Hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death. — Philippians 2:29-30
During basic training, Desmond Doss irritated his drill instructor and fellow soldiers. A pacifist by conviction, he refused to carry a weapon into battle, and this made his peers doubt his courage. Trained as a medic, the young Christian had no qualms about facing combat. But his goal was to save lives.
Doubts about Doss would change, however, when his military unit faced combat. During the World War II Battle of Okinawa, he ducked under machine gun fire to pull the wounded to safety. He prayed, “Lord, give me the strength to save just one more wounded soldier.” Eventually he lowered more than 70 injured men down a hill for further medical attention. For his efforts, Desmond Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor — the highest honor his country could bestow.
Scripture tells of another Christian who took great personal risks to help others. Of Epaphroditus, Paul wrote, “Hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life” (Phil. 2:29-30).
Around the world today, many believers risk their lives for the cause of Christ. Let’s pray that our God will protect them as they serve Him under threatening circumstances. — Dennis Fisher
O Lord, listen to our cry for mercy; in Your faithfulness come to the relief of those who are in danger because of their faith. For Your name’s sake, preserve their lives; in Your righteousness, bring them out of trouble.
READ: Philippians 2:25-30
Courage is not having strength to go on — it is going on when you don’t have the strength.