Daily Devotional

The Hebrew people had been delivered from their captivity in Egypt. God, through Moses, led them out of a place of slavery and miraculously saved them from the powerful Egyptian army. After a long time of living and traveling in the wilderness, the Israelites are now on the border of the land that God had promised.

In the book of Numbers, chapter 13, Moses is commanded to send twelve spies into the promised land. These spies were leaders from each of the tribes. They were commanded to see if the people who occupied the land were, “strong or weak” and to see if the land was filled with “good fruit.” The spies went into the promised land and did just as they were commanded. When they returned from their mission, they brought back evidence of good fruit. It was true, the land was flowing with, “milk and honey.”

The spies also brought back a report about the strength of the people who occupied the promised land. Eight of the spies reported that the task of taking the land from the tribes that already inhabited the land would be impossible…

I was looking through my Bible the other day and noticed that every precious piece of paper I’d saved and placed inside had something to do with gratitude.  I found personal handwritten notes from my two daughters and a beautiful card filled with messages from previous co-workers with each of them expressing gratitude for our time working and serving together.  My heart was once again warmed as I read and re-read these sweet expressions and others.  I’m so glad I kept them!

When I was an elementary school principal, I made each one of my teachers a special file folder called their HABDF.  It was for them to keep every note or expression of kindness and/or gratitude they received from a parent, a child, a family member, or anyone else.  I made one for myself, as well.

HABDF stands for “Had A Bad Day File”…

It was not long after our family arrived at St. Luke’s that our daughter, Mary Beth, started attending the St. Luke’s Children’s center at Trinity Baptist Church. Mary Beth was in Mrs. Mary’s class. It was in this class that she and the other children learned a special prayer for lunchtime. The prayer her class said each day was:

God is Great
God is Good
Let us thank him for our food
By His hands we are fed
We thank You for our daily bread. Amen.

Mary Beth and her classmates learned and recited this prayer each day. She was so proud when she brought it home to us and said grace for our family at the table. This prayer is still part of our dining experience. We all have this prayer memorized now.

This is a simple, yet powerful prayer…

Much gratitude is owed to Paul for his passionate commitment to God’s kingdom. His hard work helped to make the church that we are part of today. However, Paul did not work alone. In each destination, Paul made friends who became partners in the ministry. Two such friends were Aquila and Priscilla. Like Paul, they were Jews who were Roman citizens. They were pushed from their home in Rome and made a new life in Corinth. Corinth was a large city, a political and economic hub. When Paul arrived in Corinth, he found the local synagogue. It is most likely that this is where he would have met his new friends…

Brendan Birt turned right into a moment he and another family will be grateful for forever. Brendan was driving late one night and took a wrong turn. As he traveled on an unexpected detour, down a residential street, he noticed a house on fire. The glow of the growing blaze captured Brendan’s attention. He quickly forgot he was driving in the wrong direction. He knew it was late at night and he wondered if someone was asleep in the house.

Speeding down the street, Brendan quickly made his way to the house. He ran to the front door and began banging on it while ringing the doorbell…

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”  Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you.”  For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “You are not all clean.”

When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.

Some wandered in desert wastelands,
    finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
    and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
    to a city where they could settle.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
 for he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

Unlike most of the churches that Paul started, Philippi was not started within the Jewish community. Most of the people who made up this church were Roman citizens. The church was made up of people from various walks of life. Like the city of Philippi, the church was economically and culturally diverse. It is to this church that Paul writes the letter known as Philippians.

In the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes about a great many things. Perhaps the most important topic that Paul discusses is found at the end of this great letter. Paul acknowledges that there are difficult situations in his life and the life of those to whom he is writing. However, Paul shares his “Secret” (4:12) to a life of contentment. Paul encourages the people to focus on things that are, “honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellence and worthy of praise.”

The people of London and the company KIND Snacks wanted to honor kindness in Great Britain.  They asked the people of London to nominate a person who made a difference through their kindness. Many people were nominated as a tribute to their kindness, but it was Jo Newby who was mentioned more than any other person. You may not have heard of Jo Newby, but she has had an immense impact on the lives of so many people.  Jo has, to date, been the foster mom of 92 children. WOW!

The book of James is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Filled with small bits of wisdom, this book offers significant and practical ways to live out our faith. The book of James is much like the book of Proverbs. It offers real-world teaching on ways to live out our daily lives; ways that positively reflect our faith.

There are few things more tangible to the practical living of our faith than how we speak to one another. James was aware of this and dedicates more of his writing to how we speak than just about any other subject. In the first chapter, James makes it clear that people of faith should be, “Quick to listen and slow to speak.” (James 1:19)