One Brave and Wise Man
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart – Luke 18:1.
The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. – 1 Samuel 17:37.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13.
No when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and realized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13.
Allen Havron, a family friend, recently passed away. Allen was my Mother’s supervisor at the Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base at Burns Flat, Oklahoma. Beginning in 1955, Allen was in charge of the computer operations center at the base, and later at the Altus Air Force Base. Our families became close, as we would often go to the lakes together to cookout and water ski. During the years that our families were close, and during one vacation that we all took together, I never heard Allen do or say anything inappropriate. I never heard him yell at the kids, and he never seemed to be stressed about anything. You know there are very few people that you can say that about. Allen’s son, Rex, said that he began to realize how wise his Dad was, when he found himself in a foxhole on his 21st birthday; in Vietnam, in the middle of a firefight. Rex said he realized, that if he had listened to his Dad, he probably would not have even been in that situation.
About a year ago, I found out that Allen was a combat veteran who had fought in the Asian theater of operations during WWII. After a few years of civilian life, Allen again found himself in the midst of combat in the Korean War. On Thanksgiving Day 1950, Allen was severely wounded. Of the 120 men in his company, only 12 survived that day. Allen was sent to a hospital in Japan for six months, and then he was ordered back to the war in Korea. He received several bronze stars for his actions during WWII, and the Purple Heart during the Korean War.
At the end of a visit with Allen a few months before he passed away, I ask him if he would like for us to pray together. In response he said this, “Prayer is always good.” Visiting with the family a couple of days before the funeral service, they shared that their Dad talked about praying through the night many times during the wars.
How did Allen Havron become such a wise and brave man? I believe it all flowed from his relationship with His God and Savior Jesus Christ. As Allen said, “Prayer is always good.” Where did the bravery of the great servants of God in the Bible come from? If you were to ask David, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, or Daniel; they would all tell you that their courage flowed from the relationship they had with their Lord. How did the apostle Paul find the courage and strength to endure all that he faced serving God? Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Where did Peter and John obtain their great boldness and wisdom? “They had been with Jesus.”
If you need courage, if you need boldness, if you need strength, if you need wisdom – there is only one way to receive it spiritually. You just need to spend time with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(If you need courage, if you need boldness, if you need strength, if you need wisdom – there is only one way to receive it spiritually. You just need to spend time with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.)