Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 179)
Daily Devotions: July 23 , 2018
July 23, 2018 2 Kings 4:43-44…“He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.” vs. 44 Many people don’t realize that there was a miraculous feeding story connected to Israel’s ancient prophet, Elisha. It’s only a couple of verses and recounts the time a servant is told by Elijah to feed 100 people with 20 barley loaves and a few ears of grain. Of course that wasn’t nearly enough to feed…
Daily Devotions: July 22 , 2018
July 22, 2018 Mark 6:53-56…“When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.” vs. 54 Over the last decade, there has been a vigorous debate about healthcare in our country and there haven’t been many satisfactory solutions proposed. We continue to search for the best way to deal with the manifold diseases and illnesses that cause such…
Daily Devotions: July 21 , 2018
July 21, 2018 Mark 6:30-34…“As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” vs. 34 Jesus saw that his disciples needed a break. They’d been working hard in ministry and were getting worn out, so he made plans to go off to a quiet place. Evidently there were retreat centers even in those days! There was however, an…
Daily Devotions: July 20 , 2018
July 20, 2018 Ephesians 2:15-22…“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” vss. 19-20 It’s so easy to get caught up in the strident nationalism of our day and begin to believe that illegals threaten every aspect of our future. According to current rhetoric, all our problems will…
Daily Devotions: July 19 , 2018
July 19, 2018 Ephesians 2:11-14…“For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” vs. 14 The earliest division in the Body of Christ was between the circumcised and the uncircumcised, and it took years of debate and argument before the issue could reach even an initial stage of reconciliation. The circumcised were so proud of their identity as the children of…
Daily Devotions: July 18 , 2018
July 18, 2018 Psalm 23…“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6 In the course of a lifetime there are moments that invite reflection, times when we can think back on twists and turns of our journey, and perhaps consider the impact of important decisions. Always there will have been a point on the way when we adopted, either…
Daily Devotions: July 17 , 2018
July 17, 2018 Jeremiah 23:4-6…“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” vs. 5 Even though Jeremiah was relentless in pointing out the sins of Judah and the inevitability of its destruction, he remained hopeful about future prospects. He believed that, having gotten rid of the old kings, the Lord would raise…
Daily Devotions: July 16 , 2018
July 16, 2018 Jeremiah 23:1-3…“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord.” vs. 1 When Jeremiah speaks of shepherds, he has in mind the corrupt and power hungry kings of his nation. Their leadership had meant the dissolution and scattering of the people; already many had been led away into exile. He himself would soon be taken against his will to Egypt. It was a terrible time. Leaders bore the blame and…
Daily Devotions: July 15 , 2018
July 15, 2018 Mark 6:21-29…“When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’” vs. 22 There’s some confusion in the ancient documents about this dancer’s name (Josephus says she was called Salome), but there’s no doubt that this was probably the favorite biblical scene for medieval and renaissance artists. They loved to paint the seductive, sexy girl,…
Daily Devotions: July 14 , 2018
July 14, 2018 Mark 6:14-20…“for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him.” vs. 20 Generally we can say that most people share Herod’s feelings about prophets. We know that they speak passionately for justice and that their motives are generally pure. And we like it that, in our country, they have protected first amendment rights…
Daily Devotions: July 13 , 2018
July 13, 2018 Ephesians 1:11-14…“In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;” vs. 13 It’s likely no accident that the words of this verse remind us of what is said following baptism in many of our congregations, “You have been marked with the cross of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit.” From the very beginning…
Daily Devotions: July 12 , 2018
July 12, 2018 Ephesians 1:3-10…“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.” vss. 7-8a The writer to the Ephesians can scarcely contain himself as he begins his letter to his friends in Ephesus. He has come to an explosive and expansive understanding of God’s grace and love and pours out his amazing conclusions in his introductory paragraph. He believes that the people reading…