Daily Devotional

One of the biggest questions we try to answer throughout our life is “Who Am I”? This is ultimately a question of identity. As a teenager we may go through different stages of fashion and friends to try on and see what fits us best. As we grow into adulthood, our identity could be wrapped up in a job or our relationships. Part of answering this question of identity is answered in where we belong. As children, we start to figure out who we are because of where we belong and who our family is. We make connections to our grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles. Knowing about the family we are connected to is an important part of figuring out who we are.

One of my favorite movies of the year is The Wild Robot. It’s an adaptation of the book by Peter Brown, the first in a three-part series. My daughters read the book in their 5th-grade classes and absolutely loved it – in fact, they loved the book more than the movie!

Dylan Horton is a defensive end for the Houston Texans, just drafted in 2023. He had a great start as a rookie player, but everything came to a halt last October when Horton received the life-changing news that he had Stage 4 Hodgkins-Lymphoma. Over the last year he went through 6 months of treatment and then 6 months of recovery and training to be back on the football field. He is now in remission and back in a Texans uniform.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

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 and other times with a small group of strangers in a new friend’s home.

God‘s grace is truly amazing. Wrapped into our concept of grace are so many wonderful parts of our life of faith. Grace is God’s presence in our lives. We are not alone as we walk the journey of life. Deuteronomy states, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

One of the great blessings of life is being a parent. It is something that fills you with great joy. It is not easy being a parent. Raising children requires patience, hard work, and lots of money. Many families find it challenging just to provide the basic necessities of shelter, food, and clothing. For a young, married couple, a baby provides many changes and challenges.

Life is filled with wonderful possibilities. We often stop ourselves from taking advantage of these chances because we tell ourselves it is impossible. We have dreams and hopes that appear far out of our reach. It is often fear that keeps us from trying to achieve our goals. Fear clouds our judgment and frequently keeps us from seizing the opportunities right in front of us.

Our lives are filled with hope, desires, and dreams. When we are young, we have dreams of being great athletes, successful musicians, or one of the many careers we admire. Our dreams are important because they help guide us to develop our skills and explore our talent and passion. One challenging truth we all know is that our dreams don’t always come true.