Jehoiada

I’m very fond of reading. I’m very passionate about reading.

Okay, okay … I’ll admit it: I love to read.

If reading books produced calories and fat grams, I’d be immensely obese today.

If reading books was like abusing a controlled substance, I’d be beyond rehab at this time.

It’s not unusual for me to read four books at a time.  With that being said, you may believe this to be another area in my life that I need prayer for.  If you believe this is so, please pray diligently — I have lots of books lined up…

In the meantime and from time to time, I will share something from a book I’ve read or am reading  that is or has been a blessing to me, in hopes that it will be a blessing to you.

Several weeks ago, I read a book titled “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell.  Marcus Luttrell is a U.S. Navy SEAL who was the only member of a four-man SEAL team to survive a ferocious battle against an army of Taliban fighters during a mission in Afghanistan in 2005.

Marcus Luttrell’s team (SEAL Team 10) had been given a mission to capture or kill a Taliban warlord who had masterminded and ordered attacks that had taken the lives of numerous American soldiers and Afghani people.

Sometime after the team’s insertion into this Taliban warlord’s area of operations in the mountainous region of Afghanistan, a herd of goats accompanied by two goat farmers and a young teenager came across the team’s position and discovered their presence.

The SEALs captured the the two men and teenager, then began working together to determine what they should do with them.

They could kill them to ensure the secrecy of their presence was maintained for mission purposes, or, they could let the three captives go free.  It was likely if they were freed, they would immediately alert the Taliban to the fact that an American military unit was operating in the mountains — how many and where specifically.

After deliberating at length on what to do, the decision was reached to let the three go free.

The SEAL team had not been directed or ordered to indiscriminately kill Afghani people to ensure the success of their primary mission, so they did the right thing and let them go.

Shortly after the release of the captives, the Taliban came upon and engaged the team, ultimately killing three of the four SEALs.

Marcus Luttrell was wounded severely and hunted relentlessly by the Taliban force.  He survived and lived to tell the story because he was rescued and protected by the people of an Afghan community that were not supporters of the Taliban.

SEAL Team 10 did the right thing and it cost them something — the majority of their lives.

Very often and more often that not, doing the right thing will exact a cost — a sometimes dear and heavy cost many are or may be unwilling to pay.

But I believe we all should always seek and strive to do the right thing.  No matter how unattractive, unpopular or painful it may be.  No matter what the cost, we should always do what we assuredly know is right by the spirit God put into all of mankind when we were formed and fashioned in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).

If and whenever we are unwilling to do the right thing, the alternative of doing the wrong thing, could very easily far exceed the cost of doing the right thing detrimentally, exponentially and eternally.

P.S.  I ask your prayers for the health and healing of “My Treasure” (wife).

Thank you and God bless you.