Today's Devotional

November 11, 2002

Subject:  Veteran's Day - Tell Your Story

Hebrews 11:32-37 - "And what shall I more say?  for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, Women received their dead raised to life again:  and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bond and imprisonment:  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:  they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;"

One thing I've come to notice about military veterans is that they always have a story to tell.  Often, the stories are quite interesting and the veterans can usually go on and on about the conflicts in which they were engaged.  They frequently tell how they won some and then how they lost some.

Have you considered how your story would sound?  Whether you are in the military or not, you are engaged every day in spiritual warfare as a follower of Christ.  It doesn't matter whether or not you know it, it's true.  So what's your story?  Have you "subdued kingdoms through faith?"  Have you "stopped the mouths of lions?"  Have you endured beatings and imprisonment for the cause of Christ?  Maybe or maybe not, but your story is every bit as dramatic when you trust God in every circumstance of your life.

The writer of Hebrews recounts in the passage above the stories of a few veterans of the faith, and like with most veterans, he identifies that he doesn't really have enough time to tell it all.  As we grow and mature in this Christian walk and when we begin to really understand the nature of the conflict, we too will see that we don't have enough time to tell it all.

Today are you a veteran with stories to tell?  Well, tell it.  It's Veteran's Day!

Carlen