Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 156)
Daily Devotions: February 25, 2020
February 25, 2020 For full passage click: Isaiah 58:1-12 … “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” vs. 6 Isaiah 58 should be required reading for any who presume to be God-fearing believers. The Prophet was fed up with folks who claim to be religious, but who have no heart for the poor or the…
Daily Devotions: February 24, 2020
February 24, 2020 For full passage click: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 … “rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” vs. 13 Israel had been invaded by a plague of locusts and the prophet Joel believed that relief would come only if the people turned back to God and repented of their sinful ways. Most of us probably…
Daily Devotions: February 23, 2020
February 23, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 17:6-9 … “But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.” vss. 7-8 The Scriptures consistently report that divine encounters are a scary proposition. Certainly that was true for the disciples on the mountain of transfiguration! The voice that was meant to assure them instead terrified them, and only the gentle touch of Jesus…
Daily Devotions: February 22, 2020
February 22, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 17:1-5 … “Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’” vs. 4 Jesus had just told the disciples that anyone who wanted to follow him should take up the cross and be prepared to suffer. Peter hadn’t particularly liked that image–none of us do! No healthy person…
Daily Devotions: February 21, 2020
February 21, 2020 For full passage click: 2 Peter 1:19-21 … “First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” vss. 20-21 Interpretation of Scripture is a notoriously difficult enterprise. Some say it can only be done reliably by trained and skilled biblical scholars, men and women who understand fully…
Daily Devotions: February 20, 2020
February 20, 2020 For full passage click: 2 Peter 1:16-18 … holy mountain.” vs. 18 The oldest account of Jesus’ baptism indicates that his experience with the voice and the spirit was a private affair and that it happened as he was emerging from the Jordan. Here Peter indicates that on the Mount of the Transfiguration the voice from heaven was for the benefit of the disciples present. The affirmation was not for Jesus, but for those who were following…
Daily Devotions: February 19, 2020
February 19, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 2:7-12 … “I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have begotten you.’” vs. 7 During the days when Israel had a strong monarchy, the king was thought of as the anointed one of God; he was the ‘messiah’ and at his coronation he was reminded that he was the son of God from that day forward. Later on, when Jesus…
Daily Devotions: February 18, 2020
February 18, 2020 For full passage click: Psalm 2:1-6 … “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.” vs. 4 The Psalmist was absolutely convinced that Israel was God’s chosen nation and that the king was God’s anointed. Any other nation then, that conspired against Israel or sought to overthrow the king was doomed to failure–no earthly ruler could possibly subvert the will of the Lord. Of course the psalmist was mistaken. There were…
Daily Devotions: February 17, 2020
February 17, 2020 For full passage click: Exodus 24:12-18 … “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’” vs. 12 According to the Exodus tradition, the law and the commandment came directly from the Lord, with Moses as an intermediary. Those tablets of stone became the focus of community life for…
Daily Devotions: February 16, 2020
This devotion was sent without content; we have had trouble with Cox outages all weekend, please accept our apologies! February 16, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 5:27-37 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” vs. 28 Jesus doesn’t miss much in his description of kingdom living. Again, he’s not just trying to fill in the loopholes that folks were using to bypass the…
Daily Devotions: February 15, 2020
Our server did not deliver these devotions due to Cox outages. Please accept our apologies. February 15, 2020 For full passage click: Matthew 5:21-26 … “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.” vs. 22 Six times…
Daily Devotions: February 14, 2020
February 14, 2020 For full passage click: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 … “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” vss. 6-7 Ever since the first mission starts were established by the Apostles in the Eastern Mediterranean area, the Church has been plagued by what might be called “the cult of personality.” Paul had to deal with it in Corinth.…