“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you” (Isaiah 43:2–5, esv).

God is present. He is with His children and especially near during trials. These verses from Isaiah refer to water and fire, which are images of hardship. Waters is a general term, while rivers is a specific term. Fire is general, while flame is specific. The language distinguishes between our collective trials and my individual hardship. Sometimes we all suffer together; sometimes we feel very alone in our pain. But the take-away from these verses is that you are never alone. God is with you in your specific trials—not just throughout a year or a month or a day but in an hour, in a minute, in a second! At the precise moment of hardship, God is present.

“At the precise moment of hardship, God is present.”

According to Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Not only is He near to us, but He also specifically measures our trials. He says, “When you walk through fire” (a picture of definite hardship) “you shall not be burned.” In other words, it might get really hot, and you might feel a certain amount of pain and discomfort, but God has His hand on the thermostat. He’s watching you in the fire; in fact, He’s right there with you in it.

It’s the same picture in the water. God says, “When you pass through the waters . . . and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” Consider this: What are you thinking about when you’re going through a river? When you’re neck-deep in water, you’re not worried about getting wet. You’re already wet. More likely you’re thinking, How deep is the water? How long can I touch the bottom? When your feet float up off the bottom, you might wonder, How long can I tread? But God tells us, in effect, “I’m watching the water level. I’m checking the intensity of the trial.”

You can trust Him. God is present and knows exactly what you’re facing, both the depth and the heat. Your greatest fear may be that you can’t endure the trial. But as a result of God’s presence, you are strengthened—and He promises that what you face will not overwhelm you. After all, He is “the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” And He is always with you.

Pray
Lord, when I’m experiencing trials, help me to look for You and at You, rather than focusing on my hardships with fear. Help me to accept that difficulty is part of Your itinerary for me and comes as no surprise to You. I know I can’t learn to trust unless I first pass through situations where my trust is tested and strengthened. So please continue to train me in Your perfect way, Father, and thank You that You are always with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Chaplin Rob

If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you. – John 15:19 MSG

It’s difficult to race headlong after material possessions and focus on building character at the same time. But, society encourages us to chase a long string of material possessions while paying precious little attention to the accumulation of spiritual rewards.

All of mankind is engaged in a colossal, worldwide treasure hunt. Some people seek treasure from earthly sources, treasures such as material wealth or public acclaim; others seek God’s treasures by making Him the cornerstone of their lives.

What kind of treasure hunter are you? Are you so caught up in the demands of everyday living that you sometimes allow the search for worldly treasures to become your primary focus? If so, it’s time to reorganize your daily to-do list by placing God in His rightful place: first place.

The world’s treasures are difficult to find and difficult to keep; God’s treasures are ever-present and everlasting. Which treasures, then, will you claim as your own?

Give me Your grace, good Lord, to count the world as nothing; to set my mind firmly on You and not to hang on the blasting words of men’s mouths. – St. Thomas More

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Lord, thank you that you are enough for me. I thank you that there is no earthly treasure or fame that is more worthy of my affections and heart. Help me to make my relationship with you more important than being popular with my peers. Amen.

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load. – Galatians 6:4-5

We humans are masters at passing the buck. Why? Because passing the buck is easier than fixing, and criticizing others is so much easier than improving ourselves. So instead of solving our problems legitimately (by doing the work required to solve them), we are inclined to fret, to blame, and to criticize, while doing precious little else. When we do, our problems, quite predictably, remain unsolved.

Whether you like it or not, you (and only you) are accountable for your actions. But because you are human, you’ll be sorely tempted to pass the blame. Avoid this temptation at all costs.

Problem-solving builds character. Every time you straighten your back and look squarely into the face of your problems or challenges, you’ll strengthen not only your backbone but also your spirit. So, instead of looking for someone to blame, look for something to fix, and then get busy fixing it. And as you consider your own situation, remember this: God has a way of helping those who help themselves, but He doesn’t spend much time helping those who don’t.

It is easy to hold other people accountable, but real accountability begins with the person in the mirror. Think about one specific area of responsibility that is uniquely yours, and think about a specific step you can take today to better fulfill that responsibility.

Though I know intellectually how vulnerable I am to pride and power, I am the last one to know when I succumb to their seduction. That’s why spiritual Lone Rangers are so dangerous— and why we must depend on trusted brothers and sisters who love us enough to tell us the truth. – Chuck Colson

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob Dunbar

I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. – John 12:46

Is Jesus the cornerstone of your life . . . or have you relegated Him to a far corner of your life? The answer to this question will determine the quality, the direction, the tone, and the ultimate destination of your life here on earth and your life throughout eternity.

Thomas Brooks spoke for believers of every generation when he observed, “Christ is the sun, and all the watches of our lives should be set by the dial of His motion.”

Christ, indeed, is the ultimate Savior of mankind and the personal Savior of those who believe in Him. As His servants, we should place Him at the very center of our lives. And every day that God gives us breath, we should share Christ’s love and His message with a world that needs both.

When we are in a situation where Jesus is all we have, we soon discover He is all we really need. – Gigi Graham Tchividjian

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Jesus, You are my Savior and my protector. Give me the courage to trust You completely. Today, I will praise You, I will honor You, and I will live according to Your commandments. Amen

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.  – Hebrews 6:19 NASB

Once again we here at the 118th are facing a furlough and going home early without pay. For many of us ( including myself) this brings up all kinds of emotions. This is a time where we worry about paychecks, jobs, bills, and what is next for each of us. Just like in 2013 when the government shut down, we worry about when the government will begin again and what that means for each of us.

All this chaos got had me in prayer this morning. During my prayer time I began thinking about what it means to have hope in difficult times. What does it mean to have hope when the future looks uncertain.

Throughout my ministry, I have found there are few sadder sights on earth than the sight of a man or woman who has lost all hope.

In difficult times, hope can be elusive, but those who place their faith in God’s promises need never lose it. After all, God is good; His love endures; He has promised His children the gift of eternal life. God has promised to be with us no matter what may come. And, God keeps His promises.

Despite God’s promises, despite Christ’s love, and despite our countless blessings, we frail human beings can still lose hope from time to time. When we do, we need the encouragement of Christian friends, the life-changing power of prayer, and the healing truth of God’s Holy Word.

It was Jesus who promised, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” ( John 16:33 KJV). This world can be a place of trials and tribulations, but as believers, we are secure. God has promised us peace, joy, and eternal life. And, of course, God always keeps His promises. Always.

If you’re experiencing hard times, you’ll be wise to start spending more time with God. And if you do your part, God will do His part. Keeping holding onto hope and never be afraid to ask—for a miracle.

I think that during this difficult time we can still find reasons to hope. If we take a moment to stop and reflect, each of us are extremely blessed. Although we don’t know about the future we know that God has given us more than we could ever imagine. Even though we are worried about what will happen next, we have the promise from God that his love goes before us no matter what may come.

So I invite you during this difficult time to have faith. I invite you to trust that God will take care of each of you. I encourage you to spend some time in prayer for our country, for you colleagues, and for yourself. I hope and pray that each of you may find hope in the midst of the chaos.

My prayer for all of us is that no matter what may happen in Washington and beyond, that we will find hope and assurance that God will take care of it all. My hope today is not in people, or institutions or governments. Rather my hope is in a loving a compassionate God who goes before us and carries us during uncertain times.

May you find that hope today!!!

Blessings,

Chaplain Dunbar

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. – Philippians 3:20-21

Being ‘real’ is the result of being transformed by the love of God. It’s not about wealth, or beauty, or power. Heck, most of the time it’s suffering, failing, and waiting. Maybe that’s why we sometimes miss it. I think the wise old horse in the classic children’s story The Velveteen Rabbit says it well. As he explained to the stuffed bunny:

‘It doesn’t happen all at once, you become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.’

Be real. Be true to who God created you to be. Be transparent and open yourself up to God and His transforming power.

Blessings,

Chaplain Rob

Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse. – Proverbs 19:19 MSG

From experience, we know that it is easy to criticize others. And we know that it is usually far easier to find faults than to find solutions. Still, the urge to criticize others remains a powerful temptation for most of us.

Negativity is highly contagious: We give it to others who, in turn, give it back to us. This stress-inducing cycle can be broken only by positive thoughts, heartfelt prayers, encouraging words, and meaningful acts of kindness.

As thoughtful servants of a loving God, we have no valid reason—and no legitimate excuse—to be negative. So, when we are tempted to be overly critical of others, or unfairly critical of ourselves, we must use the transforming power of God’s love to break the chains of negativity. We must defeat negativity before negativity defeats us.

Winners see an answer for every problem; losers see a problem in every answer. – Barbara Johnson

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, let me be an expectant Christian. Let me expect the best from You, and let me look for the best in others. If I become discouraged, Father, turn my thoughts and my prayers to You. Let me trust You, Lord, to direct my life. And, let me be Your faithful, hopeful, optimistic servant every day that I live. Amen

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG

For I know the plans I have for you'[this is] the Lord’s declaration’, plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB

Why did God put me here? It’s a simple question to ask and, at times, a very complicated question to answer.

As you seek to discover (or perhaps, to rediscover) God’s plan for your life, you should start by remembering this: You are here because God put you here, and He did so for a very good reason: His reason.

At times, you may be confident that you are doing God’s will. But on other occasions, you may be uncertain about the direction that your life should take. At times, you may wander aimlessly in a wilderness of your own making. And sometimes, you may struggle mightily against God in a vain effort to find success and happiness through your own means, not His. But wherever you find yourself, whether on the mountaintops, in the valleys, or at the crossroads of life you may be assured that God is there . . . and you may be assured that He has a plan.

If you manage to align yourself with God’s plan for your life, you will be energized, you will be enthused, and you will be blessed. That’s why you should strive mightily to understand what it is that God wants you to do. But how can you know precisely what God’s intentions are? The answer, of course, is that even the most well-intentioned believers face periods of uncertainty and doubt about the direction of their lives. So, too, will you.

When you arrive at one of life’s inevitable crossroads, that’s the moment when you should turn your thoughts and prayers toward God. When you do, He will make Himself known to you in a time and manner of His choosing. When you discover God’s plan for your life, you will experience abundance, peace, joy, and power, God’s power. And that’s the only kind of power that really matters.

God has a wonderful plan for your life. And the time to start looking for that plan and living it, is now. And remember, discovering God’s plan begins with prayer, but it doesn’t end there. You’ve also got to work at it.

One of the wonderful things about being a Christian is the knowledge that God has a plan for our lives. – Warren Wiersbe

TODAY’S PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, your word says that the footsteps of a righteous man are guided by you. I pray Lord that you will guide my steps and my plans. Thank you that the events in my life are not meaningless coincidences but they are plans that you have set in motion for me. Amen

Rob Dunbar, Chaplain, Maj, TN ANG