Fallen Heroes

by | Nov 11, 2019 | Devotional

Today’s post is by my friend Diane Virginia. She is a wonderful storyteller and I love to read everything she writes. This story was first used on www1.cbn.com for a Memorial Day post. Since it is Veteran’s Day, I thought is was appropriate to use it.

I hope you enjoy it.

In Ronald Reagan’s 1986 Memorial Day[1] speech given at Arlington National Cemetery, [2] the President says, “It’s the young who do the fighting and dying when a peace fails and a war begins.” He lists hero after hero, outlining through these examples why we honor our fallen military men and women.

Reagan shares, “Not far from here is the statue of the three servicemen. … Perhaps you’ve seen it—three rough boys walking together, looking ahead with a steady gaze. … The three are touching each other, as if they’re supporting each other, helping each other on.” Reagan is stirred by this artistic rendition of the three young men because it typifies the commitment and courage of the United States’ armed forces, some having given their own lives to save the lives of their loved ones at home.

What does the Bible say about celebrating fallen heroes? We don’t have to look far to see it is God’s intent to remember our valiant military men and women, and to recount their accomplishments.

King David, for example, like Reagan, makes an accounting of his military men and their achievements. First, he names Adino the Ezinite who spears eight hundred enemies in one battle. He continues his honorarium and names Shammah the Harite who stands his ground in a barley field refusing to yield it to the Philistines (see II Samuel 23:8). David mentions other heroes along with their accomplishments.

This is only one biblical example where military heroes are recognized. There are many other places in the Bible where heroes are named and honored.

If God is “The Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6), then why do we fight wars in the first place?  President Reagan answers this question towards the end of his speech by saying, “If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does.”

Sometimes peace needs to be enforced by military prowess. When godless men oppress our children, women, and elderly, it is then we must call upon the courageous amongst us, including our brave young men and women, to save us from these intruders.

Our peace is not free…. It is the gift of selfless heroes who look beyond their needs to secure ours. Jesus says,

“The thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy. I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10b ESV).”

Our military robs the enemy of his assignment to destroy, and secures life for us.

It is fitting for us to honor our fallen American mighty men and women, for they have paid the ultimate price to secure our freedom, because their love is like our Lord’s. When Jesus faces death on Calvary’s cross to save humanity, He says,

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13 ESV).”

Jesus leads the spiritual army, and conquers the ultimate battle—and in the process, secures for us eternal life.

It is worthy of a national pause to thank God for the United States’ armed forces, who have followed in the footsteps of Commander Jesus by giving their lives to save ours.

Thank You Lord, for our fallen heroes, for they have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep America free.

[1]Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day, and established as a national observance by General John A. Logan in May 1868.

[2]https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiF6ZTh55jhAhVpUN8KHVNEBmUQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailysignal.com%2F2011%2F05%2F30%2Fpresident-reagans-1986-memorial-day-speech-at-arlington-national-cemetery%2F&psig=AOvVaw2q4PjeRAlKocp

Copyright © 2019: All rights reserved: VineWords Stories and Devotions Inspired by the Vine: Author Diane Virginia Cunio; Pen Name, Diane Virginia: Fallen Heroes: Our American Mighty Men; www.vinewords.net

About the Author

Diane Virginia Cunio is the author of The Kiss of Peace: An Intimate Exploration into Song of Solomon (awaiting publication). She is passionate about sharing Beloved Jesus’ divine love for you, His bride, as allegorically portrayed in the vignette, Song of Solomon.

She has developed the model for motion-activated musical prayer-stations for use in the garden retreat, themed to the places you as Beloved’s bride travel to in Song of Solomon.

Diane is a regular contributor for Christian Broadcasting Network. She has written for Faith Beyond Fear, Pentecostal Publishing House, The Secret Place, and other ministries.

To schedule Diane as a speaker, please contact her via her website: Stories and Devotions Inspired by the Vine. You may find her on Facebook or contact her via email at email@vinewords.net.

From Daddy, with Love

From Daddy, with Love

by | Oct 22, 2019 | Uncategorized

Love makes us do crazy things.

We sing more love songs than any other song. We hear Country songs about what a man will do for his love, and pop singers singing about the love of their life. And who doesn’t like a great love story? Hallmark movies, romance novels, and magazine articles all boast of love. It is everywhere. We adore love.

History holds incredible love stories.  King Edward VIII of England abdicated his throne for the love of an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson, in 1936. He could not take her as his bride as king, so he gave his kingship to his brother, King George, and married the woman he loved. They became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Who doesn’t remember reading about the famous Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra and the Roman General Mark Antony? After losing a war on Rome, they took their lives rather than be apart in life. [i]

In a recent El Paso Walmart shooting, a man shot a couple, Jordan and Andre Anchondo, to death while they tried to protect their two-month-old son. The shooter shot Andre as he threw his body in front of his wife and then shot Jordan as she tried to protect their son. [ii]  

What has love caused you to do?

When my children were young, my husband built them a swing set and fort with a slide and tunnel to play on in our backyard. He started it in our garage in the middle of winter. I have the cutest pictures of my three bundled children sitting on the steps of the garage watching my husband, hammer nails, saw wood and piece together this surprise. They could not wait to play on it.

On Father’s Day, I gave Mike a small plaque inscribed with “From Daddy, with love” to attach to the wooden beam of the playset so my children would always remember who built it for them. My kids are nearing the end of their college careers and that playset still stands in our yard.

Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is “The exact imprint of [God’s] nature…” God sent his Son as a loving imprint of his nature and love for us. One of the most famous Bible verses is John 3:16 (ESV),

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We could also say, “From Daddy, with love.”

Who among us would give their child for the life of a good person, let alone an evil, selfish, or hateful person? Only a loving God would offer His Son for sinners like you and me. Jesus suffered and died for us, for love.

Hebrews 2:9 says,

“But we see him, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

Not only was Jesus willing to die, but Hebrews tells us how He went to the cross. Hebrews 12: 2 says,

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Emphasis mine).

The Greek word for joy means gladness, state of rejoicing, happiness. [iii] Why would Jesus be in a state of rejoicing in going to the cross?  Because He knew that cross would restore the relationship He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit wanted with us. We could finally come to the Father, be in the presence of the Godhead, and experience Their love.

Jesus said in John 15:13,

“Greater love has no one than this; that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

There are many people who have not only laid down their life for a friend or family member but also a total stranger. How often do we see videos of or read about someone who risked their life to save another or gave their life saving someone? Just as Andre Anchondo threw himself in front of his wife to save her from the shooter, Jesus did the same for us.

Jesus took the blame and punishment for a crime He did not commit. Soldiers beat Him and He bled the blood we should have bled. He allowed the soldiers to nail His body to a cross that ours should have been nailed to.

But, Jesus did what we could not do. He raised himself from the dead (John 2:19, 10:18). Love raised Him. Love gave Jesus life from a horrible death. Love left scars on His resurrected body. Love seated Jesus at the right hand of the Father.

Remember, when we read verses like “Love is patient, love is kind…” from 1 Corinthians 13, we can replace all the “Love is” with God is.

God is love. So God is patient, God is kind; God does not envy or boast…God never ends.

[i] https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/news/g3233/greatest-love-stories-in-history/

[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/04/mass-shooting-el-paso-texas-woman-killed-saved-baby

[iii] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).