Christian Reflection and Prayer

(from Our Daily Bread)

Reflection:

Every Memorial Day, we remember those
who have died in the service of their country.
In the United States, a place where such
remembrances carry a deep and emotional
significance is Arlington National Cemetery,
near Washington, DC. Arlington is a serious
place where, due to the passing of aging war
veterans and the ongoing conflicts around
the world, there are currently about 25
military funerals every day.

This is particularly difficult for The Old Guard—
members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment
who serve at Arlington. It is their task to
bear the bodies of the fallen and honor their
sacrifice. The members of The Old Guard
never forget the price of liberty—for they
are reminded of it every day.

Believers in Christ have been given the
Lord’s Supper as a reminder of what our
freedom from sin cost the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we partake of the bread and the cup,
we fulfill His command to “do this in
remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24). But in
the sober celebration of the sacrifice of
Christ there is joy. For we need not leave
our remembrances at the Lord’s Table.
Living our lives for the Savior can show the
world that we will never forget the sacrifice
He has made for us.

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for dying for me
On the cross of Calvary;
Help me always to remember
What You did to set me free. —Sper

Remembering Christ’s death for us should
cause us to live for Him.

(I have one question to ask on this Memorial
Day.  I ask this question with respect and
with a sense of Hope

How many more people need to die, how
many more children deprived of a father or
mother, before our conflicts are settled and
people can live in peace and security,
while devoting their energy to building better
lives?}
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO
LIVE AND HAVE DIED SO I CAN
ASK THAT QUESTION.

DEDICATED TO THOSE WHOSE LIVES
FOR THIS COUNTRY

Bible, Isaiah

They shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears
into pruninghooks: nation shall
not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any
more.

John Lennon said:

When we say "War is over if you
want it," we mean that if everyone
demanded peace instead of another
TV set, we'd have peace.

Frederick Moore Vinson (1890-1953) said:

Wars are not acts of God. They are
caused by man, by man-made institutions,
by the way in which man has organized
his society. What man has made, man
can change.
Speech at Arlington National Cemetery
(Memorial Day, 1945) 

LET US CHANGE AND MAKE THIS THE
LAST MEMORIAL DAY

Scripture:

Hebrews 11:8-12

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he
was called......And he went out, not
knowing where he was going.
(Hebrews 11:8)

I have a question for you today.
Has God ever asked you to do
something that seemed to you,
at the moment, to be unreasonable?
Something that took you into the
realm of the unknown.  Let me ask you,
What if God asked you to turn down a
long awaited promotion, or to avoid a long
awaited relationship with a person you
loved.

Reflection:

What if God called you to a remote part of
the world or asked you to let go of your
children to serve him in a faraway country.
Facing the unknown brings all kinds of
"what if's" into our minds.  Yet God quit
often asks us to chart unknown territory as
we follow Him.  Lets say, to obey His
commands to forgive, or give away all
of our earthly riches to the poor, or to give
up things that provide security and pleasure
often leaves us in the very scary territory of
the unknown outcomes.  This is really scary
to us not knowing how things are going to turn
out.  Fear of the unknown is number one on
our fear factor scale.
Now imagine Abraham and how he felt when
God asked him to literally move his whole
family without telling him where he was
going (Gen. 12: 1-3).  God also asked
Abraham to persevere, to stay in unknown
land while he was been seduced to return
with his family to the past comforts of Ur.
As our life continues, it is like entering
uncharted territory.  The fear of the unknown
could cripple our capacity to follow God's
leading through the days ahead.  Yet like
Abraham, when we cling to the One who
knows all things, WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS,
regardless where He leads us. 

Prayer:

Oh God, I realize that many things about
tomorrow, I don't understand.  But I do know
that You hold on to me tomorrow, YOU HOLD
MY HAND.
AMEN!