Daily Devotional

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

I recently had a conversation with a parent of a teenager. She told me that her son was driving her crazy. I laughed because I understood her frustration. In the very following sentence, the young mother told me that she was so proud of him. We shared a few laughs about our children, but it was clear how much we both loved our kids.

Winter has returned. It is cold, with snow and ice covering the ground as I write this devotional. With just a slight change in the weather, we in Oklahoma can find our daily lives interrupted. We are not used to the extreme cold, and winter precipitation slows traffic, shuts down schools, and makes us scramble for groceries. People who live in slightly harsher climates find our struggles with winter weather somewhat funny.

It is cold in Oklahoma. Each year, we have a few days of cold, snow, and ice. If you are not a fan of this weather, remember the words of Oklahoma’s own Will Rogers, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute.” In just a few days, the sun will return, the temperatures will rise, and the snow and ice will melt.

Annie S. Hawks was a talented young woman. She had a gift for writing poetry and lyrics. By the age of 14, she was a contributing writer to local newspapers. She would write poetry that was often featured in these publications. Annie’s faith was important to her. As she grew in her love for God, she developed her skills in writing lyrics for hymns. In her lifetime, Annie S. Hawks (1836-1918) would write just over 400 hymns. Her ability to write was remarkable.

It is President’s Day. This day is a Federal Holiday. It began as a celebration of George Washington’s birthday. Shortly after the Civil War, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed legislation making President Washington’s birthday a federal holiday. The country celebrated this holiday on February 22. In 1968, Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. With the permanent move to Monday, Washington’s holiday slowly became a day where we celebrate all those who have served in the highest office in the land.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law?

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved usand sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

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, romantic cards, and large boxes of chocolate. 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?