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Everyday Act of Valor

Until I started looking through the Navy archives, I didn’t realize that burials at sea are routinely done to honor shipmates’ final requests. This image is unique in that a son has the opportunity to honor his own father, as he carries on a proud military tradition. You can see both pain and pride in this sailor’s face.

You may not be able to see it at the bottom of the picture, but the sailor is holding a flag. It is a symbol of the sacrifice and love of country, presented to the family. Passing this heritage from father to son is an act of valor, made up of simple, every day prayers and actions.

Psalm 39:12 came to mind as I thought about this moment in the sailors life. We are sojourner’s moving though life, walking with our God. We pray for peace during the tough times, but have cause to smile as we ponder God’s grace and mercy toward us.

Dear Lord, Hear my prayer, and give ear to my cry. Hold not your peace at my tears! I need your mercy and forgiveness every day so that I may smile again. Amen.

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Psalm 39:12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”

Image info: PACIFIC OCEAN (June 9, 2009) Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Noel Myers holds a photo of his father, Edmond McKinley Myers Jr., and a flag moments after a burial at sea ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Commanding Officer Capt. K.J. Norton presented the Flag to Myers. Ronald Reagan is underway on a routine deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Oliver Cole/Released)

iPhone App

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 39 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

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Everyday Act of Valor

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had the honor of meeting a former US Navy SEAL, while waiting for a flight at DFW recently. As we looked through the images in the iPhone App, we came across the one pictured here. He showed me a special emblem on his watch band and told me he was a jump master.

All SEALs know how to handle a parachute, but a jump master has even more jumps and skills when it comes to jumping out of airplanes or helicopters. But the jump master doesn’t just keep the skill to himself. All SEALs are tasked with conveying their special skill to other members of their team.

Watching the movie, “Act of Valor”, I began to consider that it’s not just a single act of valor that makes these Navy SEALs who they are. It’s hundreds of acts of valor. These men risk their lives with each dive, jump and mission. They do it for their country, their comrades in arms, their families, and for each of us. For this, we should thank God each day.

I’ll never jump out of an airplane, but I want to know that God has “set me secure on the heights,” as it says in Psalm 18:33. I need the confidence of a jump master. I need to know that God is my rock, and he has equipped me with strength. The confidence won’t come through one “act of faith.” With God’s help, will come through hundreds of individual acts of faith.

Dear Lord, Help me to acknowledge you in all things, even in the little acts of faith that may seem insignificant. Through the gospels, you performed many miracles that changed peoples lives. It all led to Jesus’ final ultimate act of valor on the cross for all believers. Let it change my life. Amen.

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Psalm 18:31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?— 32 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. 33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

Image info: Soldiers from the First Battalion of First Special Operations Airborne unit on Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan, perform High Altitude, Low Opening (HALO) jumps out of a CH-46E assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Two Six Two (HMM-262). HMM-262 is assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan. – Official US Navy photo by PH3 (NAC) Kaitlyn Rae Vargo.

iPhone App

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 18 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

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Devotional

I had the honor of meeting a former Navy SEAL while waiting for a flight at DFW. He was 70 years old and looked every bit as fit as men half his age. Last year he was invited back to temporary active duty to assist training today’s Navy SEAL candidates, and compare it with his experience from years ago. The attrition rate for SEAL training has been and is still over 70% for First Phase training. It’s still the toughest military training in the world!

As we looked at pictures from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app, such as the one in this blog post, he could tell me exactly what was going on when we came to pictures of SEAL training.

One thing Navy SEALs have to learn is teamwork. Nobody makes it through training by relying only on themselves. You are responsible for your teammates, and they are responsible for you. For SEALs, it can be a matter of life and death.

This thought brings us to Psalm 108:12. While our natural tendency is to do things on our own, we must understand that we cannot save ourselves. We have to trust God for salvation, and with God, “we shall do valiantly.”

Dear Lord, Help me to put my trust in you. I can do nothing without your help. Amen.

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Psalm 108:12 Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! 13 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Image info: SAN DIEGO (Feb. 25, 2010) First phase Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL students navigate small inflatable boats through the surf during a navigation training exercise. First phase is an eight-week course that trains, prepares and selects SEAL candidates based on physical conditioning; water competency; mental tenacity and teamwork. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Shauntae Hinkle-Lymas/Released)

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 108:12 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

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Devotional

When you are in the military, water is important, just like it was to the children of Israel. It is necessary to sustain life, and must be supplied for an army to move. In the Navy, water must also be controlled and used as part of everyday operations. Ships float above it, submarines travel beneath it, giant propellers move it, and reactors are cooled by it.

The young cadet in this dramatic image is learning first-hand about the power of water, and how to bring it back under control. The training is messy and challenging, but vital to the safety of the crew and conduct of their mission.

In Exodus 6:7 God promised to bring His people into the promised land, but once on their way, the multitude needed help to sustain life. They needed food and water every day. If God were to fulfill His promise, He had to provide a way for them to get to the land of promise. If the children of Israel were to get to the promised land, they had to trust in God’s promise.

The desert is a barren place, with lots of rocks strewn about. It’s an unlikely place to find water, but the children of Israel had to have water. If they all died of thirst in the desert, then God’s holy promise would not be fulfilled. Did Israel learn a lesson about faith that day?

Even though the Children of Israel grumbled against God in Exodus 17 because there was no water to drink, God, in His mercy, still provided. God controlled the water by opening the rock, and kept His promise.

Dear Lord, I have many needs, and I don’t always trust you. Help me to have faith that you are God, my God, and that you will provide all of my needs as I travel this earthly path to heaven, my promised land. You are the water of life (John 4:14). Amen.

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Psalm 105:41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. 43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. Image info: NORFOLK (Dec. 7, 2009) Junior ROTC cadets from Virginia Beach, Va. receive hands-on training inside the Damage Control Wet Trainer at the Submarine Learning Facility in Norfolk. The trainer is designed to help submariners prepare for deployments by simulating flooding in a controlled environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Billings/Released)

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 105:41 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Continue reading »]]> Wouldn’t it make you proud to see a procession of young men and women who are all dedicated to the service of their country.  Each uniform is perfectly pressed and worn with pride. Row upon row, they march in unison. Each step is directed by the leader’s commands. For love and defense of country, some may even be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.

So marches the Church, down through the ages. Each Christian in the procession is clothed with the perfect robe of salvation, given by our Savior, Jesus. He has saved us from condemnation. He was at our right hand when we needed help. We can only praise and give thanks to the Lord in the midst of the great throng of believers.

Dear Lord, grant me your salvation, that I may praise you each day, even in the midst of the throng! Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 109:30 and the accompanying image taken from the Navy Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

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Evening by Evening

Readings at Eventide

Written by
Charles H. Spurgeon
Narrated by John Michaels
Sit back, relax and enjoy today’s reading.

Enter the Door

I hope you have been blessed by this Readings at Eventide devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

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Morning Readings

Written by
Charles H. Spurgeon
Narrated by John Michaels
Sit back, relax and enjoy today’s reading.

God Remembers You

I hope you have been blessed by this Morning Readings devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

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I hope you have been blessed by this Morning Readings devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

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Evening by Evening

Readings at Eventide

Written by
Charles H. Spurgeon
Narrated by John Michaels
Sit back, relax and enjoy today’s reading.

Treacherous

I hope you have been blessed by this Readings at Eventide devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word. Check out our Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app by clicking on the box below!

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Morning Readings

Written by
Charles H. Spurgeon
Narrated by John Michaels
Sit back, relax and enjoy today’s reading.

Everlasting

I hope you have been blessed by this Morning Readings devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word. Check out our Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app by clicking on the box below!

I hope you have been blessed by this Morning Readings devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

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Evening by Evening

Readings at Eventide

Written by
Charles H. Spurgeon
Narrated by John Michaels
Sit back, relax and enjoy today’s reading.

Serve the Lord

I hope you have been blessed by this Readings at Eventide devotional written by Charles H. Spurgeon. For more uplifting readings, narrated by John Michaels, please visit JohnWMichaels.com.

Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word. Check out our Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app by clicking on the box below!