bravery

A Harrowing Experience

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We were settling in for the evening. Dinner was over. The kitchen was spotless. The bowl of ice cream was on its way to the couch. Time to turn on the tv and relax. It was Friday night, and the weekend had begun.

I noticed a couple of insects that appeared to be gnawing at the drywall on the edge of an outlet cover in the corner of the living room. I asked the man of the house to see if they were termites. But we had never had a termite problem, so why now? And they weren’t eating wood; they were eating drywall. So he bent to look. And then he got a flashlight for a clearer view. He reached to pick one up when all of a sudden the insects went crazy. They started flying around him, and then he felt the sting on his hand. Not once but twice. And then a couple more stings landed on his head.

I was carrying my ice cream to the couch when one of the attackers buzzed toward me. In my haste to get away, ice cream fell to the floor. As I swatted away my attacker, it went down the back of my shirt. Soon I too felt the sting of these varmints. I tore off my shirt and threw it on the floor. Later I picked it up only to see the flying insect was still in the shirt. Back down on the floor the shirt went and then was thoroughly stomped on. And let me tell you. Those stings were meant to do serious damage. The pain lasted for hours.

We quickly realized we were dealing with yellow jackets, not termites. We were attacked in our own home by a nest of small yellow jackets that had embedded themselves in between the drywall and the outside wall of our home. On the outside, we discovered their entry point. A hole for the cable wire was bigger than the wire, and the yellow jackets were small enough to squeeze in. There they made their home.

The exterminator came out to investigate and eliminated the villains. He said they were probably young, since it was early in the season for this type of invasion. He suited up and began the task of killing these vicious intruders. He advised us to sit out on the deck in a couple of weeks to see if we spot anymore of them. If we don’t, then we’re in the clear. If we see some, he’ll return for another application of the killer spray.

We never would have known the yellow jackets were living between the walls of our home, except I happened to spot them. They would have kept to themselves and not attacked us, because they’re typically only ferocious when provoked. And we unknowingly provoked them. Thankfully, we survived the attack. But even days later, I still had two large red itchy welts on my back.

It was a harrowing experience, indeed.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31

A very short story in the Bible tells us about a man named Benaiah, who was a mighty warrior in King David’s army. He did many heroic deeds and once killed two mighty warriors of one of the enemy nations. But he also followed a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. He was a very brave warrior.

All the harrowing events that Benaiah faced made him pretty famous. I wonder if he was fearful during his times of bravery. Or was he just a fearless warrior who took all these brave acts in stride? I’m sure we’ll never know. But David named him the captain of his bodyguard. I can’t say I blame him. Who wouldn’t trust a guy like Benaiah to protect the king.

You can read the story of Benaiah in 2 Samuel 23:20-23.

Others have recently experienced harrowing events in their lives. An invasion of raccoons. A rash of shingles. A cancer diagnosis. An asthma attack. A job loss. Not all harrowing experiences are life threatening, but others are. But even when life events take a turn for the worst, we know that God is ever present in our time of need.

We may face harrowing times in our lives. Maybe they’re not life threatening events, but still they are unexpected and undesired. We won’t always know how to handle the situation, and we may need to call in reinforcements. We may need someone else to help fight our battle. That’s ok. We need to be prepared to ask for help when the time comes.

We may need to remind ourselves on occasion that God is for us and always with us. He will fight our battles for us. We need to call on him and present our requests and needs to him. He will give us the strength and courage we need to fight our battles. It is never too late to call on him. He is ready and waiting for our cry for help.

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you. Deuteronomy 3:22

On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. Psalm 138:3

The Art of Doing Hard Things

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So then there’s Jeremiah. He was a prophet who shared God’s message of impending doom to the people of Israel and Judah. The problem is. They didn’t listen to him. They mocked him. They shunned him. They threatened him. They ignored him. They didn’t like him. They wanted him dead. But they didn’t kill him. Oh. He suffered physically and mentally. He lived with deep anguish. He wanted to give up. He asked God why he was even born. He wondered if it would have been better if he had been born dead. But he wasn’t. He was to live the life that God had laid out for him. Every single day. Whether the day was good or bad. He was used by God to warn his people that they must repent and turn from their sinful ways.

And then God asked the impossible of him. God told him not to marry and have children. God said that if he did, his family would be among other families to die horrible deaths. They would have no one to mourn or bury them.

The Lord gave me another message. He said, “Do not get married or have children in this place. For this is what the Lord says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers: They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.” Jeremiah 16:1-4

Jeremiah was involved in political and religious events during his day. He was a spiritual leader who faithfully served God. He showed great courage as he shared God’s word with God’s chosen people. He spoke on the Lord’s behalf to a people who didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He felt great sorrow as he saw his nation moving toward destruction. If only they listened, they could be spared future devastation. His was not an easy life.

For his entire career, Jeremiah served in a position where he was unfairly treated and criticized. His words fell on deaf ears, but others felt free to speak ill of him. Oh. He was born into a family of priests. That was his expected line of work. But somehow. God had other plans for him. He was a God ordained prophet who was given the task of sharing God’s impending punishment on a people who despised him. His was not an easy job.

Jeremiah held a deep love for his fellow Israelites, yet he knew the punishment headed their way if they didn’t return to obeying God. He was also deeply concerned about his personal safety, because he knew that speaking directly against the fallen people put a bullseye on his back. Yet he stood faithful in delivering God’s message of impending judgment.

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

I think of the young woman who was a collegiate swimmer. Her plan was to attend dental school, yet she somehow finds herself in another profession at this moment. After being a victim of unfair discrimination, she speaks out against the ideology that men participating in women’s sports is fair. She has stood in a women’s locker room with a male posing as a female and has felt the discomfort the situation caused for her and her female teammates. She has remained faithful to her call for only women to participate in women’s sports. Yet she is ridiculed and persecuted for speaking the truth. She has felt the bitter sting of rejection. She has been isolated and physically assaulted, yet she continues with her message. She now expects to see protesters at any event where she is scheduled to speak. She knows they are out to silence her. Yet she still speaks.

Oh. Her message isn’t one of spiritual salvation, yet it is significant. If falsehoods are accepted as truth in any area of life, then biblical truths are also on the line. This young woman is no prophet or biblical scholar, yet she is a faithful believer in Jesus Christ. She has accepted the call to be a voice for young women coming behind her who may also be asked to step aside for a lie. She doesn’t want anyone else to be in a situation similar to hers.

Sure. There are those who support her message of fairness. Behind closed doors, they too tell her they want to save women’s sports. But those who show support in private are silent in public. Shame on them. I get it. They’re fearful for their jobs. Their career may be on the line if they challenge the new status quo. They don’t want to be cancelled or sued. So they stay silent. But if no one speaks up, then women’s sports is a thing of the past.

The message of truth is offensive to those who deny it, but it doesn’t make the truth less powerful. Being offended doesn’t change the truth. But the messenger of truth must remain faithful, at all costs.

In no way am I trying to compare a college swimmer to a Jewish prophet, but they both showed tremendous courage when called upon to speak truth to those who opposed it. They and many others who dare to show courage in uncertain times are to be applauded and thanked. Their example of faithful obedience is a lesson each of us must learn. Who knows when we may be called on to stand for truth and face the difficulties of doing so. Hard times may come upon us, but we must let the example of those who come before us embolden us to always be a voice for truth.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1

Worth Noting

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For so long, he’s been hailed a martyr. But now the tide is turning. Now he’s being called different names. The man who once cried out that he had a dream is now being mocked as someone unworthy of his own race. He’s now being judged by those who once called him one of their own. Many now want to destroy his legacy. Everything he stood for is at risk of falling by the wayside. All because those who have come behind him believe in an ideology that’s in total opposition to all he worked for. Oh. How the tables have turned.

Rumors of behaviors unbecoming of a family man have been spoken of him since his untimely demise many years ago. Those accusations, whether true or false, taint the legacy of a man who worked long and hard for liberty and equality for all mankind, regardless of the color of their skin. He dreamed of a land where his children could walk and live freely the same as any other child. He dreamed of a country that treated all skin colors equally. For he witnessed a separation and segregation of a people whose skin color was darker than acceptable to so many born of a lighter pigment. And he stood against it. Even as the higher powers that be were planning for his demise, he stood for his beliefs. And on one fateful day, a single bullet penetrated his body ultimately ending his life.

Other reports are now circulating that he stood for unseemly ideologies that have become popular today. Whether the reports are true or not have yet to been determined. But this man, same as anyone else, was far from perfect. Perhaps the truth of this man’s achievements and failures may never be fully known, aside from God who knows everything.

A newly minted statue memorializing the man was recently dedicated. But family members are calling the statue hideous. Unsightly. Dishonorable. Distasteful. They are not pleased with the rendition that someone was paid many millions of dollars to create. And thousands upon thousands of pages of secret files against him by those in top government positions have been uncovered. Many other pages are still being held under wraps. Some are afraid for the truth to come to light.

What was it about this man that would cause many to applaud, and yet others to tremble in fear? What was it about him? Was it only because of the color of his skin? Or, were there hidden truths that, if made public, could sway the course of history? How could it be? Will we ever know? Are we better off not knowing?

While this man wasn’t perfect, by any means, he led a movement that started a revolution. He planned and participated in peaceful protests that rallied against the discrimination of his people. Even after multiple arrests, he still stood for the same message of equality. His message never wavered or lessened. He stood courageously for the good of his race.

One wonders if there will come a day when this man’s statues will be knocked down and shoved into a corner, as so many others have in recent years. Has his time come and gone? Has this man now been deemed to be on the wrong side of history? Is it inappropriate to publicly acknowledge his contribution to society? Only time will tell.

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10:34-35

There are people who are trying to taint his legacy, but truth always stands. Even when others make false claims or bring one’s faults to the light of day, God uses willing, imperfect people of all types. This man may have been involved in sketchy activities in his day, but he also did some great works that are still applauded. His efforts should not be forgotten.

I wonder. This man who pushed for peaceful protests against injustice paved the way for the rest of us. What peaceful acts are we involved in that would cause the world to sit up and take notice? Do we dare to stand up and fight for religious freedom when there are those who would remove Christianity from the face of the earth? When other Christians speak for truth in public settings, do we stand with them? Or. Are we too afraid to be noticed, so we stay silent? Do we share the message of forgiveness and salvation freely to those who need to hear it?

If each of our lives were publicly examined, how many of us would be humiliated as we stood in the public square? How many of our noteworthy acts and words would be cast off, because of our hidden behaviors? No one is perfect. No. Not one of us. We all could be the next one on the chopping block if only our private thoughts were read aloud.

So. Why are we so quick to cancel others because of a word spoken in anger or misjudgment? Who of us would be worthy of even one statue in our honor? What accomplishments have been noted for us that will be remembered in future generations?

The good news in the matter is that we serve a God of redemption. He will forgive all our sins and never remember them again. He won’t remind us of our moral failures or indecent thoughts. He won’t remember the name calling or lies or murderous looks we’ve given. When he forgives our sins, he forgets them. He doesn’t hold our previous wrongs over our heads. Our slate is wiped clean in the eyes of God. Oh. He won’t build a statue in our honor, but he will prepare a place for us in heaven so we can be with him for eternity.

This is Your Time

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Did you know that you were born for just this moment in history? It’s a fact. God knew you before you were born. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He knows the number of days allotted for you. He knew the date and time you were to be born. He knew the circumstances of your birth and of your lifetime. You were born for this time and place in history. All your days of breath have brought you to this moment.

Oh. It’s easy to wish for the good ole days. Whatever they are. These days are meant for you. You were meant for these days. God is working his plan and you are a key player. Don’t forget that. And don’t be afraid. God is in control.

In twenty or thirty years, these will be the good ole days for the younger generation. So make these days count, because who knows what will life be like then.

Parents with young children may be wondering if the world they’re raising their kids in will be stable and secure. They may be wondering if their kids will have to face persecution and trials as they become adults.

Young couples thinking of starting a family may be wondering if it’s a wise decision. They may be wondering if they should forego parenthood. After all, this world seems rather volatile right now. There is a lot of instability and uncertainty. They may be wondering if it’s safe to bring children into the world.

 Yes. These times are troubling. But have kids. Raise your children with a deep abiding knowledge of God Almighty. Train them to know biblical truths so they will stand strong when times are tough. Be faithful to train them to be faithful people.

Those building a career may wonder if they’ll ever land their dream job. Those who have already moved up several steps on the success ladder may realize that their work isn’t as fulfilling as they imagined. They’re only in it for the paycheck. They may have begun to question why they’re doing what they’re doing.

Some may be wondering if their college debt was really worth it. College isn’t for everyone. Everyone isn’t for college. Trade school offers great long-lasting career opportunities.

If your work isn’t fulfilling, perhaps it’s time to start a job search. Perhaps it’s time to narrow down what you’re passionate about and seek a new opportunity. Money isn’t everything. Everything shouldn’t be about money. Oh. Money is important. Don’t get me wrong. But deep personal fulfillment doesn’t come from a paycheck or a job title or a degree on the wall.

Many are soon to retire. It’s baby boomer season in the retirement world. Some may have begun to think that the boom has busted. Is retirement even possible? Will the nest egg be full enough on that appointed day? Only time will tell.

There are those in retirement living on a fixed income. There are news reports that their government support may not be so supportive in their final years. What will happen? Will their money last as long as their heart beats?

Things may look bleak, but God is still on the throne. He has known the events of today for as long as he’s been around. And he’s been around forever. He’s been patiently awaiting this time and these events with you in mind. Know that he has you on his mind. He hasn’t forgotten. Nor will he. He knows your name. He has your days ordered.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalms 46:1-3

We’ve lived through every day of the virus. We’re living through the horrors of Afghanistan. We’re living through the worst inflation in many years. We’ve worn masks together. We’ve social distanced together. We’ve sheltered in place together. We’ve survived a questionable election. We’re now hearing of mandates.  We are survivors. And we are resilient. Don’t forget that.

We’re remembering the horrible, offensive acts of twenty years ago. The events that rocked a nation that thought it was rock solid. Our faith and hope wavered, but the flag still waved strong. Our allegiance for our nation grew as we felt the loss of every heartbeat that fell silent as the towers fell.

Oh. Things appear bad. But they could get worse before they get better. And things may never get better. But we are resilient. We can live through hard times. We just don’t want to. We need to toughen up now before we’re forced to. 

Let’s save more. Let’s give more. Let’s live with less. Let’s be content with what we have. Because we are a blessed nation. We don’t have to have it all to have a great life. Sometimes less is more.

Know what you believe and why. Read and study to show yourself approved by God. Don’t just believe everything you’re told. Test it. Prove it. Disprove it. Be able to discern truth from lies. Just know what you believe and why you believe it.

Read the classics. Read American history and world history. Read autobiographies of those who have suffered and those who have prospered. Let’s not forget the experiences of those who have gone on before us. We can learn much from those who have suffered and lived to tell of it. And we can learn from those who were martyred.

Esther was a young Jewish woman living in a troubled land. The king had removed the queen because she publicly embarrassed him. He sent out an announcement asking for all the young virgins of the land to audition to be the new queen. Esther was brought with many other young women to give themselves to the king in the hopes of pleasing him. Esther pleased the king, and he named her as his new queen. Unbeknownst to the king, Esther’s people were Jewish and were not in immediate favor. She had been advised by her godly uncle to keep her nationality quiet. When someone threatened to kill off all her people, she knew she couldn’t keep quiet. So she spoke up. God used her in a difficult situation to save her people. If she had not come forward, she and her people would have been annihilated. But God, in his mercy, spared her and the Jewish nation who had been threatened by an evil, power hungry man. Her moment in time had come, and she fulfilled her life-saving purpose.

You can read the full story of Esther in the Old Testament.

There’s a song that tells us that if we’re not dead, then God’s not done with us. Let’s remember that and know that God has all of our days numbered. And in our numbered days, God is with us. He will not forsake us. He will use us, but we must be faithful to obey him. Even in hard times. Even when the task seems insurmountable. God’s strength and power are more than ours. Let’s use his power to do his work.

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Bravery Counts

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The neighbor described her as a tough looking Lab. She is half Mastiff and half Lab. So the toughness is evident in her stance. In her hulking chest. Her bark is pretty tough, too. Animals cower at it. People back off at the sound. Her bite? Well, she’s never bitten.

She’s a protector of her caregivers. The one who feeds her is always guarded. She would probably offer her life as a substitute if needed. Let’s hope it never comes to that.

She loves her people with all she’s got. When one of us is not at home, she shuts down. She will lie on the bed as if she’s lost her best friend. As if she has no energy to move another muscle. But as soon as he comes home, she has boundless energy that is unmatched. She moves through the house with a smile on her face. Her pack is together. As it should be. All is well.

But then it happens. He sneezes. And that sneeze knocks the socks right off of her. You would think that that sneeze could blow a house down. As soon as she hears it, she runs for the one who feeds her. She needs protection. She is shaking like a leaf in the worst storm of the season. She can’t quite calm down until she has been comforted and consoled. This hulk of a dog cowers at the sound of her master’s sneeze. All efforts to act tough and protective are thrown out the window with a single sneeze.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

As a Christian, why do I cower when my Master makes an unfamiliar move near me? When he makes his presence known? When he asks me to move out of my comfort zone? Why do I run for cover hoping he won’t find me? When he isn’t asking the impossible of me. He’s only stretching my faith and my trust. Why don’t I see that?

Why don’t I trust that he is with me even when the frightening sneezes of life throw me off guard. When those life sneezes send me cowering to my favorite hiding place. Why don’t I believe that he is in control, even when it seems all hope is lost. When life seems hopeless, the hope of life has my back. He carries me through those storms of life when I have no fight left.

He’s never failed me. He’s never forgotten me. He’s by my side. I have to remind myself that whatever happens in my life is God’s will. Otherwise, it wouldn’t happen. So it may be a life lesson. It may be a reward. It may be a reprimand. Regardless, it is the right thing for me at that moment. I have to place my trust in Him in all situations. Even though I can’t see the road ahead.