Daily Devotional

“See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I don’t know how dinner is at your house, but at my house, dinner is rarely a beautiful, religious experience. Dinner for us usually happens at the end of a long day. We fill our plates and eat. We are tired. Once we eat, we quickly begin to settle in for the night. But dinner for Jesus and the disciples often led to powerful moments that shaped the future of the faith.

One of those meals happened just before the festival of the Passover. Jesus and the disciples were at the table, ready to eat. I am sure it had already been a long and eventful day, after all, any day with Jesus is exciting. John records that Jesus “got up from the table, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.” Their meal was about to be completely interrupted by one of the most beautiful acts of service…

There are few things more contagious than love and kindness. When someone shares genuine love, it is often reciprocated. Love and kindness often cause a ripple, like a rock tossed into a quiet body of water. I have seen this happen repeatedly. When someone leads with kindness, it inspires others to act in the same way. When intentional love is witnessed, it inspires others to do good.

This is what happened in the small community of White Lake, Michigan. Dianne Gordon was on her way home from work when she stepped into a local convenience store to get a snack. As she was leaving, she saw a bag on the ground. She picked it up and discovered that the bag contained a large amount of money. To be exact, the bag contained $14,700 in cash. Dianne was shocked that this bag was on the ground, and she knew she needed to get it into the right hands…

One week ago, on February 8, the legendary composer, performer, and producer Burt Bacharach died. He lived a wonderful life and passed away at the age of 94. His music has left an indelible mark on our culture. He won six Grammy awards and three Academy awards. His music has appeared in hundreds of films and been recorded by over 1,000 artists. Performers such a Dion Warwick, Tom Jones, The Carpenters, Marty Robbins, Stan Getz and so many more have recorded and performed his songs. Some of the more famous songs written by Burt Bacharach include “Magic Moments,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” and “I Say a Little Prayer.”

Perhaps the most famous song written by Burt Bacharach and his music writing partner, Hal David, is the song, “What the World Needs Now is Love.” This song was written in 1965 and first performed by Jackie DeShannon. This song has been recorded and performed countless times since it was first released. It most often shows up during difficult times because of the beautiful expression of love and hope that the lyrics express…

Today is a special day. It is Valentine’s Day. Today loved ones will exchange gifts, flowers, candy and more. They will celebrate with fancy dinners.  These gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious Valentine and why do we celebrate this holiday?

According to one legend, St. Valentine sent the first ‘Valentine’s’ greeting himself. He was a priest in Rome. In prison for helping Christians escape persecution under the Emperor Claudius II Gothicus, it is believed that Valentine developed a relationship with a young lady. This young lady may have been his jailer’s daughter. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine.’ Although the truth behind the Valentine legend is not clear, the story certainly shows him to be a faithful Christian, even to the point of death…

This week, I read about Miss Patty. She is a wonderful example of using her gifts and her passion to bless others. Miss Patty is a school bus driver for Clarence Central School District in New York. Miss Patty has been working with the school district for many years. She cares deeply for the children and works hard to build a relationship with each of them.

In 2005, Miss Patty was taking care of her mother. She spent a lot of time in the hospital and needed something to help occupy her time. She decided to learn how to crochet. She was a natural. It was not long until her newfound talent and her passion for her students connected. One high school student was getting on the bus and asked about the yarn she had. Miss Patty told him she was trying to make a hat. He told her that would be cool to have when he went skiing. Miss Patty asked him what colors he liked…

Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Eu-o′dia and I entreat Syn′tyche to agree in the Lord. And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your gentleness. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

I was on my way to work, making my way down I-40. I had some good music playing. I was enjoying my morning caffeine when all the sudden I began to worry that I had left something at home. It was in this moment that I realized I had left my phone at home. Oh No!!! I quickly began to calculate how far I was away from home and if it would even be worth turning around to retrieve my phone. I had gone too far. Turning around would just waste too much time on a day when I had so much to do.

A panic settled into my truck as I began to worry about what the day would be like without my phone…

As Jesus went from village to village, he encountered so many unique people. Some of the people he encountered wanted to simply see him as he passed through their community. They followed him like a modern-day celebrity. Others sought after Jesus because they wanted to hear his intimate religious knowledge. Often, when Jesus entered a community, he would encounter people who were eagerly waiting on him because they needed healing and they had heard that Jesus was capable of great miracles.

That is what happened on the road leading into Jericho…