Daily Devotional

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?

Time is a gift. The good use of our time is a gift to others and ourselves. We must consider how we can intentionally use our time to share God’s love and bring hope to our neighbors. We all have time. Let us consider how we may best use our gift to express our love of God and our love of neighbors.

Gratitude for the events of our past can lead to a future filled with blessings. When we remember where we have been and understand how we have been blessed, we can find inspiration and strength. The great challenges of our lives can shape our future into something special. When we give thanks for the people in our lives and the events of our past, we will find vision and purpose as we move forward.

Our faith calls us to love, to love God, and to love our neighbor. Christians have the great privilege to love. It is a high calling. It is a difficult calling. Luke records the expansive love to which we are called. These words, written so long ago, are some of the more challenging words of Jesus.

As the football season ends, the trophies and awards are being passed out to deserving teams and individuals. The NFL season is long and grueling. For a person to win Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, or Most Valuable Player, they have done more than survive the season; they have excelled at every area of their profession. I believe the best award each year is the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another.

Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.