Daily Devotional

Hurricane Helene has caused untold devastation across the Southeast United States. Helene made landfall in Florida, which brought strong wind, a large storm surge, and significant rainfall across parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The initial storm and the flooding that resulted from Hurricane Helene resulted in the death of 232 people, with over one hundred still unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are still underway as another hurricane has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. I hope you are praying for the people in the path of these storms.

Jesus was always willing to share a meal with the people of the community in which he was preaching. Sometimes, it was a meal with his disciples, sometimes with friends. On some occasions, the meal was with large crowds, while other times, it was with a small group of strangers in the home of a new friend.

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yea, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

It was May, 2005 we were preparing to take our first pastoral appointment in Fort Cobb, OK. I had gone through my initial training to be a pastor. Aimee and I were excited about this opportunity to serve a church. We had been appointed to serve at the Highland and Fort Cobb Methodist Churches. We had packed our house, and we were ready to move. To be honest, I was starting to get nervous.

She had been sick for over a decade. The scriptures tell us that she had seen many doctors, but her condition only got worse. She had done all she could to be made well, but she was sick and desperate. She heard that a man named Jesus was healing people as he went from village to village. She allowed herself to hope, and she went to seek Jesus.

If you’ve ever struggled to find a place to belong, comparing this to finding a spot in a junior high or high school cafeteria, especially if you are new, might be relatable.

Ulysses S. Grant is one of the most significant figures in American history. Grant served as the 18th President of the United States of America. Grant was not from a prestigious family.

Anyone who has ever been involved in a construction or remodel project knows that it can be chaotic. Projects never seem to be completed on time, and the cost of the work is often more than originally predicted. A renovation project can be a messy undertaking.

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.