https://youtu.be/GMBwS3NoWrs Some Gave All by Billy Ray Cyrus

 

 

I Samuel 17: 20-22 “Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were.”

In 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress; it is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.

This federal holiday is to honor those who have lost their lives while fighting for our freedom.

Each year you see local veteran’s with red poppies at participating marketplaces. The story behind the red poppies is from a poem “In Flanders Field.”

(I placed the poem at the top of the page)

“Though various legends have developed as to the inspiration for the poem, the most commonly held belief is that McCrae wrote “In Flanders Fields” on May 3, 1915, the day after presiding over the funeral and burial of his friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who had been killed during the Second Battle of Ypres. The poem was written as he sat upon the back of a medical field ambulance near an advance dressing post at Essex Farm, just north of Ypres. The poppy, which was a central feature of the poem, grew in great numbers in the spoiled earth of the battlefields and cemeteries of Flanders.

In 1855, British historian Lord Macaulay, writing about the site of the Battle of Landen (in modern Belgium, 100 miles from Ypres) in 1693, wrote “The next summer the soil, fertilised by twenty thousand corpses, broke forth into millions of poppies. The traveller who, on the road from Saint Tron to Tirlemont, saw that vast sheet of rich scarlet spreading from Landen to Neerwinden, could hardly help fancying that the figurative prediction of the Hebrew prophet was literally accomplished, that the earth was disclosing her blood,[16] and refusing to cover the slain.”[citation needed]

The Canadian government has placed a memorial to John McCrae that features “In Flanders Fields” at the site of the dressing station which sits beside the Commonwealth War Graves Commission‘s Essex Farm Cemetery. The Belgian government has named this site the “John McCrae Memorial Site“. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCrae

My devotion today on this Memorial Day comes I Samuel 17:20-22. David the shepherd has been sent by Jesse, his Father, to check on his brothers who are with Saul on the battlefield. Jesse has sent David with supplies for the men in battle. David arrives to see the Israelites being taunted by the Philistines and specifically Goliath. Samuel records, vs.22 “David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were.”

I thought about that while considering the sacrifices of the men and women who have placed themselves in harm’s way so we could continue to live in a free county.

These men and women have left their supplies at home with us. We should support them and their families while they are gone.

David ran to the battle lines to see how his brothers were doing.

Unfortunately, his brothers were not taking up the fight but running away. I am so very thankful to those of our day and time who do not run away but they ran toward the danger.

Our tasks is to be the keepers of the supplies. We are to be holding them and their families up in prayer for God’s protection.

We are to be helping the families as they “hold down the fort” here at home.

Today I hope that each of you will stop a moment to remember the sacrifice that has been made for our freedom. If you see a veteran with a red poppy, give a donation. It will help families while their love one is away.

Today I pray you will also consider what Jesus did for our freedom from sin. He paid the ultimate price also. His death, burial and resurrection bought for us eternal life.

He has left us in charge of the supplies (the gospel message). He will return one day and we will have to answer for what we have done with His message.

Father,

I thank you for my freedom bought with your precious blood. I thank you that you did not leave us without help to deliver your message. I am so grateful that you sent your Holy Spirit to empower us to do what you called us to do.

I pray you will be with those who are in harm’s way today for our country’s freedom. Thank you that you give them strength and comfort while they are away from their families. May we not be complacent in “keeping the supplies” for these families.

Forever in your debt,

Love,