The LORD is My Banner

Followers of Jesus have a flag to carry through this earthly life. Will you fly it openly, unashamed? Will you share the LORD with a lost, dying world?

The LORD is My Banner

This week's devotions are written by my son, Bryant Forshee, Lead Student Pastor for Cross Church, Springdale, AR campus, and former Junior High Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX.

- Pastor Danny

"And Moses built an altar and named it, 'The LORD is My Banner.'"

(Exodus 17:15, CSB)

One week ago today was Memorial Day. This national holiday is bittersweet, as it honors all the men and women who have lost their lives protecting the United States of America. There is a tradition that happens around Memorial Day at certain gyms: it's called "the Murph" in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy. The Murph is a beast of a workout that consists of a 1 mile run followed by 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, and then another 1 mile run. Oh, and you're supposed to wear a 20 pound vest the whole time while doing all this. This workout is extremely difficult.

You can read Lt. Murphy's full story here. He sacrificed his own life for the good of his fellow soldiers. You may recognize this story because a movie was made about this encounter between these American soldiers and their enemies.

My wife Kyndall and I both did the Murph this year, and it was brutal! I will humbly admit that Kyndall beat me by six minutes... but 2024 is my year for victory! As we were coming to the end of the workout, I was on mile number two. I was tired, in pain, and questioning my own sanity as to why I would put myself through this. Then all of a sudden, I saw another Murph participant from our gym coming at me from the other side of the hill. This person was carrying the American flag. That was part of the workout as well: when people would run, they would carry a flag on a pole to remember why we are doing this workout. As I passed the flag-bearer, I offered to take the flag from her.

I ran the rest of the mile (I would say about a third of a mile) flying the American flag. It was cool to see the reaction of people and to feel the emotion of the moment. As I was running, people honked their horns as they passed by. As I was getting tired, I thought about the men and women who have lost their lives protecting this flag. I thought of Michael Murphy and his sacrifice. There was something so special to me about carrying the flag through the pain, through the hardship, and through the finish of the workout.

Why am I telling you all about this really hard workout? Well, as followers of Jesus, we have a flag to carry through this life here on Earth. If you look at our verse for the day, it's from the story where Moses holds his arms up, helped by Aaron and Hur, and as Moses' hands are up, Israel is winning the battle. After the battle is won, Moses builds an altar and reveals a name of God: Jehovah Nissi: The LORD is my Banner. This is who we carry a flag for!

We as followers of Jesus have a flag, a banner to carry all throughout this world, and that Banner is none other than our God, the One true God! We are to exemplify, reflect, and share about Him. Our flag can look different day to day or Christian to Christian: evangelism, actions, words, bumper stickers, tattoos, etc. There are many ways to carry the banner, carry the flag for our God. How will you do this TODAY? How will you tell a lost and dying world that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? That you have a relationship with the One true God?

Each and every day, we have the choice to take up the Banner or not. May we be people who are unapologetically lifting high the banner of the LORD our God!