Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 220)

John 4:5-15 “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)” vs. 9 Culture wars and ethnic divisions have been around from the beginning of human attempts to live in community. We love to identify ourselves by our differences, whether of skin color, religion, or gender. Always those identifications carry a sense of superiority, a conviction that the…

Romans 5:1-11 “And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” vss. 3-4 Followers of Jesus are a peculiar bunch! In a world that values happiness and health, in which people will do most anything to avoid pain and distress, we have a reputation for welcoming suffering, and actually counting it as a blessing. On the surface, such an attitude seems bizarre. Accordingly, many Christians…

Psalm 95:6-11 “For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.’” vs. 10 Human beings have been given memories for many reasons, two of which are recounted in this psalm. First, the psalmist encourages the worshipers to remember the wonderful creative works of their shepherding Lord and how good life as a sheep can be. But then we hear a word of warning, an admonition…

Psalm 95:1- “O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” vs. 1 The Roman Catholic Church has lasted longer than any empire or country in the western world. For 2000 years it has been a source of strength and stability in a context of changes and challenges. Its leaders have at various times been vain and faithless, at others, strong, humble and bold. But through years of shame…

Exodus 17:1-7 “He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” vs. 7 The people of Israel had an amazing collection of stories passed on through the generations about their early days together as a community of faith. Things had not always gone smoothly as they’d wandered through the wilderness with their distorted memories of what it had been like as slaves in Egypt. Quite naturally…

John 3:10-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” vs. 16 This often memorized, regularly quoted verse contains what many believe to be the core of the gospel message. It speaks clearly of God’s inclusive love and the revelation of that love in the person of Jesus. No one is left out of the picture…there are no “un-lovables” mentioned or…

John 3:1-9 “Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’” vs. 4 Nicodemus wonders about this “born again” thing that Jesus had alluded to and asks a further question to get some clarification. He likely knows that his literal response seemed foolish, but he seems sincere in his desire to know more. Ultimately it appears that the confusion continued as he departed…

Romans 4:13-17 “For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” vs. 13 Paul’s words must have come as a jolt to those folks who believed that obedience to the law was their guarantee of salvation. Some of them had undoubtedly spent a lifetime laboring to follow every prescription and commandment that had come down to them. And now he was telling…

Romans 4:1-5 “But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.” vs. 5 The truth of the gospel was readily apparent to those who began following Jesus in those early years following his resurrection. They knew that in him they had forgiveness and life. But knowing the truth wasn’t always enough as they began talking with others about faith matters. People responded to the good news with questions about mechanics: how…

Psalm 121:5-8 “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” vs. 8 Every faithful Jew learns the words of the Shema at an early age and recites them daily, “Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” According to Deuteronomy 6, these words were to be written…

Psalm 121:1-4 “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” vss. 1-2 When we find ourselves in a tough or challenging situation, it’s not easy to know what to do. Even if we’ve been raised to be self-reliant and independent we don’t always have all the answers. In those moments of need we quickly discover that there are many places to look for…

Genesis 12:1-4a “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” vs. 1 We live in a time of major migrations as refugees flee their homes by the millions and cross countless borders in their search for freedom and economic stability. Many of these families end up living in camps for decades with little prospect of relief. Some become permanent wanderers as they go…