Daily Devotions by Steve Holm
Daily Devotions
Matthew 21:23-32.. “When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’” vs. 23 In general the people who heard Jesus teach in the course of his ministry didn’t question his authority. He didn’t belong to any particular school of thought or claim to follow some famous rabbi. He spoke from the heart…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 2:5-13.. “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” vs. 12 Paul concludes this section with what seems at first to be an ominous imperative, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Some might even infer from these words that the whole matter of our salvation is up for grabs, that it depends not…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 2:1-4… “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” vss. 3-4 Because we tend to focus on the theological writings of Paul in our scriptures we don’t appreciate the vision that he had for our life together as the followers of Jesus. These words to his friends in the congregation at Philippi, are beyond inspiring.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 25:1-9… “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” vss. 8-9 The psalmist has nothing but praise for the Lord. God is good, the epitome of loving kindness, and wants nothing more than for sinners to learn the way and walk on the path of righteousness. In other words, we are accompanied in our brokenness by the Lord, and not…
Daily Devotions
Ezekiel 18:25-32… “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.” vs. 30 The prophet was speaking to the house of Israel, the nation that had come out of the wilderness and settled in the land of Canaan. What they were doing as individuals was not his primary concern. When he calls them to repentance he…
Daily Devotions
Ezekiel 18:1-4… “Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.” vs. 4 The prophet quoted a proverb that was common in Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” The proverb was a way to understand why bad things were happening in a person’s life, and it reflects a view…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 20:10-16… “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.’” vss. 13-14 The laborers in the vineyard had not been treated unfairly. The owner had paid them the usual daily wage, exactly what had been agreed upon when they started working. They…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 20:1-9… “When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.” vss. 3-4 There really aren’t any words that are adequate to describe the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus doesn’t even try. Instead he tells parables, stories that paint a picture of what life in the kingdom is like. He’s not talking…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 1:27-30…“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit…” vs. 27a Paul had been invited to come to Macedonia to proclaim the good news of Christ in a dream. Trusting in the Spirit, he found a ship that would take him across the Aegean Sea to Philippi. Knowing no…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 1:21-26…“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer.” vss. 21-22 Paul had reached an age, perhaps 55-60 years old, when he had begun to think of himself as aged. And since he was in prison, with plenty of time on his hand, he was considering his own mortality. He reported to the Philippians that he…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 145:1-8…“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” vs. 8 As we read through the Hebrew scriptures it is stunning to note how often the theme of God’s grace and mercy shows up. It seems that the psalmists and prophets never tired of reminding people that the Lord was slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And from what we read about Jesus in the gospels it’s obvious that he had absorbed…
Daily Devotions
Jonah 4:5-11…“Then the LORD said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.’” vs. 9 The truth came out in the end. Jonah didn’t really care about the people of Ninevah, what he got angry about was the death of the bush which had been giving him shade from the sun! And the Lord knew it! This story…