I am being "chased" out of country for a few days of rest. I don't know if I'll have any access to the necessary services, and thus blogging may be light.

I want to leave you with two verses I came across in Proverbs.

Proverbs 21:21

21He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness and honor.

When we do what's right and yet show compassion and mercy to those around us, we often end up with more than we expected, we often reap much more than we sow. God doesn't want us to be obedient becuase He wants to boss us around, He leads us towards eternal truths because He knows how things turn out. He encourages us to find the relationships between our actions and that life that we can live more abundantly.

Proverbs 21:31

31The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the LORD.

We soldiers are wise to keep our weapons clean and in good operation. We keep our vehicles well maintained and serviced. We prepare our minds and our hearts for the missions at hand, and we train and prepare for contingencies. We are ready.

But in the end, it is the Lord who preserves and protects us. And best of all, long before our day of battle, He has encouraged us to take those steps that make us ready and able in our hours of need.