Daily Devotional

One of the best examples of loving your neighbor is found in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus was in the area around the Sea of Galilee. He was at a house with many from the community and some Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come to hear him teach. The house was beyond capacity. They were standing in every corner and sitting in every seat. Although Jesus had only just started his ministry, his name and the stories of his miracles and teachings were spreading.

James “Jimmy” Earl Carter Jr. served as the 39th president of the United States of America. Jimmy Carter led a remarkable life of service. Today, he will be memorialized in a national funeral service at the National Cathedral.

Tim King is the owner of a construction and remodeling company in Illinois. Usually, he works on projects away from family, but recently, he helped his parents remodel part of his childhood home. Tim is now 53 years old. His parents have been living in the same house for almost five decades. After living in the home for such a long time, things needed refreshing.

My daughter is learning to drive. She has completed her driver’s education and will take her test after she turns 16. She now has her permit and shuttles me around town. She is doing a great job! Currently, I am trying to make sure she understands the rules of the road, both written and unwritten. She is a great student and learns quickly, but there is so much to learn.

Mikal Bridges is a small forward for the New York Knicks. He was drafted in the first round after playing for Villanova University for three years. Mikal is 6’6” and incredibly athletic. He has had an extremely successful NBA career, recently named the NBA Player of the Week. Mikal Bridges currently holds the record for most consecutive NBA games played. He has not missed a game since he was drafted over six years ago. Mikal is living the dream of being a professional athlete well.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Kindness is inspirational. When we are willing to go out of our way to help others, it can have a far more significant impact than we imagine. Sadly, kindness is rare.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,