Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 220)

Isaiah 49:1-4 “But I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.’” vs. 4 The prophets of old had courage, conviction, and a strong sense that they had a word from the Lord that the people desperately needed to hear. They poured out their hearts in mission, frequently facing rejection and sometimes experiencing suffering and death. The words of…

Matthew 3:13-17 “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” vs. 17 The gospels, in their varying accounts of Jesus, present many different perspectives on his life and ministry, but they all agree that his baptismal experience was particularly important. There are some differences in the details of the gospel record but each implies that this was the moment of his call, or to put it another way, the birth…

Acts 10:39-43 “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” vs. 43 Following the death and resurrection of Jesus his followers were inspired to continue his mission by spreading out through the Mediterranean world proclaiming the good news and inviting others to become believers. They had a lot to sort out as they searched through their scriptures looking for affirmation of what they had experienced. But as they remembered…

Acts 10:34-38 “Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’” vss. 34-35 Today marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Epiphany, that time of the church year when we remember the ways in which God has been revealed through Jesus. Epiphany can also refer to a sudden realization that marks the end…

Psalm 29:5-10 “The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’” vss. 8-9 The psalmist had no trouble attributing massive earthquakes and violent windstorms to the voice of the Lord. Floods, lightning, thunder…all those things we term “acts of God,” were evidence of God’s dynamic energy and creative power. And for centuries…

Psalm 29:1-4 “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” vss. 3-4 We hear so many voices these days, loud voices all clamoring for our attention, all claiming to have an important word for us! They come at us from every direction…from tweets and youtube, television and radio. Often they are the pompous…

 Isaiah 42:5-9 “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” vss. 6b-7 Jesus adopted these words from Isaiah as a messianic job description and used them as a guide for his words and actions during his ministry. Wherever he went people felt the presence of God and found relief from…

 Isaiah 42:1-4 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” vs. 1 Living in exile, hundreds of miles from his homeland, the prophet believed that Israel was the much-loved servant of God and that, empowered by the spirit of God, Israel would bring justice to the nations. It was an amazing vision for a leaderless people with a history…

Matthew 2:19-23 “Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.” vs. 21 According to Matthew’s gospel, after a brief sojourn in Egypt, Joseph takes his family to Nazareth in Galilee, a safe place where he could find work and provide for his wife and child. After life in Bethlehem this would be a new beginning with fresh opportunities. And that’s exactly what today represents to many of us! It’s the first…