The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. – Psalm 29:11

Everywhere we turn, or so it seems, the world promises us contentment and happiness. But the contentment that the world offers is fleeting and incomplete. Thankfully, the contentment that God offers is all encompassing and everlasting.

Happiness depends less upon our circumstances than upon our thoughts. When we turn our thoughts to God, to His gifts, and to His glorious creation, we experience the joy that God intends for His children. But, when we focus on the negative aspects of life—or when we disobey God’s commandments—we cause ourselves needless suffering.

Do you sincerely want to be a contented Christian? Then set your mind and your heart upon God’s love and His grace . . . and let Him take care of the rest.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. – John Piper

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Lord, You offer me contentment and peace; let me accept Your peace. Help me to trust Your Word, to follow Your commandments, and to welcome the peace of Jesus into my heart, today and forever. Amen

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid”. – Matthew 14:26-27

Every day we are confronted by events that strike fear in our hearts. Headlines shout disaster, violence, crime, poverty and depravity—we live in such turbulent times. How do we stay afloat as the waters swirl out of control around us?

The Bible is filled with God’s pledges of divine intervention, but nothing is clearer than the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Tim. 1-7 NIV). Christians have the tools to turn back fear!

Rather than using these tools, we often want to live in a world free of fearful situations. When we don’t find this, we give up and exist in hopeless desperation. We may even turn away from God because we expected Him to keep us from harm’s way – something God never told us He would do.

Remember the story of the disciples in the fierce storm in Matthew, chapter 14. They watched him feed five thousand people with a few fish and five loaves of bread. They witnessed Him heal blind men and yet, when it came to facing their first crisis in the midst of the storm, they raised the bar of cowardly behavior to a new level. The bottom line of this story is this, Jesus knew of the pending storm and the struggle they would face, but He allowed them to get into the boat and into turbulent waters.

Here’s what we can learn from this. Sometimes there are valuable lessons that God wants to teach us in our difficult times – before He calms the storm and quiets our fears. God never promised us a trouble free life. He did promise to be there with us in the dark times and the stormy seas, to give us hope in spite of fear. This knowledge becomes the foundation for living free of fear’s chains.

Facing your fear is not based on the abstract idea of simply believing. It is not based on the nebulous commitment to positive thinking. It is based on the concrete promise that He will be there, in the midst of our storm. Whether He carries us through the storm or whether He simply calms it down, we have the guarantee of His word that He will be there. As believers, we cannot simply say no to apprehension. We must say yes to the Master of the storm.

There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you’ll stand firm if you stand on His love. – Charles Stanley

TODAY’S PRAYER:

Lord, I acknowledge that I have the truth of your Word which promises me that You will be with me in the midst of my storm. I stand firm in the truth that You will never leave me or forsake me. No matter how violent my storm might be, You are the Master of my storm. I will not fear. Amen.

Blessings,

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

We live in a world that is, at times, a frightening place. We live in a world that is, at times, a discouraging place. We live in a world where life-changing losses can be so painful and so profound that it seems we will never recover. But, with God’s help, and with the help of encouraging family members and friends, we can get through it.

During the darker days of life, we are wise to remember the words of Jesus, who reassured His disciples, saying, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27 NIV). Then, with God’s comfort and His love in our hearts, we can offer encouragement to others. By helping them face their fears, we can, in turn, tackle our own problems with courage, determination, and faith.

So I ask you today, Are you afraid? Are you worried about the future? If you are, remember the words of God through Christ. Remember that God will never leave you during the days ahead. God will walk by your side. God will carry you when the road gets too rough.

So have no fear!

Facing our deepest fears means making peace with our seen self and with our unseen self. – Sheila Walsh

TODAY’S PRAYER

Father, even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because You are with me. Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect love, a love that casts out fear and gives me strength and courage to meet the challenges of this world. Amen

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2

You hear it from almost every corner: American culture is becoming increasingly marked by loneliness and isolation. In one way it’s understandable. There is a sense of safety and control in isolation and disconnection, but it’s a false sense of safety. In fact, living lonely is anything but safe. It’s a dangerous lifestyle because it allows a person to overlook real life, real people, and all the benefits and rewards that go with growing relationships.

And probably more important, our character has little chance to grow when we live life in isolation from others. It allows our thinking to go unchallenged and allows damaging issues we may struggle with to grow and thrive in the fertile soil isolation provides.

If you’re feeling isolated, do what an old commercial on television used to say, ‘Reach out and touch someone.’

You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you. – Dale Carnegie

Blessings,

Chaplain Dunbar

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

“There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us.” (1 Timothy 2:5 CEV)

Christmas is all about good news. But it’s not the good news of special gifts. It’s not the good news of a big meal. It’s not even the good news of spending time with friends and family.

Christmas is about the Good News of God’s love.

The Bible says all of us are lost without God. We’re directionless. We’re without protection. Our potential eternal impact upon the world is unrealized. We’re without real joy. Our eternity in Heaven isn’t secure.

The Good News about Christmas is that God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost. The Bible says, “There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us” (1 Timothy 2:5 CEV).

If you’ve ever spent time in church, you’ve likely heard the word “salvation” many times. But you may not know what it means. The word is like a diamond; you can look at it from many different angles.

•Jesus came to rescue us. We can’t solve all of our problems on our own. Without Jesus, we’re trapped in the expectations of others. We’re trapped in living for the approval of our peers. We’re trapped in addictions. We’ve tried to change over and over again, but we don’t have the power needed to escape. Jesus came to give us that power.
•Jesus came to recover us. We all long to recover parts of our lives that have been lost. Without Christ, we long to recover our strength, our confidence, our reputation, our innocence, and our relationship with God. Only Jesus can do that.
•Jesus came to reconnect us. Many people think that God will scold them if they come back to him. But God isn’t mad at you. He’s mad about you. Jesus came to Earth on the first Christmas to reconcile us to God, to give us harmony with him again.

Jesus came to Earth to give us the gift of himself. Too many of us celebrate his birthday without accepting this free gift of salvation. It goes unwrapped year after year after year. That’s not smart! You were made by God and for God. Until you understand that, life will never make sense.

This Christmas, open up the most important present you’ve been given: a new relationship with God through Jesus.

May Each of you have a wonderful Christmas!

Blessings,

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means, ‘God with us’. – Matthew 1:23

Are you a Grinch around Christmastime or do you know a Grinch?

I was reading to my daughter the famous “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and I came across words that made me rethink some things.

Maybe these words of Dr. Seuss sound familiar:

‘Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot…

‘But the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!’

‘For, tomorrow, he knew…all the Who girls and boys would wake bright and early. They’d rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That’s one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!’

Now I’m a Who at heart, I love Christmas, but I can certainly relate to the Grinch. Sometimes there’s so much noise at Christmas, you begin to think Christmas is about the noise, and friend, that will make you Grinchy every time! When that happens, remember the Grinch’s wise discovery:

‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store.’

‘Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!’

What does Christmas mean to you? Can you get past all the noise and consider what it meant for Jesus to come to earth as a babe in a manger?

Can you stop from all the buying, running, cleaning, and stress to marvel at God’s love for us.

I hope and pray this Christmas Holiday that you would find true joy and peace in.

May God bless you all,

Chaplain Dunbar

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
– Matthew 1:24

Imagine waking up one morning, and being expected to do something out of the ordinary… something that went against your logical thinking… something that just seemed bizarre.

That is exactly what happened to Joseph. Here was a respectable man, a man who was righteous, and had a good grip on reality. A man who just found out his wife was pregnant, and it wasn’t his child.

Can you imagine? How would you feel if you found out your wife was pregnant, and you knew for a fact it wasn’t your child… wouldn’t it crush you? Wouldn’t it turn your world upside down? Imagine how Joseph felt when he heard this news…

Of course, Joseph, being the respectable and just man that he was, knew that the logical thing was to divorce Mary… In fact, he was even planning it out, so that he could divorce her without causing her public humiliation… (Matthew 1:19)

This doesn’t really sound like the story-book start for a king, let alone for the savior of man. But it does sound similar to the things we face in our lives, doesn’t it? We plan everything out, and we have such a firm grasp on our lives, and then all of a sudden something BIG happens.

Maybe we were planning on that big promotion, only to find out that it was given to someone else. Or maybe struggling with finances, unsure of how you are going to make it… and then you find out your wife is pregnant! Illnesses, Accidents, and other unexpected events quickly turn our world upside down, and leave us lost… looking for a logical way out… Just like Joseph.

And even though Joseph seemed to have it all planned out, God still sent an angel to him, and asked one thing of Joseph. He asked Joseph to trust Him, to believe that Mary being pregnant was God’s plan for them both. He asked Joseph to trust that He would take care of them.

Of course the end of the story is one of the most amazing, and most publicized events in the world today. A story where Joseph not only finds himself trusting God by staying with Mary, but trusting Him when Jesus was born in a stall… in a lowly manger; and even trusting God with the life of his family as they fled to Egypt.

Sometimes things happen, and no matter what we do they only seem to get worse. Just like Joseph, we face one thing after the other… And just like Joseph God asks us one thing… To Trust Him.

He asks us to believe that He will take care of us, and that He will provide for us… that no matter how “weird” or hard things get, He has a plan for us. And if we trust Him, just like Joseph, He will lead us to glory. (Psalm 138:8).

I hope this Christmas Season you will once again put your Trust in God!

Blessings,

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG