Never Will I Leave You

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."
-Joshua 1:5

As the Israelites were about to conquer the Promised Land in Joshua 1:5-6, God reassured Joshua and the children of Israel by reminding them of how committed He was to their success. He told Joshua, their leader, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In addition, God instructed Joshua to “be strong and courageous.”

In this life, we face many uncertainties. We face the uncertainty of what each day holds, whether we will make it home to our families, whether we will get a bad report from the doctor, whether we will have enough money to pay our bills, etc... In these times of confusion and uncertainty, it's good to know that there is something that we can be certain about. We can be certain about God’s love and commitment for His children. God told Joshua that he would never leave him, and this promise was repeated again in Hebrews 13:5. God wants us to know that no matter what life may throw at us, He will be right there by our side. No matter how bad things may get, He will be right there in the trenches with us to see us through the fight.

God had to remind Joshua how He had been there for Moses and Israel in the past. Now, God has to remind us of how he has been there for so many of our brother and sister firefighters. This is not the first time that Houston firefighters have had to face uncertainty and adversity. This is not the first time that this department has gone through a period of hardship, disappointment, and change. And it won't be the last. Just like God has helped Houston firefighters get through difficult times in the past, He will also help us get through this present storm.

Like Joshua, we too are commanded to be strong and courageous. As firefighters, we face danger all day long, and risk our lives daily for people we don’t know (and God has a special blessing awaiting us because of this, Galatians 6:9). However, what God is asking us to do now is to not only trust Him through the physical danger, but to also trust him through the emotional and spiritual devastation that is associated with uncertainty. It's easy to trust God when things are going well in your life, but you find out how strong your faith is when you are in the midst of a storm. God can use a storm to water and strengthen your faith so that you will be prepared to do His work. Even in the midst of layoffs and demotions, God can use these events to strengthen our faith. All we have to do is place our hope in the guarantee that God will always be right by our side no matter what happens. You can be certain that God always takes care of his children.

-Captain Rinthian Pickney

HFD Station 42C

The Struggle is Real

A scripture that I have been meditating on shows the inner struggle of its writer. His struggle perfectly mirrors what I’m going through trying to juggle the reality of my career (HFD) and my unwavering pledge to God.  “The Struggle is Real!”

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5 NIV

The struggle is between me as a person and my inner soul.  To make it interesting, I’ll tell you what my soul is saying to me.

Me:  Hey Soul, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so upset and downcast lately?

Soul:  Downcast? I’ll tell you why, cause the mayor has robbed my pension, is laying off 220 FFs, and hundreds more are getting demoted. I already work two jobs trying to make ends meet. Tell me, where is the fairness in all this?

Me:  I get it, I see your point…you're pissed off and have every right to be.  At every turn we are getting cut off, one step forward, then two steps back. I’m in this fight with you!     

Soul:  This career, it's everything to me and defines who I am.  Where do I go and who do I turn to?

Me:  I see your pain and frustration, but we are brothers and FF’s who face adversity every day.  We are going to first and foremost keep our hope in God alone, for we are nothing without him.  And then, we are going to praise Him because He is our Savior and our God. Then we are going to continue to serve where God has called us, and we will walk through fire to save those he has called us to save.  Most importantly, remember, it is God who defines us because He is everything.

For the past week, this has been the conversation I’ve been having with myself.  A little crazy? Yes I am, but I’m crazy for Jesus because his Word will always be true.  Putting my faith in “man” has never gotten me anywhere, but keeping my faith in Jesus Christ has been my everything.  My encouragement to you all is to keep the faith, work hard, and never give up hope. "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

-Sr. Capt. (soon to be demoted) 4/A & L341 Chaplain

Mark Akers

Where's God in the Storm

"Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” -Mark 4:38

"Don't you care...?" It's a heck of a question to ask anyone, especially God. If we're all honest, we have all asked God that very question, especially when the hits just keep coming. I asked God the same question after several hours of the pounding pouring rain during the rescues of Harvey. Right now as firefighters are facing layoffs and demotions, we are in one of the toughest storms and fights of our lives.

Jesus wasn't the least bit surprised, scared, or concerned that a storm was tossing around their small fishing boat. He was able to sleep during the whole ordeal, until the worriers woke him up. When they questioned His love and care for them, He stopped the storm and calmed the sea to show that He is God and is in control. He slept because He knew they would be okay and the storm would pass. There are some important eternal truths to be learned:
     1. Storms will come. Even with Jesus on your side and in your boat, they will come.
     2. You do not have to go through the storm alone. He is always with us.
     3. The storm will end. They always do.
     4. Jesus can give us his peace and strength to endure the storm. 

     5. Jesus doesn't say merely say He cares, He shows it. 

Storms are part of life. Embrace the struggle. Strength comes from enduring and persevering the trials of life. Pressure creates diamonds, and irritation creates pearls. Joy is fully experienced only after knowing pain. As we walk through the storms of uncertainty, let us walk together. Hold onto your Faith in Christ who is always with us, and look for all the ways He is demonstrating His love and care for us.

-Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain