Category: Jesus our Chief Responder
Day 4–Courage to Keep Forgiving
Scripture reading for February 26: Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
A central teaching of Jesus Christ concerned forgiveness of sins. Man’s greatest need is forgiveness of sins and Jesus Christ’s primary message of the Good News was that through Him, sin could be forgiven. Jesus’ disciples struggled to understand forgiveness. Part of their religious training concerned equal retribution for offences. If someone poked out your eye, you could get even and poke out his eye. Jesus instead taught that if we expected God to forgive us our sins, we must forgive others their sins against us. All vengeance belonged to God, since only He knows all about each person and He alone can judge justly.
Peter, a disciple of Jesus, asked Jesus about how many times he should forgive someone who sinned against him. He suggested that seven times might be a generous number. But Jesus responded with something much greater–“seventy-seven times.” Some translations say ‘seventy times seven.’ The whole point is that forgiveness is the proper decision towards those who have offended you or did you wrong.
As first responders, we must work with others on most of our calls. There are always those who offend. These may be fellow responders or even the people that we were called to help. We should never keep score in order to get even or to repay in kind. Jesus’ gave us the ultimate demonstration of forgiveness when from the cross He cried, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) This prayer was directed to those who had crucified Him and falsely accused Him. He laid down His life that all might receive forgiveness and demonstrated God’s generous grace.
Prayer: Father God, like Peter, I sometimes count how many times I have forgiven and think I have been generous. Forgive me and teach me how to have the courage to forgive others every time I am offended or wronged. I trust You to have mercy on them and me. Amen.
Day 3–Courage to Confess Jesus as Lord
Scripture reading for February 25: Matthew 25:28-32“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him Who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father Who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father Who is in heaven.”
A common fear in all mankind is a concern for what others think. But Scripture teaches that the fear of man is a snare. (Proverbs 29:25) Jesus taught His disciples not to fear men or their positions of power or opinions. Even rulers who have the authority to take your life are not to be a source of fear. They can only kill the body but have no power to sentence you to eternal punishment.
The only ones we are to fear is God our Father and Jesus His Son. These hold our lives in Their hands and our eternal destiny depends on Their mercy and grace. If we hold this to be truth, then we should not be ashamed to declare our trust. Jesus plainly stated to His disciples that everyone who would confess faith in Him before men, He would confess before His Father in heaven. On the contrary, if we deny faith in Jesus then He will deny us before His Father in heaven.
As first responders who trust in Jesus, our first responsibility and priority in our life is our relationship with our Lord. But in a secular culture, we must be wise in how we conduct ourselves and in our speech. We should first seek to live a life of humility and serving others in such a way as to demonstrate Christ’s love and character. Our speech and attitude should be free from vulgarity and gossip. We should be ready to share the reason for our hope and joy, never denying Jesus as Lord. (1 Peter 3:15)
Prayer: Father God, I never want to deny You before men. Forgive me for sometimes having a fear of man concerning the sharing of my faith. Open doors for me to share my faith by displaying in me Your love and compassion and joy and hope. Amen.
Day 2–Courage Runs to Danger
Scripture reading for February 24: 1 Samuel 17:48-49 “When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.”
The story of the young shepherd boy David facing the Philistine warrior giant has always captured my imagination. I was smaller and often picked on. My mom told me this story and I could picture this battle in my mind every time. David came out to visit his brothers and bring them food and supplies as they served in the Israelite army. There was a standoff for forty days as Goliath the giant taunted the Israelites to send out a man to fight him. King Saul was a bigger man himself, standing head and shoulders above his fellow Israelites, but fear gripped all the fighting men and not one offered to fight the giant.
David saw the situation and inquired about the reward for taking on the giant. He was mocked by his brothers, but Saul offered David his armor. David tried it on, but decided to use his trusty sling and some smooth stones. They faced one another with the opposing armies watching with apprehension. How could a young shepherd boy defeat a seasoned warrior? David stated his goal, bringing down Goliath and removing his head. He ran to the task, sling loaded and made ready, Goliath laughing. One stone and the giant fell to the ground. David took Goliath’s sword and finished him off.
Every incident that we are called to respond to must be faced with courage and faith. David knew that God was with Him and has taught him to use his sling to face down bears and lions. Our past experience of success and ability to step up and run to danger should help us more each time. God will prove faithful to teach us how to use what we have to defeat the largest giant or mocking enemy.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for running to the danger of death on a cross to purchase my freedom from fear of death or defeat. Gird me with Your courage to face each incident as David did when he ran to meet Goliath in confidence of God giving strength and victory. Amen.
Week 9–Day 1– Courage Through Faith
Scripture reading for February 23: Joshua 1:8-9 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to do what is right in spite of fear. God had placed Joshua in leadership in Israel because he had demonstrated faith and courage as one of the twelve spies. Joshua believed that God had given the Israelites the land of promise and that they could take it in spite of obvious opposition from armed occupants already there. Now Moses had died and Joshua was called by God to lead the nation. God reminded Joshua that He would be with him as He had been with Moses. He promised Joshua that if He would meditate on God’s laws and speak them out of his mouth in faith, he would have prosperity and success. None of the armed forces in the land would be able to stand against him.
It is interesting to note that God reminded Joshua not to be afraid or dismayed. Fear and fretting go together and are opposed to faith and courage. But God knew that if Joshua would meditate on His Word and apply it in faith, that courage and conquering would naturally take place. God would watch over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12) Faith is a decision of the will to believe God’s Word.
As first responders, we must develop faith and courage in order to effectively do our job of helping those in need. An assurance that we are not alone, but that God is with us gives us courage. Knowledge of God’s Word and promises helps us to be bold and calm in approaching danger. Have you declared your faith in God and are you meditating on His Word and speaking it?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your promise of continually being with us as Your children. Thank You for Your amazing Word that brings faith when heard and courage to act in times of danger. Amen.
Day 5–Abiding in Jesus
Scripture reading for February 20: John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Jesus instructed His team of disciples using analogies. In this passage He used the example of a grape vine. He was the trunk of that vine and supported the branches. The branches, as they remained attached to the vine, produced fruit. This was the mission and purpose of the vine, to produce fruit for the Father that would bless His kingdom. The vine was kept by a vine dresser-God the Father. (John 15:1) If branches died or were unfruitful, He would prune them off and throw them in the fire, as they were good for nothing else. Their purpose was never to be fulfilled–that of fruitfulness and blessing.
Likewise, disciples of Jesus must stay attached in daily relationship with their Master. They would abide in Him, and He in them through His teaching and the Father’s Gift of the Holy Spirit. As they remained in vital relationship, under the Father’s watchful eyes, they would produce fruit that would bring glory to God the Father. If they neglected their attachment, they would eventually be pruned away and tossed into the fire. This teaching used a plain illustration that brought ‘pruning’ to the branches!
As first responders, we can also learn from this example. Each department and leader has communicated standards of behavior and attendance required for doing the job effectively. We must ‘abide’ by these stated standards and willingly submit to them and seek to live by them. Some examples include wearing seatbelts when in vehicles, using prescribed safety vests and procedures when working incidents or accidents. When responding to a fire, our goal is to save human lives if possible as well as protecting our own ability to help. We submit to the incident commander and follow his instructions.
Prayer: Father, thank You for providing our source of fruitfulness in Jesus Christ. Help me abide in Him and produce much fruit! Amen.
Day 4–Powerful Communications
Scripture reading for February 19: Romans 8:26-28“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He Who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the perfect will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
A key to effective response to any incident is in effective communications. The hurting person must be able to communicate their need and location through the emergency communications network for that region. The emergency dispatcher must contact the available responders and send them the information in a timely manner. The responders must communicate back to the dispatcher their time of departure, equipment or vehicle, and estimated time of arrival. Upon arrival, they notify the dispatcher and after sizing up the situation, call with updated information and possibly request other assistance or equipment.
As faith responders, we are often called into God’s service as the opportunity or need presents itself. As today’s Scripture states, we are often feeling weakness or a lack of understanding about what God is doing or is wanting us to do in our response. We have the ability to talk directly to God through prayer, asking Him for directions and wisdom. In our weakness, sometimes we do not even know what to ask. God has made provision for all His people through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We can allow the Spirit of God to pray through us in a spiritual language that communicates with God according to His perfect will. We act in faith when we allow the Spirit to help us. What a blessing it is to know that God is listening to us and helps us in our ability to pray effectively!
We are never alone or without timely communication with God through His Gift of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever been in a situation where you did not know what to do to help or assist? As a believer in Jesus, have you ever asked the Spirit to help you to pray? Today is a good time to invite the Spirit to help! (Luke 11: 9-13) God wants to empower us to communicate clearly!
Day 3–Power to Assist the Hurting
Scripture reading for February 18: Matthew 10:5-8 “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.” You received without paying; give without pay.”
Each time a call for help comes in over ‘911’, responders are dispatched to go and help. Their training and equipment and authority from their position enables them to go and deal with whatever problem is needing assistance. We are not to show favoritism towards any nationality or social status, but help whoever is in need. As volunteers, we don’t do what we do for money and that is true of the vast majority of those receiving a salary. We are there to help because of a calling on our lives and have freely given of our time and effort. We go to those in need with ‘good news’ that someone in the community cares about them and is there to help.
Jesus sent out the twelve first disciples giving them specific instructions that were for them at that time. They were to go only to the house of Israel, not to Samaritans or other Gentile peoples. Their assignment was to proclaim the kingdom of heaven to those who had been prepared by their calling and training through Scripture. As a demonstration of the kingdom, Jesus empowered them with authority to heal those who were sick or afflicted. They were empowered to raise the dead and to cleanse those with the destructive disease of leprosy. Finally, they were given authority to cast out demons. The kingdom of heaven present meant that the old order of darkness and death must go. The results amazed everyone, including the disciples!
As a ‘faith’ responder, are you aware of the authority and calling that God has given you as a disciple of Jesus Christ? If you are also a first responder, do you seek guidance from the Holy Spirit for your response to each incident?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Your people out to reach others who are hurting, and now to every nationality or background or age. Give me new boldness to apply Your Word to each incident and seek to bring the kingdom of heaven near to each person in their need. Amen.
Day 2–Being a Witness
Scripture reading for February 17: Acts 1:8-9 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And when He had said these things, He was lifted up and a cloud took Him out of their sight.”
As a responder, how we conduct ourselves is vitally important to doing our job with excellence and representing our department well. We may rush to the incident, but we are not so hurried that we don’t take time to assess the situation and communicate with those in authority over us and with those in need. In an accident or medical emergency we keep calm and work methodically and carefully with compassion and respect for the individual’s involved. We treat our team members courteously and professionally, avoiding the use of foul language or derogatory attitudes. We should humbly serve, counting those we are serving as more important than ourselves. We enter dangerous situations to save lives and restore order. Our attitudes, actions and demeanor communicate care and proficiency and bring calm to the incident and those affected.
God works to empower His people from the inside out. His gift of the Holy Spirit indwells or clothes each person with God’s character, gifts and graces. God wants us to represent Him well and accurately and the Holy Spirit works inside us to transform us into Christ’s image and character of holiness. We work out our salvation and transformation as God works inside us by His Spirit. (Philippians 2:12-13) We are to be witnesses, not just ‘do witnessing.’ This involves changes inside us that we can’t do by ourselves. We can yield to the Holy Spirit and invite Him to give grace to make changes.
The mission Jesus shared with His disciples was to send them first to their immediate countrymen in Jerusalem with the message. Next they would go to the Samaritans and share and finally to the ends of the earth to all people. They could not do this on their own. God’s power and presence would be with them to give direction, authority, conviction and miraculous signs. (Mark 16:20)
Prayer: Father God, Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who is always with me to guide me and empower me. I invite You to work into my heart and character the traits of Jesus Christ that I might represent Him with excellence as I serve others as a responder. Amen.
Week 8–Day 1–The Authority to Serve
Scripture reading for February 16: Luke 24:45-49 “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
As first responders, we need power at several levels to enable us to do our job. First, we are given authority to respond by becoming members of a fire department, sheriff’s department, EMT unit, or Highway Patrol. We are given official identification as members of the department and assigned under a command structure where we are accountable to a senior leader. We must have physical strength to do the job of handling heavy equipment, power tools, and driving trucks and vehicles. We learn the knowledge of what to do in various emergency situations and how to work as part of a team and maintain good relationships.
Jesus Christ equipped those willing to follow Him in each area with the authority and strength and understanding to do their job. He also taught them the importance of working together in teamwork and accountability. A major part of this empowerment was the promised Gift of God the Father, the Holy Spirit. The original disciples were told by the resurrected Christ that they must wait in Jerusalem for this ‘Promise’ and that they would be clothed with power from God’s throne itself. The purpose of this authority was to empower them to become witnesses who could effectively proclaim the Gospel message of forgiveness of sin through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
To be an effective member of a team of responders, we must understand authority. All of us are under God’s authority and those He has placed in authority over us. We voluntarily act in obedience to those over us and the framework of directives defining our mission. We are thankful for our leadership and support them fully.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for empowering those responding to You with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for those in authority that You have placed where You want. Teach us all to respect authority and work together to accomplish the mission. Amen.
Day 5–Faith moves mountains!
Scripture reading for February 13: Matthew 17:18-21 “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say unto you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew records the story of a failure in the rescue of a young boy with epilepsy. This young boy’s father brought the boy to the disciples to deal with the disease which caused the boy to be thrown into the fire and into the water, endangering his life and peaceful existence as well as his family. We don’t know for sure where Jesus was, but the disciples failed to help the boy. When Jesus arrived and the father told them of the failure, Jesus rebuked the disciples as part of a ‘faithless and twisted generation’ that He was weary of bearing with. He had given them instructions before. They had gone out and applied what Jesus taught and modeled earlier. (Luke 10:17-20) Why couldn’t they use their faith to bring healing here?
This story contains lessons for us as first responders. There are times when we are called to help when we may try but seem to fail. We apply what we know, but don’t truly know what we should have learned. Like the disciples, we try but are failures and wonder why we failed. Sometimes an older and wiser responder takes us aside and explains where we went wrong. Sometimes, another team member with more experience and training provides the help needed and we can learn again the correct procedures.
When I face incidents where I am in over my head in training or ability I don’t despair and give up. My confidence is in my Lord and His promise of mountains moving even if my faith or personal ability is small. I speak to the Lord about the problem and invite Him to give me strength and ability or send help. Mountains move and nothing is impossible with Jesus.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for being with me in my weakness and even my failure. Thank You for correction and encouragement to get up and get going again, trusting in You. Amen.