Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 218)

1 Corinthians 3:18-23 “Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” vss. 18-19a We live in an age where no one seems to know what is going on, or have any clue about what is going to happen. The loudest voices are those of the fear-mongers and they tell us to be afraid, that…

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-17 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.” vs. 11 As the early followers of Jesus continued to reflect on the gospel of grace, they realized that there would have to be some sort of organizing principle for the house churches that had popped up in all the major cities. They would need to figure out worship schedules, leadership issues, membership requirements…all those things…

Psalm 119:33-40 “Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.” vs. 34 We can understand the heart of the psalmist. Like most of us he sincerely wants to be a good person and live a life that is pleasing to God. And somehow he’s gotten the notion that if he can only receive the gift of understanding, he’ll be able to achieve his goal and keep God’s law. Again, we can identify.…

Leviticus 19:11-18 “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” vs. 18 Reading the legal prescriptions of Leviticus reminds us that we’ve known for a long time how we ought to behave while living in community. There really are no mysteries here. We don’t need to be rocket scientists to be able to figure out that stealing, lying, slandering, and cheating the…

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-10 “You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.” vs. 10 The ancient Israelites, by virtue of their belief in the holiness of God, looked after the poor and the aliens in their midst. In fact, Leviticus 19:34 indicates that “the alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you;…

Matthew 5:33-37 “And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” vss. 36-37 It’s unlikely that Jesus intended that we should never make promises or vows…a view that would pretty much undermine the commitments of marriage or ordination. There are most definitely occasions which call for statements of intention, and the words said at those…

Matthew 5:27-32 “But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” vs. 32 There are some who believe that when Jesus took away the loopholes in Mosaic law he intended to establish an even stricter law for those who became his followers. If that’s the case, the whole gospel of grace goes out the window and is replaced by…

Matthew 5:21-26 “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” vss. 23-24 Jesus clearly wants his disciples to know that living under the mantle of grace does not mean abandoning the old standards for lawful living. In fact, he raises the  benchmarks…

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.” vs. 5 The congregation in Corinth was giving Paul fits. Instead of celebrating their unity in Christ they were choosing sides, with one group claiming connections with Apollos, the silver-tongued orator who had come to them after Paul, and the other claiming special allegiance to Paul, the church planter. And now the two groups were at odds,…

Psalm 119:5-8 “O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.” vss. 5-6 The psalmist prays with all his heart that he will be able to keep the statutes of the Lord and thereby avoid being put to shame. We shouldn’t doubt his sincerity…it reflects our own desire to lead a good and blameless life. And he rightfully names shame, the faithful…

Psalm 119:1-4 “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1 This is the longest of all the psalms that have come down to us and has been carefully crafted to pay homage to the law and to offer encouragement to those who seek to obey it. The psalmist begins by observing that those whose way is blameless, who walk in the way of the Lord, are blessed…and we would have to…

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him;” vss. 19-20a The book of Deuteronomy, one of the most precious documents to come down to us from our ancestors, presents itself as Moses’ final sermon to the Israelites before they leave the wilderness…