Category: 2026 Trek Intro
Week 18-Video Responder Highlight–Author
Scripture reading for May 2: Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Chaplain John Morse offers insight on soul care for responders and believers.
Day 5–Grace not Worry!
Scripture reading for May 1: 1 Peter 5:5-7 “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility towards one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Living by faith is the key to a content and peaceful soul. Many in our world, even among responders, are filled with anxiety. We all face the pressures of life in this world and troubles that come upon the just and the unjust. “Time and chance happen to all” says Solomon. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) It’s how we respond to these troubles that is a key to our soul health. Jesus, our Example, was totally obedient to His Father and sought Him for every word to speak and every action to do. Everything was done to bring glory to God and fulfil His purpose of saving lost sinners and bringing them into a loving relationship.
Peter instructed believers to clothe themselves with humility towards one another. Jesus was completely humble and gentle, calling all to come and learn His way. (Matthew 11:28-30) Peter reminds us that God gives grace to the humble but He opposes the proud. Having God opposing you is not a place to choose for a healthy soul. We note that God invites us to cast all cares and burdens on Him and He will sustain us. He guarantees that He will exalt us at the proper time and help us stand firm. He truly cares for us!
This is good news for first responders who deal with other’s problems but still have our own personal concerns. When we cast our cares on God, we can let go of them completely. It’s like a shotput athlete throwing a 16 pound shot. If we cast it and hold onto it it will put our body and soul at risk. We must choose to let go and trust God to sustain us in peace and expectancy.
Prayer: Father God, I sometimes hold onto my cares and allow them to weigh me down as with a heavy load. Forgive me and teach me to cast those cares on You and live by faith in these amazing promises of Your unending care and unbreakable promises. Amen.
Day 4–Jesus Alone is Judge!
Scripture reading for April 30: Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” John 5:21-23 “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.”
Another disease of our souls is pride and the judging of others. We all tend to view ourselves through comparison with others. We see the faults of others and the areas of their lives that are broken and judge them in one way or another. We elevate ourselves and fail to use sober judgment on our own faults. (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22)
Jesus, the One designated by the Father as Judge is the only One with the ability to know everything about a person, seen and unseen in the heart. We are instructed not to judge others and pronounce a guilty verdict or pass a sentence. We are guilty ourselves and our judgment is flawed because of sin within. Jesus warned His disciples that the judgment they pronounced on other would be reaped by them and the measure they used would be measured back to them. They were to honor the Father and the Son by leaving all judgment to Him Alone. This requires humility before God and Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Righteous Judge because He alone took the penalty for sin upon Himself and paid the price of death on all sinner’s behalf. His blood atoned for our sins and all we can do is say ‘thank You’ and in response forgive others instead of holding judgment against them. One day we who are made righteous by Christ, along with the Apostle Paul, can expect the ‘Righteous Judge’ to award us the crown of righteousness. (2 Timothy 4:8)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, the Righteous Judge, I choose to leave all judgment with You. Help me to never act pridefully and judge someone as totally lost or as deserving eternal punishment. Help me to always use a measure of mercy like You have given to me and all who believe on You. Amen.
Day 3–Dealing with Offense
Scripture reading for April 29: Matthew 18:21 “Then Peter came up and said to Him (Jesus), “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.” Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
One of the most serious maladies of the soul is bitterness coming from unforgiveness. We are to guard our hearts because out of them flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23) When offenses come, (not if) we must handle them promptly and according to God’s example in Christ Jesus. A bitter root of unforgiveness in the heart will yield poisonous fruit coming from the inner man through the mouth and even the body in hurtful words and actions. We must choose to forgive by giving the offense to God and allowing Him to handle what is needed. Only God knows the heart of the person and can truly deal justly with the person and possibly lead them to repentance. When we forgive we exhibit the grace of God in Jesus Christ for all.
Peter was very impetuous. Following a prideful argument with several disciples about who was the greatest, Peter questioned Jesus about forgiving his brother who sinned against him. He asked how many times he was required by law to forgive. He generously offered seven times as a possibility. But Jesus simply astounded him with His answer of ‘seventy-seven’ times. Some versions say ‘seventy times seven’ which is more impossible to remember or count. That was Jesus’ point: don’t keep score, but show mercy!
Paul, writing to the Ephesians, instructed them to be kind to one another and tenderhearted. He understood Jesus’ character and example. It was goodness in God that opened the door for repentance. (Romans 2:4) When we forgive, we loose the person to experience God’s grace. We give a concrete example of Jesus’ grace for us.
Prayer: Father, as responders we sometimes become entangled in offenses like those we help. We need Your mercy and claim forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Form in us a tender heart and kindness towards those who offend us. Help us to forgive promptly and joyfully and pray for those offending. Amen.
Day 2–Refreshing Rest
Scripture reading for April 28: Matthew 11:28-30“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Proper rest is a key ingredient to functioning in your workplace with maximum efficiency and mental acuity. The psalmist stated plainly that he would lie down and sleep peacefully. The stated reason for this was that because he knew the Lord as his protector and peace, he could rest without fear of harm by any enemy. He did not have to entertain worry or fear in his mind about being caught off guard as he slept.
Jesus Christ called those who were burdened down with their fears and worries to come to Him. He promised them rest as they would exchange these heavy loads for His ‘yoke’. As a Jewish rabbi, the ‘yoke’ was the body of teaching and instruction of the teacher. Jesus was God the Father’s Word in human form. Jesus encouraged them that HIs yoke was easy and His burden was light. He would personally instruct them while present with them. When time came for Him to die on the cross and be raised from the dead and enter into glory through resurrection, He would send them Another Helper, the Gift of the Father. This Helper, the Holy Spirit, would empower them to live out His teaching and bring comfort and God’s presence to them always.
As responders, rest and good sleep is very important to our well-being. We would do well to heed Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and find not only sleep for the body, but rest for our souls. We can rest in what our Lord Jesus did to deliver us from fear of death and punishment for sins. We can rest in God’s presence with us always. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the invitation to find relief for our burdens, guilt, and weariness in our Lord Jesus. Teach me Your Word and ways that I might follow Jesus and enjoy peace and rest for my soul. Help me daily to rest and have refreshing sleep in peace with God and man. Amen.
Week 18–Day 1–Soul Care for Responders
Scripture reading for April 27: Proverbs 3:5-8 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Responders invest daily in helping others who are sick, hurting, or in trouble or danger but they also need regular care of their own souls, minds and bodies. God is well aware of our needs and we are to ask Him for help. He does give us understanding of basic care in our need for daily rest, a balanced diet, and relationships that are mutually beneficial. But the writer of Proverbs provides some very clear and simple direction to find health and refreshment.
We are encouraged to trust the Lord and not just lean on our natural knowledge and understanding. Our understanding is limited and sometimes it is twisted or untrue. God asks us to acknowledge Him in all our ways. He wants to show us a straight path to the fulfilment of our needs and His plans. This requires us not to be wise in our own eyes. We can insist on our own way without respect for the Lord and His Word and end up in trouble or we can honor our Lord and ask Him for guidance and enable us to avoid evil and trouble. When we fear or honor our Lord, we find true healing for our bodies and minds and refreshment for our bones. When we commit our work to our Lord then He will direct and establish His plans in our plans. We begin to want what He wants!
Responders need healing and refreshing each day. When we choose to commit our way to the Lord and ask Him to direct us, we walk by faith through our day and each incident we are called to help with is not so stressful. We know God is with us and directing our path.
Prayer: Father God, help me to remember to commit my way to You each day and humbly acknowledge You and Your great wisdom and understanding that I desperately need. At the end of each day, I will honor You by casting all cares on You and trust You for needed rest and refreshing. Amen.
911 Video Highlight Week 17–Dane M.
Scripture reading for April 25: Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Day 5–Not One Word Failed!
Scripture reading for April 24: 1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the Lord Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke by Moses His servant.” 1 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
Solomon spoke this Word of Truth to the congregation as they dedicated the temple that his father David had planned and provided for and he had been allowed to build. He reminded God’s people of His faithfulness to His Word. God’s Word would stand any test of time and is not dependent on our faithfulness but on God’s Holy character. He is a God of Truth. He is not a man that He should lie. (Numbers 23:19) Heaven and earth would pass away, but His Word would never perish. (Matthew 24:35)
In my nearly eighty years of my journey through earth’s wilderness, I have learned and continue to learn God’s Word is gold! What He has said, He will do. What He promises, He will deliver. This includes all blessings coming by faith as well as the curses brought on through disobedience and unbelief. God watches over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12)
Worship is our response to His goodness and promises and the fulfilment of them through His faithfulness. “Blessed be the Lord” was Solomon’s cry before God’s people. God’s presence had filled the temple with His Glory, causing the priest to not be able to even stand up outside the holy place. But now, we who believe in Jesus Christ, are being transformed by the Holy Spirit into greater degrees of glory into the image of Christ Jesus.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing Word and Your faithfulness to fulfill it. Help me to walk in rest and peace and freedom as I respond to those in need. Thank You for supplying all my needs according to Your riches in Glory in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Day 4–Provided with Life and Godliness
Scripture reading for April 23: 2 Peter 1:2-4 “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
When we think of God as a provider, we usually think of material things that we need or want. We are told in Scripture to pray and ask God for our daily bread. We are told we can ask Him for anything he has promised and He will provide. But Peter, writing to the church right before his death, asked that grace and peace be multiplied to the believers. This would be appropriated through a knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the Word of God made flesh. Grace and peace are provisions only God can give us.
Peter taught that the resurrected Jesus through His divine power had granted believers everything they needed for life and godliness. Jesus’ glory and perfection in holiness was imparted to believers through the promised Holy Spirit as a down payment. Believers could appropriate and partake of God’s divine nature through faith in His promises and allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within. These promises are more precious than gold or precious jewels. They are promises of eternal life, healing, joy unspeakable and full glory at Christ’s second coming. These promises help us escape corruption and the punishment of eternal damnation coming through our fleshly appetites.
As first responders who believe in Jesus Christ, we should strive to know Him and the power of His resurrection. To do this, we should read and listen to God’s Word and claim by faith the precious promises. We can live in grace and peace and more effectively help those in various troubles. We can reflect Jesus Christ to the world.
Prayer: Thank You Father for providing everything that I need for life and godliness as I live in a corrupted world. Help me to keep Your precious promises in my mind and heart so I can partake of Your divine nature and live eternally in Your glory. Amen.
Day 3–God Will Provide
Scripture reading for April 22: Genesis 22:11-14 “But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”, as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
God often tests His people for genuine faith and love for Him that produces obedience. In this amazing story from the life of Abraham, the father of faith, we have God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son of promise, Isaac. This was a difficult request but Abraham feared God and also trusted God’s promises to him that through Isaac and his offspring all nations would be blessed. Abraham obeyed God and set out for the place he was to make the sacrifice with Isaac carrying the wood and he the fire and knife. He prepared an altar and laid Isaac on it. As he raised the knife, God stopped him by calling his name. God told Abraham not to touch his son, for he had passed the test of trusting God. Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket and offered the ram instead pf his son. He named the site, “Jehovah Jireh”, which means ‘The Lord will provide.” It was near the place where two thousand years later Jesus Christ was offered as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
As responders, we are often called to help in difficult assignments where we don’t fully understand how we will make it through. Abraham’s life lesson for us is that obedience to God is always the best way forward. As we go, God will surely provide what we need when we have obeyed. I have experienced God’s amazing supply numerous times on my journey through life.
Prayer: Father, I am not sure that I could have obeyed Your request to sacrifice my son to you. Examine my heart today and lead me in paths of surrender and obedience to Your will. I am learning to trust the promise of the Name Abraham learned the hard way–“The Lord Will Provide!” Amen.