He Will Bring You Home

Devotion

1-18-10

He Will Bring You Home

The text came Friday afternoon; Mark would be leaving soon, being deployed to Haiti. A massive earth quake had left the country in ruins and thousands of people were dead. The USA was sending in troops to help with relief efforts, search and rescue, as well as helping to keep order. Mark would soon be headed out for his first deployment and the emotions that came with it were deep. 

 

Mark was a young man when Joyce met him.  He had been dating a precious young lady named Cindy, whom Joyce had known for years. They had a wonderful relationship and Joyce often had opportunity to mentor and encourage Cindy. Now Cindy was in a relationship with Mark and more than ever she wanted Joyce’s advice. Before she knew it Mark and Cindy were getting married and Mark and Joyce had developed a special bond like mother and son. As time passed they were blessed with their first daughter and then a second daughter.  Then Mark, with his wife’s support, made the decision to join the Air force.

 

It wasn’t long before Mark and Cindy were standing in front of Joyce, with tears falling down their faces, saying good bye as they loaded up to move onto the base in a different state where he would be stationed.  As the years passed they stayed in contact with each other.  Mark or Cindy would call with a question from the Bible or with a problem they were dealing with.  Mark often called Joyce mom because she had become more of a mom to him than his own mother.  Joyce was proud of him and it made him happy.  He told her one night, as he explained he would be deployed into the war in a few months, that it was an honor for him to not just defend his country but to protect her. Joyce’s eyes filled with tears as she listened to him share his heart with her and at that moment she realized what a precious gift God had given her through Mark and Cindy. Her own heart was feeling like a proud momma. Mark and Cindy had become her Spiritual children.

 

Joyce received a second text, “Breaking news, Mark will be leaving in 20 hours.” Joyce called Cindy to see how she was doing with the idea of Mark leaving. She was a strong godly woman with an incredible amount of faith and she was confident he would have the Lord watching over him.  Yet, the ache in her heart of him being gone from her and the girls for 60-120 days was very deep.  Even through he wasn’t headed into the war yet, he was leaving and in any military situation there is always the possibility of not returning home. Joyce felt her pain and longed to talk and pray with Mark before he left.  So when he returned home around 11pm, midnight Joyce’s time, he called her.  They talked, cried, and prayed together. She reminded him that he would not be alone and that the Lord was going before him to prepare the way and would be his rear guard to protect him. “I am so proud of you Mark; you are going to make a difference in the lives of the Haiti people. I pray the Lord will reveal to you those who need Jesus and you will see the opportunities that await you.  Oh, and if there is a news crew around, be sure to poke your head into the camera so we can see you.”  Mark laughed at her request then with a tearful farewell they hung up.  The next text Joyce would receive would tell her he had left. 

 

Cindy and the girls stood at the door waving good bye as tears flowed down their faces.  Their oldest daughter didn’t want to let her daddy go and Cindy’s ache grew deeper watching her daughter’s pain.  With a deep breath Mark stood tall and gave his little girl a salute and she saluted back. The door on the car shut and Mark was on his way.

 

Later that evening as Joyce was singing in choir practice she looked at the clock and realized that Mark would soon be boarding his plan to fly out so she sent him one last text.  It read, “If you are able to get this, remember Jeremiah 29:11 and Eph 6:10 putting on the armor of God! I love you so much Mark my spiritual son.  I am proud of you n love u 4ever n ever!  Hug n kisses till u come home I will tie a yellow ribbon on the tree in my yard. XOXOXO God is with you.” Tears were gently falling down her cheek when her phone rang, to her surprise it was Mark.  He had received her text and wanted to hear her voice one last time before getting on his plane.  He thanked her for her the verses, for her prayers and most of all for her love.  Both were at peace in knowing God was in control and would bring him home again.

 

The story you just read is a true story, names are changed to protect the identity and location of the young service man.  It is a story many are dealing with today as so many of our men and women are serving over seas in the war and now in Haiti.  Let’s pray for these men and women and their families.  Though it is the job they signed up to take, their hearts and emotions are just like the rest of us and need our compassion, understanding, love, prayers and our support. 

 

Some of you may be fighting your own wars right here at home.  If you are or know someone that is in a battle, remember the verses Joyce sent to Mark.  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.” What God says He will do, He will do.  You have a hope in Him, just like Mark has a hope of returning home to his family, you have a hope of overcoming the war you are fighting.  Don’t fight alone though.  Joyce reminded Mark to put on the armor of God.  He will fight for you as you defend yourself with His word.

 

Look up Ephesians 6: 10-17 and read it out loud.

 

Where does your strength come from? ______________________________________________

 

Wearing God’s armor will enable you to stand firm against what? ________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

What does God’s word say is the real struggle you are dealing with? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

In verse 13 He tells us to “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” how does He say you can stand firm in verses 14-17? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear sisters, it doesn’t matter what war you are fighting in life.  It could be a war between countries or a war between husband and wife, parent and child, brother and sister, etc. Every battle we are deployed into is dealt with in the same manner according to God’s word.  We fight the good fight (II Tim. 4:7) wearing the armor of God (Eph 6:10-17) and He will go before us and be our rear guard (Isaiah 52:12).  When we know whom we are fighting and how to fight, you can be sure He will give you victory and bring you home.

 

To all our military men and women and to their families, I leave you this verse as a promise from God.

Isaiah 52:12

“But you will not go out in haste, nor will you go as fugitives; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

 

He will bring you home!