The Captain’s Plea
Independence Day is a time to celebrate the freedom we enjoy as Americans living together in this one nation under God. It’s also a perfect time to remind ourselves – with thankful hearts – that we are under God and to align our hearts with His heart, including His heart for people.
I want to share some Bible verses with you from 2 Kings. The back story is that Ahaziah, King of Samaria, had sent men to summon the prophet Elijah – twice. Each time, the king sent a captain with a company of 50 men, and each time, when they delivered their message to Elijah, fire fell from heaven and consumed the captains and all their men. King Ahaziah, then, sent a third captain with 50 men. That captain, however, fell on his knees before Elijah and said this, from 2 Kings 1:13-14: “O man of God, please let my life, and the lives of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight.” A few phrases later, he says again, “let my life be precious in your sight.” Their lives were spared. What caught my eye was the relationship truth he expressed in that moment!
We often pray for abortion-minded clients that their life and their baby’s life would be precious in their sight. It’s also a plea you and I can embrace for ourselves in times of crisis as well as in our everyday interactions. As we engage with others, may we have eyes to see their lives as precious. And, as others connect with us, we hope our lives are precious in their sight. Because that is what’s true. The Bible says God made each one of us. We belong to Him. He takes great delight in us. We are each so precious to Him that He sent His only Son Jesus to die in our place, that our broken relationships with Him might be restored for all eternity.
“Let my life be precious in your sight.” May these words help us align our heart with God’s and offer truth for our relationships, as we live in this one nation under God. We have all been created for Him.