knew that there is no better way to gauge what is in a person’s heart than to observe their giving habits. That’s one of…

Daily Devotions

As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!’” vss. 38-39 Mark 12:38-40 The scribes of Jesus’ day were teachers of the law and along with the priests pretty much oversaw anything that had to do with the temple. As the authorities in every aspect of daily living…