Scripture
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
~Psalm 37:7, NKJV
Quote
Above all else, what each of us needs in the battle of life is a heart that has come to rest in God.
~James Stewart
Handley Moule was an evangelical Anglican theologian, writer, poet, and Bishop of Durham, England from 1901–1920. He tells a story about a battalion of soldiers being entertained by a group of famous artist upon the eve of their marching to front and the trenches. At the close of the entertainment, a young office arose at the request of his Colonel to give thanks in behalf of the men for the entertainers willingness to perform for them. He was a very good speaker and he did a proper thank you that was appreciated by all. Then there was a pause and then he began to speak again but in a different tone, “We are about to cross into France and to the trenches and very possibly to our deaths. Will any of our friends here, tell us how to die? Needless to say, this left the Colonel, the soldiers and the entertainers in a bit of shock. No one expected such candid honesty. There was a long strained silence as no one knew what to say. Then a female soprano stepped forward and took the mic, she began singing Mendelssohn’s Aria, O Rest In The LORD. The lyrics come from Psalm 37. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the time she finished. Dying men cut to the chase; they get serious. It is not the proper time for frivolity and silliness.
Life can be a battle at times. We struggle with many things including our own sin and pride. The last battle to be fought is with death. It is always wise to prepare for a battle. I think James Stewart was right; what we need is a heart that is at rest with Christ. There is no substitute for peace. I will take it over silver and gold: it is the most precious commodity on the market. Although my father was a veteran of WWII, he did not like confrontation; that would be my mother. Growing up there were times when I thought he should have confronted but he didn’t and I was disappointed but when it came time to depart this world, I’ve never witnessed more courage than I saw in him. He was not intimidated by death; he welcomed it like a friend. We all want to live well but it is also important to die well. May God grant us the peace that passes all understanding.
A strange thing happened last evening: we pulled out on Iron Man road to go to church at 5:45 and the storm clouds were over us and we could see rain to the east but in the rear view was a patch of bright sky. I told June; “the rain is going to miss us again.” Of course, I was hoping to be wrong. I wasn’t, we got the dust settled but Hartselle got a gully washer. It rained from Iron Man all the way to the 4-way at 36/67. We got to church and it had not rained there at all. We left church at 7:30 and it rained lightly all the way to Hartselle. But leaving Hartselle, I saw the bright sky again and in our direction. I’m not giving up, there is still a chance we could get some today or tomorrow.
Pray for President Trump; pray for the country to make the right decision in November. Kamala Harris as president is not very comforting. Personally, I don’t see how anyone in their right mind could even consider voting for the demos. They will retire Biden within 6 months; the woman will be the next president if they win this election.