Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 131)
Daily Devotions: December 15, 2019
December 15, 2019 For full passage click: Matthew 11:6-11 … “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” vs. 11 In Matthew’s estimation, there is a great divide between John and Jesus. John was the best and the greatest of the prophets; he was articulate and spoke the truth to those in power. He announced that the kingdom…
Daily Devotions: December 13, 2019
December 13, 2019 For full passage click: James 5:9-10 … “Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!” vs. 9 James was fed up with the grumbling among the local followers of Jesus and he wasn’t above using scare tactics to straighten them out. He mentions that the Judge is near at hand and if they don’t want to be judged, they should stop the squabbling.…
Daily Devotions: December 12, 2019
December 12, 2019 For full passage click: James 5:7-8 … “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” vs. 7 Followers of Jesus in the early church fully expected him to come again and they believed that it would happen soon. Many thought that this would be the occasion for the restoration of the kingdom…
Daily Devotions: December 11, 2019
December 11, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 146:5-10 … “The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” vs. 9 During the time of the Psalmist, people were on the move. When drought or famine came, families didn’t stay where they were, they went to the places where they could find food and shelter. There were no fixed borders and no one worried about national identity…
Daily Devotions: December 10, 2019
December 10, 2019 For full passage click: Isaiah 35:6-10 … “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” vs. 10 The Prophet is overwhelmed with joy and hope at the prospect of returning to Jerusalem following years of exile in Babylon. The people had been away for decades and at times it must have…
Daily Devotions: December 9, 2019
December 9, 2019 For full passage click: Isaiah 35:1-4 … “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.” vss. 1-2a As Isaiah looked for the restoration of Israel, he knew that heaven and nature would sing for joy, and that blossoming flowers would abound. What he says is the absolute truth! Humanity is inextricably linked to the land, and what…
Daily Devotions: December 8, 2019
December 8, 2019 For full passage click: Matthew 3:7-12 …“But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’” If John was an Essene, as many scholars presume, and the son of a priest, as Luke attests, he knew the Pharisees and the Sadducees well. They likely represented for him the ruling parties in Jerusalem, the ones who regularly fought for…
Daily Devotions: December 7, 2019
December 7, 2019 For full passage click: Matthew 3:1-6 … “Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” vss. 6-7 We know little about John the Baptist, just a few verses in the Gospels, and a brief mention in the works of Josephus, an ancient chronicler of Jewish history. Some believe he was an Essene…
Daily Devotions: December 6, 2019
December 6, 2019 For full passage click: Romans 15:7-13 … “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” vs. 13 Paul’s life had changed in amazing ways and we can imagine that at times he found it hard to believe that he, a devout Jew, would be writing a powerful Epistle of inclusion to Gentiles. At one point, he had…
Daily Devotions: December 5, 2019
December 5, 2019 For full passage click: Romans 15:4-6 … “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” vs 4 Paul obviously held the Hebrew Scriptures in high regard and was familiar with all they had to say. It was important for him to align his teaching with what had been taught in the law and the prophets. He believed that…
Daily Devotions: December 4, 2019
December 4, 2019 For full passage click: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 … “May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.” vs. 4 The Psalmist composed this prayer for the coronation of a new king, perhaps for David’s beloved son, Solomon. It reflects the deep desire of the people for a leader who would bring prosperity to Israel and provide protection against invading armies. It’s the sort of prayer that…
Daily Devotions: December 3, 2019
December 3, 2019 For full passage click: Isaiah 11:6-10 … “They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” vs. 9 Both Isaiah and Jeremiah believed that, as the knowledge of the Lord spread upon the earth, hurting and destruction would come to an end. They’re not talking about some doctrine or creed; they don’t have in mind a new…