Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 123)
Daily Devotions: May 14, 2020
May 14, 2020 1 Peter 3:13-17 … “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” vss. 15b-16a The people Peter was addressing were living in turbulent times and their situation was quite different from ours. Believers were very much a minority group and regularly faced questions and even persecution from their adversaries. Peter advises patience in suffering but also…
Daily Devotions: May 13, 2020
May 13, 2020 Psalm 66:8-20 … “Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.” vss. 8-9 We still don’t know when or if life will return to normal as we continue to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, the middle of May is seen as a time to loosen restrictions and begin to open up the economy.…
Daily Devotions: May 12, 2020
May 12, 2020 Acts 17:26-31 … “For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’” vs. 28 Luke remembered that Paul’s debate with the Athenians on Mars Hill contained a couple of apt references to Greek poets, and that Paul seemed to share their perspectives on the Divine Presence. Paul taught, as did those ancient philosophers, that all people are the children…
Daily Devotions: May 11, 2020
May 11, 2020 Acts. 17:22-25 … “For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” vs.23 The people Paul encountered in Athens were proud, sophisticated, and tolerant of a variety of religious views. They had a long history of debate and philosophical conversation and loved to hear scholarly presentations…
Daily Devotions: May 10, 2020
May 10, 2020 John 14:7-14 … “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” vs. 12 Those who put their trust in Jesus in this world shouldn’t have to spend a lot of time figuring out how they’re going to spend their lives. John’s Gospel makes it very clear that disciples will do…
Daily Devotions: May 9, 2020
May 9, 2020 John 14:1-6 … “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” vs. 1 It’s no accident that we most frequently hear these words from the Gospel of John in the context of a funeral or a memorial service. There are literally no more comforting words in all of Scripture. It’s all here, all the hope and promise of our life in Christ. Whenever we feel discouraged, whenever our hearts are broken,…
Daily Devotions: May 8, 2020
May 8, 2020 1 Peter 2:6-10 … “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” vs. 10 Peter was writing to the scattered Christians of Asia and Galatia, and reminding them that, though they were few in number, they possessed a power and presence that came directly from God. He wanted them to know that, even lacking the credentials of race or heritage, they…
Daily Devotions: May 7, 2020
May 7, 2020 1 Peter 2:1-5 … “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” vs. 5 There have been some who have railed against the closing of churches in this time of quarantine, claiming that it is an aggressive act by an oppressive government. Others have laughed at the notion that any agency could have the power to close the church,…
Daily Devotions: May 6, 2020
May 6, 2020 Psalm 31:15-16 … “My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.” vs. 15 One of the great truths of human existence is that we are not in control. While that may seem self-evident to those who are wise, it still comes as a shock to many. In our youth we are regularly told wonderful lies by those who love us, aphorisms like “You can do anything,” or an old…
Daily Devotions: May 5, 2020
May 5, 2020 Psalm 31:1-5 … “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.” vs. 2 Many of us have been fervent in our prayers over the last months, offering up petitions for ourselves and our families, praying both for protection and for healing. It’s a natural response to the rapid spread of disease and aligns with what the Psalmist was feeling. But there’s been an added…
Daily Devotions: May 4, 2020
May 4, 2020 Acts 7:55-60 … “But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him…” vss. 57-58a The crowd didn’t care what Stephen had to say, they only wanted to kill him–and so they did; and made Stephen famous as our faith’s first martyr. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the last! There is within certain segments of humanity a deep aversion to kindness…
Daily Devotions: May 3, 2020
May 3, 2020 John 10:6-10 … “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” vs. 9 For the people of Israel, the Shema prayer “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” was the core of their faith and was to be recited every morning and evening. Many put a parchment containing this verse from Deuteronomy 6:1 in a little cylinder called a mezuzah…