I went home for Eater this last weekend, and got to go back to my home church to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Needless to say, my church is huge. If you've never heard of Bayside...well, let me just say that we rented out Arco Arena (where the Sacramento Kings play basketball...or played) for our Easter service. And it was packed to the rafters!
Our service this year was a bit different than it has been in the past (despite it being one big service with 15,000 people). We heard the message of Easter, but on top of that we had a guest come and share with us. His name is Louis Zamperini. Here's a little bit about him: he was an olympic runner in the 1936 games in Nazi Germany (set the world record for fastest last lap in the 5000m race...also stole a Nazi flag to bring home as a souvenir =] ), and veteran from the US Air Force. He served in WWII where his plane was shot down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, was stranded at sea for over 40 days, dropped to weighing 80 pounds, was "rescued" by the Japanese and thrown into one of the most horrific prisoner of war camps for two years before returning to the States. The war haunted him still when he was home, he turned to drinking as a coping mechanism, and told us a story about having a nightmare and waking up with his hands around his wife's neck. He found Christ at a Billy Graham crusade, and since the moment he accepted Christ as his Savior he has not had another nightmare, he was instantly released of alcoholism, and INSTANTLY forgave his torturers in Japan. He has since gone back to Japan and actually talked to some of the guards from the POW camp and forgiven them in person as well. What a testament of God's power to transform and how His love can overcome anything!!
As I was going through this weeks devos, I kept thinking back to Louis' story. First remembering his loyalty and commitment to our country. To serve and suffer for us. Anyone in the military, in the past, present and future, shows one of the greatest acts of loyalty to our country by simply being in the military. Not only did I keep going back to the tie to the military, but I kept thinking of God's loyalty in his story. Even though Louis did not know Christ while he was a POW, God was committed to him. God had a plan, a plan to keep him safe, a plan to bring him home, and a plan to rescue him (both physically and spiritually). And the Lord was loyal to see that plan out. And He's been loyal ever since. So, has Louis. He's currently 94, and has been an inspirational speaker for years. He's devoted his life to the gospel and continues to tell his story to many.
God is loyal, the most loyal of all. His word is filled with promises that he has made to us. He is loyal to keep them all. He is committed to us, committed to grow us, committed to help us overcome evil, committed to show us light in the darkness, committed to loving us no matter what, and committed to bringing us home to Himself. But, this commitment and loyalty will only become reality if we are committed back. He will grow us, pull us out of darkness, show us love, etc, only if we stay with him. When we are loyal to him, his cause and his purpose for our life, we will know his commitment as well.
His loyalty and commitment to us is eternal. How would our lives be different if our loyalty and commitment to him was eternal too?
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