Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 177)
Daily Devotions: June 7 , 2018
June 7, 2018 2 Corinthians 4:13-15…“But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—’I believed, and so I spoke’ —we also believe, and so we speak,…” vs. 13 It’s hard to know exactly what has generated faith in any believer. With some, it seems to have been there since childhood. They can’t remember any particular moment in which they first believed. With Paul, it was an encounter with the Risen Christ on the…
Daily Devotions: June 6 , 2018
June 6, 2018 Psalm 130…“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.” vss. 3-4 There are those who believe that God keeps a detailed record of our entire lives, and has therefore taken note of all our sins and indiscretions from the times of our youth until the present. The psalmist notes that if that were indeed the case all of us would be doomed.…
Daily Devotions: June 5, 2018
June 5, 2018 Genesis 3:11-15…“The man said, ’The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’” vs. 12 This story’s truth nails us. Oh, how we love to blame others for our sins! The man manages to blame both God and the woman for his disobedience. “She did it, God! And if you hadn’t made her, things would be just fine. So it’s really all your fault, God!” Over and…
Daily Devotions: June 4, 2018
June 4, 2018 Genesis 3:8-10…“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” vs. 8 These stories from the Genesis 2 and 3 are amazing for the breadth of their understanding of human nature. In them, we see a down-to-earth God who forms and shapes the man from clay…
Daily Devotions: June 3, 2018
June 3, 2018 Mark 3:1-6…“He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” vs. 5 When Jesus had asked the religious leaders if it was lawful to do good on the sabbath they were silent. Even though the answer would have been obvious even to a child, they were tongue-tied and Jesus was furious. Was this…
Daily Devotions: June 2, 2018
June 2, 2018 Mark 2:23-28…“Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath;’” vs. 27 The sabbath had been a great gift for the people of God, a commandment that actually mandated rest, and it was one that they were glad to keep and observe. But through the years, great debates had arisen among them about the types of activities that were permitted on that day. By Jesus’ day, the rules regarding…
Daily Devotions: June 1, 2018
June 1, 2018 2 Corinthians 4:8-12…“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” vss. 8-9 If Paul had ever thought that Jesus had called him to a life of privilege and prosperity, he had quickly been disabused of that notion. On nearly every step of his journey he had faced opposition and adversity, and sometimes had been forced to endure significant physical and emotional…
Daily Devotions: May 31, 2018
May 31, 2018 2 Corinthians 4:5-7…“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” vs. 7 Paul described the good news of Jesus Christ as a great treasure and he gladly proclaimed it in every circumstance and in every setting. In his estimation, it was more valuable than silver or gold and provided healing for the deepest human hurts. He also…
Daily Devotions: May 30, 2018
May 30, 2018 Psalm 81:6-10…“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” vs. 10 According to the book of Deuteronomy, the purpose of the sabbath commandment was to continually remind the people of Israel that God had led them up from the land of Egypt. The psalmist knew that and believed that, as that exodus story was remembered and retold, the Lord would…
Daily Devotions: May 29, 2018
May 29, 2018 Psalm 81:1-5…“Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our festal day.” vss. 2-3 The psalmist gives us a glimpse of worship as it was practiced in the days of the Temple. It wasn’t all about bloody sacrifice and fiery altar offerings. A whole cadre of Levites were on hand to assist in making festival days times of joyful thanksgiving. Hymns…
Daily Devotions: May 28, 2018
May 28, 2018 Deuteronomy 5:12-15…“Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.” vs. 12 Most folks are familiar with the concept of a sabbatical, a time of rest from regular labors or a time away from our job or profession. In some corporations, a sabbatical is considered one of the perks of employment. But many don’t know that this practice has deep roots in the Hebrew scriptures and that it stems from the…
Daily Devotions: May 27, 2018
May 27, 2018 John 3:11-17…“If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” vs. 12 There are times when we would like to share the good news of Jesus the Christ with our neighbors or even family members, and they have a dickens of a time trying to figure out what we’re talking about. Oh, they may know the story and be familiar with the…