It was spoken of as I was leaving, tonight.  The mother of the high-school graduate, this mother whom we have known since she was in elementary school, commented on how fun it is to see the generations-effect on life, the coming and going and achieving that each generation fosters.  It is, yes, fun, and pretty neat, the way in which it works.

Who doesn’t remember their high-school graduation week, with all the festivities, ceremony, and high feelings?  And, usually, there are generations in attendance to many of the events.  Who has not sat through a graduation ceremony for several hundred because a granddaughter or godson was graduating, the only known youth out of hundreds? But we do it.  Generations do it for the next generations.

We get together; reminisce; eat; hug; pat shoulders; laugh; and glance at time going by, if rather askance and unpondered at the moment.  But, as we leave, or as we go back to our lives lived for decades after our own graduation, we surely must reflect on have-been, as-is, and will-be.  Yes, generations pass down the traditions and ceremonies to one another, one by one.  And, 18 years may seem a lot of time between the generational graduations.  But growing up is completely accomplished within each!  That takes . . . well . . . about 18 years!  (Maturity is not completely accomplished, but the processes of growing up – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual are to the “adult” stage now.)  Mature or not, we all look forward to the freedom of adulthood.

This scripture speaks of scripture being written for the next generation.  This makes sense:  God, who came up with the generations idea, speaks to us and tells us that He cares for each generation.  Aren’t youth centers at churches all about this?  No sophomore in high school completely plans and constructs their new center.  Adults do that, passing on Christ to those coming behind.

Lord, we thank you that you are so specific in your Word about caring for the generations as You do.  Help us to do the same.  And by standing for created LIFE, we hope to assure that there will be many more generations on and on, including those saved from death in the womb because of a pro-life prayer warrior on the sidewalk.

Topics:  Pray for wisdom to support pro-life measures to ensure as many people as are conceived will be numbered in their generation because they are not aborted.
Community leaders to lean toward pro-LIFE.   

Let’s come up with a poetic way to describe our souls’ marching with might.

Lord, help us learn to march, left foot right foot, left.
Help us with our souls to march . . .  left foot, right foot, left.

As we march Your perfect right, we’ve strength for every fight. 
The battle strong reflects Your light. Our souls go onward, left foot right.

The might we carry comes from you; Night or day alright, we say—
We will not shirk the weight it brings, its power on the way.

Our souls do stand against a tide of deathly thoughts . . . of wrong –
But with the might your Word can bring, we march, and march on strong.

Against new tides, we march the same, left foot right, in sight.
Your Word our strength; our souls march on.  For LIFE, our greatest right.

Topics:  Pray for strength to march on for LIFE, left foot, right . ..
Community Impact teams in churches

How do we “march on . . . with might” in our souls?  We can’t even see our souls, so how do they “march on”?  But then we know that things-invisible are often the most important or of great use to God.  For instance, love.  We can’t “see” love, but we see the great effects of it and from it. 

The same for hope, for faith.  Draw me a picture of faith, and it will end up being a picture of someone in a posture that represents trust or belief, such as often combines with images portraying hope.  One such portrait might possibly be of a person walking along but holding the hand of Jesus.  But to draw “faith” or hope without a person in the drawing . . . who can do it?  Interestingly, our souls definitely have to do with our individual persons, though unseen.

One of the greatest ways (if not the greatest) that our soul marches on is through strength from scripture.  Reading and/or memorizing Bible passages just brings us strength to our souls.  We know that the Word of God is powerful (Heb. 4:12).  Standing on the Word of God gives us a strengthened foundation like no other. 

Our souls march on through determination also.  Paul talks about completing the race, (II Tim. 4:7).  This takes determination.  We run (march) right up to that finish line.  If we are in a marching army, we determine to complete the route no matter how tired we become.

Our souls marching on should bring the sound of boot-steps clomping.  Picture our marching outfit:  uniform, battle equipment, and . . . courage.  It is the courage that often carries on in battle, physically actual or spiritually so, the courage to take that next step that keeps us marching on.

Lord, we know our souls must march for you.  We want to be strong like Deborah, if not a prophet and leader, but still, just for You.  Let us rally to her rallying exclamation of marching on, our souls marching.  Marching.  And for us pro-life folks, help us march right up to our opposition with strength, yes, with might.  Might for right.

Topics:  Pray for wisdom on how to march with might in the fight against created life.
Churches around the world to be strong for LIFE    

When the prophetess Deborah was leading Israel, God’s leading through her leadership brought victory to the Israelites against Jabin the king of Canaan.  Then Deborah wrote a song celebrating this victory, called “The Song of Deborah.”  This scripture is taken from her song.  The Kishon is a river in Israel. 

Deborah tells how the enemy were swept away in the torrent of the river.  The victory was decisive.  The army of the enemy was no more.

But notice the words after this:  “March on, my soul, with might!”  Yes, march on, soul . . . with great strength.  Yes, a great victory has been accomplished; but now is not a time to rest.  Yes, you, my soul, says Deborah must march on. 

What a rallying cry.  Yes, we have a victory.  But do we sit around and celebrate and pat ourselves on the back.  Telling one’s soul to march on hardly seems support for back-patting.  No, it seems just the opposite:  One victory is had.  Let’s keep marching unto the next one.

Perhaps we all could take a lesson from Deborah.  Do our best; let God lead us on; but never consider the battlefields all conquered forever.  No, we must push on.  We must tell ourselves, our souls, to keep up the good fight.  Take on the enemies as they come our way.

Lord, help us to do this.  It’s so easy, once any certain victory has been won, to want to rest.  Let us, Lord, remember that You will continue to work in us Your victories if we but allow you, pushing on.  With might.  In the battles waged for LIFE issues, we must march on.  With might.

Topics:  Pray for pro-lifers to not want to rest on laurels but to push on with our soul’s might, as God directs.
The United States Army to be pro-life