One day I woke up and my David was a man. Not a boy any longer ... a
man. And not just any man ... an Army man, much to my surprise. Not
surprise in a bad way ... surprise in a surprised way. He graduated
from high school, and the next thing I knew he was in college via
scholarship through the Army's ROTC Program. I knew that he, like
most high school seniors, was being pursued by every branch of the
military, and I knew that he was actually talking to every branch of the
military, but it never really occurred to me that he would actually enlist in any branch of the military. Although he seemed serious in his
efforts, I apparently didn't take him seriously enough for one day he
walked in and announced that he had decided to go with the Army and, not
only that, but that he had actually signed up with the Army. Signed up,
you say? Yep, signed, sealed and almost delivered. Once he finishes
college, he is theirs for a number of years. ...signed up??? For now,
he is safe and sound ... and still mine, so to speak. But there will
come a time when he may just be halfway across this big old earth, in
another time zone, far away from home. For now, he is preparing for
that. And when I say "preparing", I do mean preparing. I have seen
him push himself to the limits, and I have seen him be rewarded for
pushing himself to those limits. I have seen him reach beyond
expectations, and I have seen him be awarded for reaching beyond those
expectations. I have seen him put on his fatigues and ready himself for
being taught and prepared in the field, and then I have seen him put on
that dress uniform, all handsome and grown up, and head off to celebrate
that part of his training. Signed up, you say! Makes me proud the man
that young man is becoming! And it is in reflecting on those thoughts that I realize that this is actually already a reality for many men,
women and children ... for many, many families ... right this very
minute. All for the sake of freedom. They - the soldiers and their
families - have prepared and prepared ... all for the sake of our
freedom. We too need to be prepared. Are we?
Acrostic:
P - PLAN ... to follow. Be prepared!
Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but the counsel
of the Lord, it will stand."
Jeremiah 29:11 " 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares
the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future
and a hope.' "
R - REPORT ... for duty. Be prepared!
2 Chronicles 7:14 "(If) My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land."
Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while
He is near."
E - ENEMY ... to fight. Be prepared!
Ephesians 6:10-12 "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the
strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be
able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
1 Peter 5:8 "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary,
the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour."
P - PACK ... to travel. Be prepared!
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age."
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
A - ARMOR ... to protect. Be prepared!
Ephesians 6:13-18 - "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you
may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to
stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth,
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your
feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all,
taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. With
all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this
in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the
saints."
R - RUN ... to win! Be prepared!
Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and
the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the
race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God."
2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
course, I have kept the faith."
E - ESCAPE ... being captive! Be prepared!
1 Corinthians 10:11-13 "Now these things happened to them as an
example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends
of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed
lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to
man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of
escape also, that you may be able to endure it."
Hebrews 4:15-16 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all
things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with
confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may
find grace to help in time of need."
D - DAY ... after day! Be prepared!
Luke 9:23 "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow
Me."
... and just what "cross" are we to take up daily? .... obedience!
.....
Philippians 2:8 "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross."
Mark 12:29-31 "Jesus answered, 'The foremost (commandment) is, 'Hear,
O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than
these.' "
PREPARED!
Be prepared! ... 'cause - just like that little children's
song says - we're in the Lord's Army! Yes sir!
Joshua 24:15
".... choose for yourselves today whom you will serve
.... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Blessings!
Amen and Amen!
Kelli
