Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 108)
Daily Devotions
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 “Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath; in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.” vs. 18 Prophets like Zephaniah had harsh words for the people of Israel and Judah. They were careful observers and it was obvious to them that the nation had strayed…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 25:8-13 “And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.” vs. 10 While the parable of the wise and the foolish bridesmaids is uncomplicated, it arouses a variety of questions for contemporary followers of Jesus. In its original context it seems designed to encourage believers to remain faithful and not be discouraged as they waited for the expected return of Jesus.…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 25:1-7 “Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” vss. 2-4 At the beginning of his ministry Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount with a story about a wise man who built his house on a rock, and a foolish man who built his house on sand. The winds blew and the floods rose; one…
Daily Devotions
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.” vs. 17 When taken literally these words of Paul paint a spectacular picture of Christ’s Second Coming. Those who have died will burst from their graves and shoot into the air with all living believers, and together all the saints will meet their…
Daily Devotions
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” vs. 13 Early followers of Jesus expected him to come again to usher in the promised eternal reign of God, and when that much anticipated return was delayed, some began to worry about those who were dying. Were they out of luck? Would they miss out on…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 70 “But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!” vs. 5 Many have been waiting for this day for months. The election is over, and even if we don’t yet know the results, at least we won’t have to watch the endless campaign commercials or get annoying text messages and emails from eager well-meaning advocates. From all evidence this has been one of the…
Daily Devotions
Amos 5:21-24 “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” vs. 24 Amos had been sent to proclaim the word of the Lord to Israel and he was not happy with what he saw. While people continued to practice the externals of religion, gathering on festival days for the singing of hymns and the offering of sacrifices, it was all a facade. While the rich were growing ever richer, and had multiple homes with ornate…
Daily Devotions
Amos 5:18-20 “Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear…” vss. 18-19a When Amos spoke of the “day of the Lord” he was thinking of that time when God would break into our human existence with power and might, something like the apocalypse mentioned in other parts of scripture. He’s telling…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:6-12 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vs. 11 As we take time on this All Saints Day to remember all the people with whom we’ve been associated through the years who now rest from their labors, we’re bound to be overwhelmed with a sense of gratefulness and deep gratitude. All of us have been touched in powerful ways by family members, friends,…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 5:1-5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 3 It’s likely that tonight’s Halloween observances will be curtailed or at least changed because of pandemic concerns. Still, we can be certain that creative parents will be promoting alternative celebrations in their neighborhoods, parades for costumed children perhaps, featuring sidewalk and driveway physical distancing, and a safe distribution of candy. Halloween is too big a deal in our culture–and ways will be found…
Daily Devotions
1 John 3:1-3 “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” vs. 1 There is a lot of talk about identity in these times. We’ve learned, sometimes painfully, that it’s possible to have our identity stolen, and that we need to have many layers of protection to be safe. But after the available safeguards have been put in place, many wonder about identity in a more…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 34:8-18, 22 “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” vs. 8 While we can’t be certain what the psalmist was referring to in this well-known verse, it does strike a chord with those who yearn for a deeper experience of the Divine Presence. It may even be one of the reasons that the Sacrament of Holy Communion has had such deep significance for so many believers through the years.…