Cornerstone

Exodus 17:9-16 (15)

Navy officer, Lt. Commander Mike Christian was one of the brave but unfortunate POW’s during the Vietnam war. One day he began to gather pieces of red and white cloth. He used a piece of bamboo to make a needle and laboriously sewed a United States flag on the inside of his blue prison shirt.

Each night the naval officer would take his shirt off and hang it on the wall. The prisoners would all stand proudly before it, salute and say the pledge of allegiance.

One day the guards happened to come into the prison cell as the prisoners recited the pledge. The flag was torn from the wall. The man without a shirt was the obvious culprit. Mike Christian was dragged from the cell and was beaten for hours.

Later after the prisoners were asleep, Mike set under the lone light bulb in the cell. Around him were the scraps of white and red cloth. He was again sewing an American flag into his shirt.

Following the battle against the Amalekites, Moses built an altar of allegiance. He named it Jehovah Nissi which means God is my banner. The altar symbolized his allegiance but in reality we need no artificial remembrance. God alone is our banner. It is under His standard that we live and move and have our being.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Judges 6:19-24 (24)

Jesus stands up in the boat. The stormy waves wash over the deck. He rubs sleep from His all seeing eyes. The disciples clutch at the mast with one hand and bail water with the other. He expresses an exasperated request, “Please be still.” The winds and waves turn pink in frustrated embarrassment and beat a hasty retreat back to their placid state.

You are right. He really said “Peace be still.” That’s exactly what He said to my heart one day. It was in a churned state of turmoil. It was boiling over the rim of my humanity. It was in a froth of frustration, and frantic concern.

On that day the Master of the Tempest stood up, looked upon me with tender forgiveness and brought a deep settled peace to my soul. I have never been the same.

He loved me before I was loveable. He wanted me while I was wayward. He called me when I was corrupt. He reasoned with me when I turned from Him in rebellion.

One poet stated, “He knew me . . . yet He loved me.” I don’t understand. All I can say is that once I was at war. Now there is a wonderful peace that insulates my heart from the strife of this world. How can I help but love Him with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind?

Dr. Gayle Woods