Daily Devotional

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.

It is spring time in Oklahoma. The signs are everywhere. The trees are blooming. I have started cutting our grass. The iris and tulips in our yard are beautiful, bringing color to our once dormant landscape. Perhaps the biggest sign of spring is that baseball and softball games are being played all over.

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma′us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cle′opas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.

-Psalm 86:1-7

It was my first Easter Sunday as a pastor. I was nervous to be in the pulpit on such a sacred day. Aimee and I were serving two churches at Highland and Fort Cobb. Although I was nervous, I was excited to preach on that special day. I woke up early to make sure I was prepared. Our family left the house early for what was sure to be a fun day. We made the long drive to the church. With each mile my excitement grew.

Through loving God I’ve learned to love and appreciate my neighbors more than ever before. I see how the mutual love for God brings everyone together as a community. On Sundays, I get to teach two- and three-year-old children all about God and how He loves us. I teach them about Jesus. One of my 3-year-old kids came into the nursery and asked me, “Miss Molly, are we going to learn about Jesus today?”