Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 135)
Daily Devotions: October 9, 2019
October 9, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 111:6-10 … “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10 Wisdom has been prized through all generations and many continue to pursue it. Some confuse it with knowledge and believe that if they go to school, study, and graduate with honors they’ll have it. For them, it’s connected to having all the answers. The Psalmist…
Daily Devotions: October 8, 2019
October 8, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 111:1-5 … “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” vs. 1 The Psalmist wasn’t thanking the Lord for any answered prayer or a particular blessing that had come to him. Instead, he was reflecting on the goodness and mercy of God throughout all the generations–and he didn’t hold back! His song of thanksgiving came from the…
Daily Devotions: October 7, 2019
October 7, 2019 For full passage click: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15 … “But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’” vs. 13 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a proud man. He had been told by his wife’s servant girl, a captive from Israel,…
Daily Devotions: October 6, 2019
October 6, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 17:5-10 … “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’” vss. 5-6 Jesus’ response to the apostles’ demand that he increase their faith is enigmatic at best. It seems that he’s telling them that faith is not quantifiable. We…
Daily Devotions: October 5, 2019
October 5, 2019 For full passage click: Luke 17:1-4 … “Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.” vs. 3 Luke had access to many sayings of Jesus, some of which weren’t connected to any particular time and place, and he chose to group those isolated sayings in sections by themselves. Some seem to have been chosen because they related to issues that were coming up in…
Daily Devotions: October 4, 2019
October 4, 2019 For full passage click: 2 Timothy 1:8-14 … “This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” vss. 9b-10 The message proclaimed by Paul was centered–not on the works of our hands–but on the grace and the power of God. What’s amazing is the conviction of…
Daily Devotions: October 3, 2019
October 3, 2019 For full passage click: 2 Timothy 1:1-7 … “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” vs. 5 Timothy was a leader in the early church, and had a relationship with Paul that went back to the early missionary journeys. According to this letter, Paul knew the family. Evidently it was Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, and his mother,…
Daily Devotions: October 2, 2019
October 2, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 37:1-9 … “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.” vs. 7 In these last years, some people have been caught up in what seems like a constant state of fretfulness. They wonder how friends and family can hold political positions squarely at odds with their own. They’re angry at societal trends that…
Daily Devotions: October 1, 2019
October 1, 2019 For full passage click: Habakkuk 2:1-4 … “For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” vs. 3 Even though Habakkuk saw nothing hopeful in the injustice and the turmoil that surrounded him and cried out in complaint to the Lord, he did not give up hope. We, who are his…
Daily Devotions: September 30, 2019
September 30, 2020 For full passage click: Habakkuk 1:1-4 … “Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.” vs. 3 Living about the time of Jeremiah, Habakkuk was overwhelmed by the injustice and violence of Judah before the Babylonian invasion, and he couldn’t understand why God didn’t do anything about it. Some of us will resonate with his observations in our confused and troubled times. Even though…
Daily Devotions: September 29, 2019
September 29, 2020 For full passage: Luke 16:27-31 … “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” vs. 31 Luke’s gospel is full of warnings from Jesus about the dangers of riches. Again and again he tells the crowds and the disciples that those who desire to be wealthy are treading on dangerous ground. Some people took his words to heart! Many…
Daily Devotions: September 28, 2019
September 28, 2020 For full passage click: Luke 16:19-26 … “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.’” vs. 25 This familiar story paints a stark contrast between the fate of the rich and the poor after death and satisfies a basic human desire for ultimate justice. We are reminded that both the rich and the…