You can do more and you can do it longer

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “A fresh start in a new year”

Our Bible verse for today: “Here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then.” Joshua 14:10-11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You can do more and you can do it longer”

Before I tell this story let me be clear that I never served as a U.S. Navy SEAL. I emphasize that because I detest stolen valor (when someone claims a military honor which they did not really earn), and sometimes this part of my personal story has been misreported by others as me having been a Navy SEAL. I was not. But I did want to be. I wanted to be a Navy SEAL officer and I did attempt it.

At one point in my career in the Navy I applied for, was accepted into, and I did attend BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition School), which is essentially bootcamp for Navy SEALs. It’s six months of the most difficult military training in the world. And … I failed in spectacular fashion. It was embarrassing and probably even a little comical. I was not cutout to be a Navy SEAL. A pastor, maybe, but not a trained killer performing amazing feats of daring and heroism. That’s not me and I did not last long at BUDS.

However, I am glad I attempted it. And while I was there, I learned some important life-lessons that I have carried with me ever since. One of the most important of those lessons was “You can do more than you think you can, and you can do it longer than you think you can.” That’s a basic life-lesson and you will find it to be true if you’re attempting the most difficult military training in the world, or in any other challenging situation in life. If you will stick with it and push through it you will discover that you can do more than you thought you could, and you can do it longer than you thought you could.

I believe that’s the mindset the Old Testament figure Caleb approached all of life with. Caleb was one of the twelve men sent by Moses to spy-out the Promised Land, and along with Joshua, he was one of only two who came back with a positive report. He urged the people of Israel to be bold and courageous, trusting God as they faced what appeared to be an insurmountable challenge to go forward and take possession of the land God had promised them.

Caleb evidently lived his entire life with strong faith and a proactive, can-do attitude. So, in Joshua 14:10-11 we find him now eighty-five years old, still feisty, still strong and healthy, and still kicking butt and taking names. I love it! I want to be Caleb! What a healthy and productive way to approach life!

The truth is that we are all capable of doing more than we think we can, and we can do it longer than we think we can. I encourage you to be positive, be enthusiastic, and live life large – just like Caleb did.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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