Archive for the 'Devotional' Category

Years ago today

Published
by
Chris
on February 1, 2008
in Devotional and Family
. 6 Comments

Ten years ago today I was in Kaiserslautern, Germany counting down the months until I could leave the Army and go home to Tennessee. I had recently returned from my second deployment to the Balkans with the 230th MP company. I had serious short-timer’s attitude and was pulled out of my unit and placed in the gym. It was great. The unit had to provide the installation gym with a soldier to run the gym after regular work hours, and I got picked. I got to show up for work wearing workout clothes and didn’t have to put on a set of BDU’s again until it was time to clear. I was in a great church and was loving life.

Seven years ago I had just returned home from two weeks in Germany. This time it was with the Army Reserve unit that I was in. It was a Postal Unit, and that’s what we did for annual training. I was able to go back to Kaiserslautern I visited my old church and had a great time. I was also looking forward to my wedding. Rachel and I got married two days after Valentines day in 2001. I couldn’t wait for that day to actually get here. I was working at a low paying security job, and we really had no clue what we were going to do. I lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment, and none of that mattered, cause I was fixing to get married. The day finally came and my life has been awesome ever since Rachel became my wife.

Five years ago today I was a father with a seven month old baby girl. The most beautiful little girl God ever allowed to be born, and if you don’t agree with me it’s only because you didn’t see her. Seriously, if you have a daughter and you think the same thing of her, then you’ve never seen baby pictures of Kyra. If you have and still disagree, well, you are simply lying to yourself. I had also been working with my current company for two years. I was making great money, and was thinking that I had a great life.

Four years ago today we were expecting our first son, Elijah. I loved my daughter, but the thought of having a son brought unbelievable joy to me. God was filling my life with all the blessings I could ever hope for. At work I was staying extremely busy, and making all the money I could spend. My spiritual life was suffering because of all the time I was spending at work while missing church.

Two years ago today Owen was on his way into our life. Actually, he was 6 months away, but he was on his way. I wasn’t nearly as excited about having Owen as the other children, but once he got here I immediately fell in love with him just as much as with the other two. God had once again blessed my life with another awesome child. At work, I had just begun a new job in supervision. I was making more money and working less hours. Life was great. We had recently started attending Fellowship Baptist Church and I was really excited about what God was going to do with us there. Unfortunately, as time went on it didn’t seem to be the fit we had hoped it would be. I had also just recently finished up my Bachelor’s Degree, which would become extremely important in the next turn in our lives.

One year ago today I had just finished up my first semester at Seminary and was beginning the Spring semester. God had called me into ministry years before, but I had no direction as to where He would send me or how He would use me. Then in the Spring of 2006 I got the call. A very clear call it was. God showed me the path I was to follow. The Army Chaplaincy. Within a matter of months everything was in place and I was taking the oath as an Officer in the United States Army. So, as I worked on my Seminary work, I was making plans to attend CH-BOLC in the Summer of 2007. I now had a wife and three kids. I had a great job with great benefits, a large home, and a good future, and I am preparing to go back in the same Army I couldn’t wait to get out of only 9 years before.

Today I am waiting. I have everything I have ever wanted. A wife, three awesome kids, a good job, and a nice home. And here I am just waiting. As I look back at the last ten years, every aspect of my life was a part of what led me to where I am today. It may not be the way I would have scripted it if I had my way, but I know that anything I could have done couldn’t have made me as happy as I am today. And as I wish I could be serving soldiers somewhere in the world today and leading them to Christ, I try and remember that God is in control. He will keep me where He wants me, and when it’s time He will move. And before I know it, I will be looking back at what He has done for me over the last ten years and thinking of how great God is once again.

Praise God for all His goodness and mercies! Praise Him for His guiding hand! Praise Him for His greatness!

Morning Thought

Published
by
Chris
on December 20, 2007
in Devotional
. 0 Comments

Recently I watched the movie Amazing Grace. The title of the movie is of course in reference to the great hymn that John Newton wrote. In the movie the character who played John Newton makes the following statement:

“Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I’m a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”

It has been weeks since I watched the movie, but the thought just keeps coming back to me. He is indeed a great Savior. I just don’t think we realize how great of a Savior He is some time. Even as a born again child of God, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and ordained by God to live holy and do good, we are failures. We have already been washed of our sin, and yet we still sin. Why does He give us a second chance? Because He is a great Savior. He saved us so great, we can’t help but be saved. He saved us eternally. Eternally is forever. Forever never ends. He saved us of all future sin, as well as the sin we had already committed. He didn’t say that He will eventually save us forever, He said He would save us forever.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Hallelujah to God. I know that some people argue this. They think that they have to keep living right to be saved, but Paul said something about Him remaining faithful, even when we aren’t. It isn’t my faith that keeps me saved, it is His. That is why He is a great Savior. Why save you, to throw you back? What kind of Savior would He be? No, this Savior was God enough to save me, and keep me that way. And the writer of Hebrews said, “how shall we escape if we neglect, so great a salvation.” Salvation so great that we must serve him. We must honor him. We don’t serve Him to stay saved, we serve Him because we are saved. Good gracious.

God is good. He is indeed, a “Great Savior”. All day long, He is a “Great Savior” and I as a “great sinner” should live for that “Great Savior.” I love Jesus. That is one thing, I hope I never forget, but even if I could, He will never forget me.