Gramps –over 65 years ago!
We recently celebrated Veterans Day – Like the
police, firemen, first responders and others, we should celebrate them every
day! We tend to take them for granted until we have a special need for them. Over
30 of our immediate two families served, not only men. We were blessed to have
them all come home, some with injuries seen and unseen.
Today’s blog is taken from My Mornings With
Jesus Devotional Veterans Day
“Only be strong and
courageous. Joshua 1:7
When I was a student, one of my
favorite books was The Red Badge of Courage. The Author, Steven Crane,
created a character who was self-shamed for his cowardice and believed that the
only thing that would erase the shame and legitimize him as a soldier was a war
wound - a blood-red badge of courage.
The character’s internal struggle
forms the framework of the entire novel. He faces numerous opportunities to do
the courageous thing. But crippled by fear. He opted for cowardice… until the
pivotal moment when he chose bravery above comfort.
Many Scripture verses’ instruction
us to “…be strong and take courage” first thing God’s people facing was battles. But if I apply these verses to internal
warfare – the battles in our minds and emotions about choosing the comfortable
thing versus the courageous option – those Scripture verses take on a whole new
meaning. When does a day pass when I don’t face a choice between personal
comfort or the greater good, between self-satisfaction and selflessness,
between Jesus’ way and human nature’s way?
My red badge of courage isn’t my
own war wound, but the wounds Jesus bore. The blood He shed as He walked
bravely into harm’s way for me. The scars He bore, visible even after His resurrection,
are evidence that our shame is gone.
The foundation of any bravery I
need was secured for me by Jesus’ love and sacrifice. His unsurpassed badge of
courage. _______Cynthia
Ruchti
Faith Step: Conduct an internet search for how often
the word courage appears in the Bible. If this one of the Bible’s favorite then
shouldn’t it be ours a well?
Check out these Scriptures: Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8;
Colossians 3:1
No comments:
Post a Comment