by Charisty Fire Dept. Family Blog
Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. KJV
Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 (CSB)
This Firefighter life can be really hard- so hard that sometimes we want to give up. These verses in Joshua remind us to ‘be strong’ in the middle of the worst situations- because God is always there with you. He’s there in the fires, in the bad calls, in the things that no first responder should have to see. God has courage for you, not discouragement.
Psalms 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” KJV
Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely. — Psalms 16:9 (CSB)
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. KJV
Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6 (CSB)
It can be hard to know where God is at when you answer a horrible call. It can be especially hard for Firefighter families to see the aftermath and the toll taken on our firefighters with the battles they have to fight at work. God is reassuring you, over and over again, that He is ALWAYS with you and He will never leave you. Even when you can barely hear His whisper. God is there.
Psalms 91:10
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. KJV
no harm will come to you;
no plague will come near your tent — Psalms 91:10 (CSB)
This is my Firefighter Family Mantra of 2020- and I’m sure it applies to everyone else out there as well! There are some horrible diseases, many of which have absolutely no cure or treatment- but your God is bigger than the plagues. God assures you that no harm will come to you when you follow lean on His guidance. You can rest assured that His word is true and He protects your life and home.
Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion — Proverbs 28:1 (CSB)
Firefighters know, there is no place for second guessing when it comes to a split second decision. Lives are on the line, and Firefighters must be bold. Hold onto that encouragement that God has made you strong- and the wicked will run away- they are not your concern.
Psalms 82:3-4
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid [them] out of the hand of the wicked. KJV Psalms 82:3-4
Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and needy;
save them from the power of the wicked. — Psalms 82:3-4 (CSB)
If we had to use one word for Firefighters, it would have to be ‘helper’. Firefighters are the ultimate helpers. They are there in calls for fire damage, for car accidents, for sickness. They are the ones that respond day and night to rescue the poor and needy. Hold onto this section in Psalms when you are feeling tired or need a reminder for why you do what you do. You help because God has called you and equipped you to help both on and off duty.
Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. KJV
Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil — Ephesians 6:10-11 (CSB)
Romans 8:37-39
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. KJV
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:37-39 (CSB)
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work KJV
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. — 2 Corinthians 9:8 (CSB)
It may not feel like God has a plan for our lives, and when Firefighters see the destruction that comes with bad calls, they have more questions than answers.
But then there are those miracle calls. The times where Firefighters get there just in time, when they save someone against all odds, when they have the strength to power through with low air and no visibility.
God makes sure that you have ALL sufficiency in ALL things. He provides, even when it doesn’t seem like there’s a way.
