It’s called the “one-word” telegram!

Written by a godly man near the end of his life, much too weak to travel, in fact.

“What advice would you share with your fellow servants of the Lord?” … he had just been asked.

His immediate (back then telegrams were charged by the number of words they contained, and his organization’s funds were low) response, the summary of a lifetime: “OTHERS!”

I thought of that little story (true, by the way) as I read today’s Bible Text from Deuteronomy chapter 20, verse number 8 to be exact.

Just before the Jewish army engaged an enemy, just before the battle began raging, one of her officers would ask the men, the soldiers: “What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted?”

Wow …”Who’s afraid?”

Here it is, King James Version: “And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, WHAT MAN IS THERE THAT IS FEARFUL AND FAINTHEARTED?”

I personally have never heard of such being asked of a military unit.

Only Israel, only God!

Then this admonition, or is it “permission?”

If you, sir, are that scared … “Go and return unto thy house.”

Wow!

“You’re dismissed!”

That “tactic” would deplete many a battalion these days, in some armies anyway.

Now my question is, “WHY?”

And the Bible immediately supplies the answer.

Get ready … here it comes. And try to see if it might tie into the word “Others!”

“Lest thy brethren’s heart faint as well as thy heart.” (Your fear will “rub off” on other fighters! You’re dangerous to your Unit! Fear can be contagious! Again, “Go home!”)

One truth surely displayed in this Text: A FEW BOLD MEN just might accomplish A WHOLE LOT MORE … than a normal army blended with quitters, worriers, fear gripped draftees!

Wow again!

Influence on … OTHERS!

Paul lived his Christian life focused on the betterment of “others” as well!

And Jesus certainly did!

How about you … and me?

One more time, our verse for today: “And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return unto his house, LEST HIS BRETHREN’S HEART FAINT AS WELL AS HIS HEART.” Deuteronomy 20:8

Be careful that you don’t pull someone else “down” today!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell