Pride

"Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men" -Colossians 3:23

Pride is a word that is used a lot in the fire service. It embodies the type of worker we should all aspire to be. A firefighter that takes pride in his/her job arrives early for every shift, in uniform, and does every task to the best of his/her ability. They take pride in the job even when those around them don't.

Recently deceased firefighter, Kenneth Stavinoha, a believer in Christ, modeled what it looks like to take pride in his job and in turn honored God with his work. His officers tell of a man who arrived every morning at 5:30 ready to work. They say he could always be found working and learning. Occasionally he missed a meal because he was working. He wanted to stay busy. He would drive his first in territory and to and from hospitals on his off days so he would be fast and efficient when his turn came to drive. He knew lives depended on it. When rain kept the previous shift from doing their "yard day," he took pride in the appearance of his station and volunteered to work on it. This would be his last act on earth, doing his job with his "whole being." Kenny embodied pride.

If you are a Christian, the Bible calls you to a higher standard of work ethic- "for the Lord." It is great to be self motivated. Self motivated firefighters are the backbone of the department. It is even better to recognize that God has blessed us with life, physical health, and this job, so we choose to do our best and honor Him with a solid unwavering work ethic. Working to the best of our ability is an act of worship to the God who died for us.

-Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

Is This Thing On

"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." - Isaiah 59:2

There is nothing more frustrating to me than a dropped calI, especially when I am trying to have a logistics conversation with the Boss aka my wife. Most new houses come with energy efficiency that acts as a barrier to the elements. It saves us a lot of money on electric bills, but it also acts as a barrier to our cell signals. Thankfully T-Mobile gave us a WIFI cell tower for free which almost completely eliminated our in home dropped call issue.

Sometimes we can feel as if our prayers aren't being heard by God. We usually feel this way when our prayers aren't answered immediately or how we'd like, as if God is our own personal Genie. Maybe(probably) the reason we don't feel like our prayers are being heard and answered lies within. Sin, disobedience to God, in our lives separates us from a Perfect, Holy, and Righteous God.

When Jesus taught us the Lord's prayer, He included "forgive us our trespasses." Forgiveness of our sins is our most important need, because it separates us from God. Do you want God to hear/listen to your heart's cry? Then our first request should be for His forgiveness, which He gives freely. God is always ready and willing to forgive. It is why He sent His Son to die. Repentance is our signal booster to God. It doesn't guarantee things will turn out how you like, but it does guarantee He will listen and respond.

-Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

Still Small Voice

"And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice" - 1 Kings 19:11-12

This encounter between Elijah and God is one of my all time favorites. God had performed some amazing miracles through Elijah. He had just given him one of his greatest victories, yet, Elijah was depressed, hiding, and wished he was dead. Elijah complains to God, so, God tells Elijah to go wait for Him. He put him in time out.

Waiting can be extremely hard for us. We don't like waiting in traffic, for food at a restaurant, or for web pages to load. We want what we want, and we want it now. God was teaching Elijah the art of patience and solitude. It is easy to get distracted by the noise of this world. The device we carry in our back pocket is one of the greatest distractors ever invented. 

Elijah found God in a still small voice. In order to hear God's whisper, we must silence our minds and the world around us. I was 16 years old at FCA camp when I was taught to have a daily "quiet time" with God. During this time, I get away from the distractions, read scripture, and meditate on it. I spend a lot of time apologizing/confessing. I ask God to help me live the life He wants me to live, and I wait and listen to hear from Him. I believe that God primarily speaks to us through His Holy Scriptures. Read them. Listen to sermons about them online and in person. Put yourself in position to hear from Him.

I can attest that God does indeed still speak to us. A firefighter and his wife were having a discussion on their way to our church one Sunday morning. They were debating whether or not God still speaks to His people. The sermon that Sunday was exactly about the ways God speaks to us. I know God spoke to him that day. I'm also sure he got an "I told you so," too.

Are you struggling with your faith? Could you use a message from God? Turn off the devices, remove the distractions, quiet your mind, read the Holy Scriptures, and listen. "Be still and know that I am God," and wait for "His still small voice."

- Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain