Daily Devotions by Steve Holm (Page 226)
Daily Devotions: November 6, 2017
Amos 5:18-21 “(The Day of the Lord) is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake.” vss. 18b-19 The people of Israel were supremely arrogant as they enjoyed their unprecedented economic prosperity. They knew that they were God’s people and that God had even greater things in mind for them. One day the Lord…
Daily Devotions: November 5, 2017
Matthew 5:7-12 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vs. 11 Jesus told his disciples to expect persecution if they were bold enough to take up his cross and walk in his way. And that’s exactly what happened! In the early years, many disciples were derided and ridiculed…and many suffered and died for being believers. Even today, in parts of the world, to be a…
Daily Devotions: November 4, 2017
Matthew 5:1-6 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” vs. 5 In the context of today’s political climate and the general trend of culture this word of Jesus to his disciples seems more of a joke than anything else. A glance at the dictionary tells us that the meek are submissive and unassuming, willing to put up with injury, and unwilling to speak up or offer any kind of resistance. In our world the meek aren’t even…
Daily Devotions: November 3, 2017
1 John 3:1-3 “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” vs. 1a Folks in the early Christian communities lived precariously as they waited for the promised revealing of the Lord Jesus. There were a multitude of forces arrayed against them, ranging from the erratic cruel Roman despots to the insidious false prophets who tried to undermine the gospel of grace. Believers found solace in faith,…
Daily Devotions: November 2, 2017
Psalm 34:5-10, 22 “This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.” vs. 6 The little bit of personal testimony in today’s verse provides an intriguing backdrop for this psalm of thanksgiving. It reminds us that our scriptures emerged from an historical context that was not much different from our own. Like many of us, the psalmist had experienced suffering. It could have been any number of things: health, relationships, persecution…we really don’t…
Daily Devotions: November 1, 2017
Psalm 34:1-4 “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” vs. 1 Not all of us bless the Lord with every breath we take, nor is it likely that we continually offer praise with the words of our mouths. If we did there’d certainly be a different atmosphere in our social environment. Too often we forget the importance of a word fitly spoken and instead fill the air with careless and sometimes…
Daily Devotions: October 31, 2017
Revelation 7:13-17 “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vss. 16-17 Today is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg,…
Daily Devotions: October 30, 2017
Revelation 7:9-12 “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.” vs. 9 Christians of every generation have been fascinated by the vivid imagery of John’s Apocalypse and particularly this inclusive picture of the triumphant saints before the throne of the Lamb. It seems that no one…
Daily Devotions: October 29, 2017
John 8:34-36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36 We all yearn for freedom! Early on in our lives, chafing under real and imagined parental oppression, we begin to look forward to the day when we will be free of all restraint and able to do as we please every moment of every day. We’ll do as we please when we want and our lives will be full of pleasure and joy. And…
Daily Devotions: October 28, 2017
John 8:31-33 “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” vss. 31-32 There’s much to be said about the faith that connects us to the grace that God so freely gives. It can certainly be described as assent, an “amen” to God’s act of redemption that takes place in Christ Jesus. And it’s…
Daily Devotions: October 27, 2017
Romans 3:25b-28 “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” vs. 28 It’s pretty much agreed among followers of Jesus that all sinners are justified, i.e. made righteous, by grace through faith. But then a sometimes heated conversation can occur. Which of those two words, grace or faith, shall get the emphasis? It can make a difference. Those who emphasize grace tend to focus on God’s initiative in salvation. They happily…
Daily Devotions: October 26, 2017
Romans 3:19-25a “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” vss. 22b-24 Martin Luther had studied Paul’s words in Romans for years and then one day a light went on for him and for the first time he saw them as an offering of grace. He had struggled with his own righteousness for…