In Perspective

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights.

“I trust in You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hands.” — Psalm 31:14-15a

Stu Weber, the author of Tender Warrior and a Special Forces Vietnam War veteran, published a powerful book in 2007 entitled Infinite Impact. This work is rich in topics that will speak to the experiences of military couples reading Excellent or Praiseworthy. Today’s devotional will address an aspect of war with which many are struggling—that of deployment and R & R.

As background, the recurring image used in this book is that of the timeline, which Weber defines as, “… a line between two fixed points. All of human history—in fact, the history of our planet—is inscribed on a single line with a definite beginning and a predetermined end.” (p. xv) This historical timeline is in God’s hands. In terms of man’s history, our personal segment of the line in time is very brief. In Infinite Impact, Stu Weber seeks to examine God’s perspective so that His Holy Spirit can “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

In Chapter 12, Weber writes, “Has God ever lifted you above your life for a moment or two, giving you a ‘big picture’ glimpse and helping you to see your years on the planet in the wider context of past, present, and future?” (p. 165) He recounts his story of his near-death experience in combat in Vietnam earlier in the book, but then says, “Confronted with the prospect of my own death, I began a pilgrimage that continues to this very day.” He asks questions such as, “Why am I alive? Why have others died, but I haven’t? Why am I over here in the jungles of Vietnam while many of my peers are protesting the war or heading for Canada? What’s going on? What really matters in life? Okay, so I’ve been allowed to live while some of my fellow soldiers died. What then do I do with this life that’s been given back to me?” (p. 165)

And while in the process of examining his own timeline, he is swept off to R & R in Hawaii with his wife and infant son. You can only imagine the flood of emotions! Weber continues:

“Flying into Honolulu was almost surreal for me. Plucked out of the blood and dirt and fear of a world at war and onto a plane, I stepped into a paradise of peace and rest. . . . The people around me were laughing, relaxed, immersed in the details of having a good time. Didn’t they know that men were fighting for their lives, fighting and dying for the very survival of a nation across the ocean? Which was real—the hell in Vietnam or the paradise of Oahu? How could those two realities possibly coexist in the same universe? The juxtaposition in space and time—from war one day to the arms of my wife and baby son the next—was mind-boggling.” (p. 165)

Weber then goes on to describe how God gave him perspective in his time of struggle:

“In those moments of internal crosscurrents and stress, I sensed God lifting me gently up over my timeline. Looking down on where I was, where I had been, and where I might be, some answers began to emerge from the fog. The answer to ‘what matters?’ and ‘why am I alive?’ began to take shape. Here’s what I saw in those precious moments of clarity: I’m alive for two primary reasons: my bride and my kids, and God’s bride and His kids. My family and His family. What else is there? Really, everything else is a diversion at best. The only things that will last forever are God and His people.” (p. 165-166)

Stu Weber was able to understand and move from being a soldier in an earthly kingdom, which he loves, to being a soldier in an eternal kingdom serving his beloved King. But understanding God’s perspective takes knowing Him, and experiencing Him. Looking back over the timeline of our past is a perfect exercise for after Valentine’s Day—taking the time to see our loving heavenly Father’s faithfulness in our lives and writing or voicing that gratitude.

Looking into the timeline of our future is a reminder to know that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8) We certainly do not know what tomorrow will bring, but we do know that “All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant.” (Psalm 25:10). And let us never forget that for a Christian the timeline is eternal, because “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

But what about the present? That’s where the perspective of trust comes in, because the challenge is to view the present in light of the past and in the light of the future. There is so much that we cannot see, comprehend, or understand right now. But we can trust in a faithful God, who loves us and is ever-present in our lives. Our “times are in His hands”, those precious hands of the LORD— “See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” (Isaiah 49:16). This understanding gives us comfort and hope.

A young Army wife, at Ft. Hood, told me recently that she understands that these periods of deployment are brief times in comparison to the many years which she and her husband hope to have together. Because of her ability to think in that perspective, she is handling days of separation with the knowledge that she is loved, and that God will bring she and her husband through them with spiritual growth and new character to show for it. She is living Romans 8:28 in faith.

Stu Weber reconciles his questions on past, present and future by saying, “Seasons of great trial or trauma in our lives, when we come to the end of ourselves and are utterly cast upon the Lord and His grace, may be the very times when God will give us a view of our wider timelines. . . . We become so troubled by our present situations that we forget the wondrous future waiting for us just a little ways down the timeline and beyond.” (p. 171)

Jeremiah, the ancient prophet, says it well, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Call out to the LORD for help. After all, He holds your life in His precious hands.

Questions to share:

1. Where can you see your loving heavenly Father’s faithfulness in your life?

2. How is your perspective eternal because of what God did for you by sending His Son?

Work cited:

Weber, Stu, Infinite Impact (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2007)