Daily Devotional

Recently, a Norman, Oklahoma police officer took time out of his busy day to truly help the helpless. Our daily news is often filled with the worst of crime, war, and politics, but Officer Collins reminded us that there is good news to celebrate, as well. Officer Collins demonstrated that each of us can bring joy to this world with small acts of kindness. When we take time to offer help to those in need, we not only bless those who we help, but we remind others of the joy that comes as God’s people share His love through their actions.

I have been excited to be part of our recent Wednesday Night Alive, Special Addition. This class has focused on the rise and fall of the kings of Israel. It is a timely study that lines up with our readings for the Year in the Bible. This study started in the book of 1 Samuel with God’s selection of Saul to be the first king of Israel. The class will conclude by looking at the rise and fall of Solomon. If you were not able to be part of this study in-person, you can watch it online.

What color are your eyes? Mine are green. Did you know that green is the rarest eye color? A mere 9% of the US population has green eyes. Brown is the most prevalent eye color in the US (45%), with blue being next (27%). Only 18% of the US population has hazel eyes. Whatever our eye color, we can all agree that our eyes are important to us!

The relationship between students and teachers is significant. A good teacher can have a life-long impact on their students. It is the hope of all good teachers that their lessons and their hard work will help their students succeed in life. That is what Patrick Moriaty has always hoped for as he teaches science in Rochester, New York.

Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

Did you spend some time this past Monday viewing the eclipse? Did you travel to the zone of totality? At the end of our weekly staff meeting, the St. Luke’s staff ventured outside, eclipse glasses in hand, and we spent some time watching the heavenly phenomena taking place. It was a remarkable sight to see.

Easter means so much to the world. The empty tomb brings light and hope to the entire world. It is why we celebrate Easter each and every year. Along with this great celebration comes many wonderful traditions. I love Easter morning. I love seeing the happy faces on families as they come to the church to celebrate the resurrection. I love the bright and happy clothes of Easter morning. The spring colors seem to bring joy to all who wear them. It’s such fun watching children hunt Easter eggs. And of course, candy!

The story of David & Goliath is one of the great stories of our faith. It is the story of a powerful solider, Goliath. He is a giant of a man, who is strong and brash. Goliath is described as a “Champion of the Philistines.” They are the dreaded enemies of Israel. Goliath and the Philistines had come to the Valley of Elah, which is only about 15 miles from David’s home outside of Bethlehem. They had a strong army, better equipped than the army of Israel, led by King Saul. Things were not looking good for Israel. They were outmatched on this battlefield and there was no better example of that than the great warrior Goliath.

I first heard the Hymn of Promise, by Natalie Sleeth, while attending worship at the First United Methodist Church in Cache, Oklahoma. It is an easy hymn to sing, and the melody quickly caught my attention. It took some time to appreciate the beauty of the three verses of this song. At first, they seemed simple, but there is a depth to them that speaks hope to me each time I sing this wonderful, modern hymn.