“Render to all what is due them: taxes to whom taxes are due, respect to whom respect is due, fear to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due.” (Romans 13:7 Modern English Version)
As we are about to enter the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a time where we tend to think of picnics, camping, fireworks, parades, baseball games where fans come clad in red, white, and blue, and of course the food, grilled to perfection! To be honest, some just think of it as the start of a long weekend where one can rest and be revived physically.
This morning, I paused and thought about the Memorial Day holiday weekend, wondering what to write about that had some relevancy. I did not have a clue, but the Lord had the answer and put something on my heart. Yes, of course He reminded me of those who have fought in wars to defend our country over the years and how they should be remembered. He reminded me that it was appropriate to remember their service, their sacrifices, their triumphs on the battlefield, and their turning the pages of history to bring about peace, a desirable state for the world in which we live. So please, remember those who gave their lives that we might have a better life. Remember those who got back to a world where assimilating and adjusting to the life of a private citizen was difficult! Remember those who not only gave their lives, but those who were injured for life. Remember these men and women on this Memorial Day weekend, for surely, they deserve to be remembered and honored.
After taking at least a few moments of reflection in what was mentioned above, pray, and thank the Lord for all the Christian soldiers in your life, predecessors who stayed on the battlefield on this Christian journey, keeping their promise to serve the Lord until they died. And then, make a personal commitment from the heart that those old soldiers from previous generations who showed us how to live holy and how to live right; showed us the importance of the church, and lived by faith, make a commitment that you will show that they did not labor in vain at all. Oh, I know that with the Lord, their labor is not in vain. That’s Bible. But in referencing to the phrase “not in vain, at this particular time, I am speaking in terms of how the generations that fought the good fight of faith will continue to impact your life as you follow in their footsteps. For some, reading this the specific message, you see it as affirmation that you must continue in the commitment that you are presently demonstrating by your devotion, faithfully performing the work of the Lord with the same or greater intensity as our forefathers and foremothers. For others reading this morning, the specific message comes in the form of a wake-up call, encouraging you to join the ranks of those who help perpetuate the growth of the church; increasing the numbers of the saved and, get this now, by doing so make safe families, safe streets, safe communities, and a safe country.
After you read this, know that I have already prayed that the Lord will help you remember our veterans and the exemplary examples of faith of those who forged forward in spite of obstacles, opinions contrary to their beliefs, and overcoming challenges and therefore, paved a path for us to follow. I prayed for all of us this morning, “Lord, help us to remember.” Be blessed!
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Corinthians 15:58 NIV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King