Unafraid. Willing & Obedient—May we Step Forward with Boldness
When I first entered college, my desire was to study radio broadcasting. Truthfully, I loved every lesson, every class, and every new teaching. Primarily, this was because I absolutely fell in love with my instructor Dr. Don Orwin. He was witty, funny, intelligent, grandfatherly, knowledgeable, and humble. During the time of study, I attended many courses taught at the community college and each course was challenging in its own way. Psychology. Algebra. American History. Theatre. Biology. Sociology. Economics. English Literature. The gen ed was taken as required, mingled in with numerous Communications Technology coursework. It was while stepping into Stoner Hall and attending courses (all) taught by Dr. Orwin that my love for my studies developed. As a veteran, my instructor applied his teaching to his life-experiences. While at war, Dr. Orwin was captured and became a POW (a prisoner of war), so when we studied Morse Code in class, the lessons became REAL. Here’s why. Dr. Orwin spoke of sitting in a dark cell, not able to communicate or see another person for weeks. He said that the only way he was able to keep his sanity was to tap out messages in Morse Code on the cell wall with a rock. Then he listened as the prisoner in the adjacent cell took his rock to tap messages back to him. Learning about Samuel Morse who invented Morse Code in the 1830s became REAL to me in my studies—because of my beloved teacher.
Years later, after thirteen years of marriage, we were blessed with a child, a daughter, and when she was old enough to attend a Montessori school, I saw the unique irony of the LORD, how HE orchestrates our lives—when our daughter’s headmistress was the daughter of the beloved Dr. Don Orwin.
Do we ever look at life and see the irony?
“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiprah and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death;
(Exodus 1: 15-17 & 20-21 NASB)
but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them,
but let the boys live. . . .
So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.
Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.”
The LORD raised up a man (Moses) from His people’s faithfulness, and the LORD used Moses to lead His people to the Promised Land.
Do we ever stand at the start of something new, and before we step forward, we first peer back, looking over our shoulders to see just what God did?
“Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 2: 13-15 NASB)
“Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you;
for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
He remained there until the death of Herod.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”
The LORD sent the wise men from the East, the Magi who followed King Herod’s orders to search for the babe in the manger. The LORD used these learned men to fulfill His prophecy.
Can we peer back into the past and see the way God directed our path, even when we did not realize it, when we were walking through our circumstance of everyday life?
“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect,
(The Letter of Paul to the Philippians 3: 12-14 NASB)
but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The man Saul was a learned man, one who knew the Mosaic Law; however, he was not all-in until the LORD GOD blinded Saul with a great light that day on the road to Damascus.
Let us look to the new year, not bound by our past but looking (instead) toward ALL the LORD will do through us—if we are obedient and willing to be used by HIM.
So, as we look back over the days that filled 2025, what do we notice? Did we walk through heartache or joy? Was it one filled with loss or was it filled with achievement? Would we willingly walk back through 2025, or would we loudly shout: “No, I will not go back” just relieved that we made it through?
Learning about the LORD becomes REAL to us in our study of God’s Word—because of our beloved teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s quite ironic how we often grow in spirituality BECAUSE of the trials we have walked through during our lives. Also true is that how the LORD brings us to something new, and we are reminded of JUST WHAT GOD DID to bring us here. Thank You, GOD for directing our daily paths, helping us walk through circumstances and preparing us for what YOU know is coming in our future.
Unafraid. Willing & Obedient—May we Step Forward with Boldness.
On this second day of the new year, may we pause to pray, asking God—
LORD, how do YOU perceive my spiritual growth during the past 365 days?
LORD, did I learn the spiritual lessons that YOU, my beloved teacher, had for me to learn in 2025, or did I fail YOU, as your student?
May we step forward into 2026 with these words on our lips and in our hearts: “ALL of me I give to ALL of YOU, LORD: FATHER GOD, the SON of GOD, and the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.”