Daily Devotions by Steve Holm
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 55:1-5…“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” vs. 1 It’s hard to believe but our scriptures consistently teach that all the best things about life in this world are available to us free of charge. Nowhere are we told that it is a good thing to store up riches for ourselves and build our retirement portfolios. As the…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:44-52…“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” vs. 44 Jesus in this little parable appears to sanction what seems to be a shady real estate transaction. The treasure belonged to the owner of the field. For someone to stumble across it, hide it again, and then go buy the property doesn’t seem ethical. If…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:31-32…“He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;’” vs. 31 As Jesus taught the people who came to him for refuge, consolation, and healing he regularly used familiar metaphors to describe the kingdom of heaven that was now at hand in his presence. It was a genius way to make the indescribable real. A simple image could open their minds to understand the great…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:31-39…“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” vss. 38-39 Paul holds nothing back as he outlines the unimaginable extent of God’s power and love. We can almost hear him shouting, “Do you hear me people? There is nothing,…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:26-30…“We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” vs. 28 This verse gets a lot of attention from believers, particularly at those times in life when things aren’t going particularly well. Sometimes we can’t figure out any reasons for the things that are happening and our best efforts at living the good life are being thwarted. Things like disease, divorce, job loss, and depression take a…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 119:133-136…“My eyes shed streams of tears because your law is not kept.” vs. 136 This psalmist was saddened by the wholesale disregard for the precepts of the Lord. People were not walking in the way of righteousness and his heart was broken. While we don’t know the psalmist or his situation we can surmise that the pain came, not because he was angry at sinners, but because he was seeing the consequences of careless and lawless living. Such behavior…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 119:129-132…“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments.” vss. 130-131 Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms and is devoted to lifting up the law as God’s most loving gift to Israel. Today’s chosen verses call to mind an image of little birds opening up their mouths to receive food brought by a parent. They crowd the nest, their little beaks open…
Daily Devotions
1 Kings 3:5-12…“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” vs. 9 The second book of Samuel gives a lengthy account of how Solomon, with the help of his mother, Bathsheba, outmaneuvered his older brothers to ascend to the throne of David. As the story continues in the book of 1 Kings we read how Solomon went to one of the hill…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:36-43…“Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.” vs. 40 While the parable of the weeds and the wheat could be considered difficult and problematic, the interpretation offered later in the chapter is even more challenging. The dualism is unmistakable and a strong distinction is made between righteous and wicked people. The righteous will shine in the kingdom of their father and the wicked will be…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 13:24-30…“But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest;’” vss. 29-30a Those who believe that God is going to deal with the problem of wickedness in the world by gathering the wicked on the last day and casting them into the flames of hell, love this parable. Since they presumably assume that they are the good seed, it must give them some…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:18-25…“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25 The longer we live the more likely it is that we will experience the deaths of friends and family members. And when that happens we are always grateful to be able to offer words of comfort to those who grieve.…
Daily Devotions
Romans 8:12-17…“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.” vs. 15 When Jesus spoke to his disciples after his resurrection, the first words out of his mouth were, “Do not be afraid.” In fact they’d heard that phrase regularly from him throughout his ministry. Whatever situation they were in he wanted them to know that everything was going to be okay, that all would be well.…