Reb Rev's Blog

“No Greater Valor” by Jerome Corsi is a challenging work for which to write a review. The content is good, the stories are compelling, and the characters are presented with compassion and care.

The difficulty I encountered was in the way it was written. The information is not chronologically presented in what, to me, would be a logical fashion.

This book is about the siege of Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

There were activities taking place in several different areas and under the command of different generals (and these commands changed over the days leading up to the height of battle).

I say all that to say, it would be complicated to present this information regardless of what method he used – chronological, geographical, command,etc.

That aside, the premise of the book is that God, through His Providence, led, guided, and directed the actions leading up to and during the siege and during the fierce battle and fighting which followed.

The book is well researched and the resources are wide ranging. Diaries, news accounts, after action reports, verbal histories, etc. were consulted and information gleaned for this work.

I’m glad I read it and I would recommend this book to my friends who are into military history. While the information goes much deeper than just the military aspect, the military theme woven throughout is indeed the core of the book.

I post these reviews as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger Program. I receive a free copy of the book, but am not required to give a positive review.  Check it out at http://www.booklookbloggers.com

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” – Genesis 50:20   

In a recent news story, a blind woman was talking about how important her seeing-eye dog was to her.

She has incredible trust in this dog. She trusts the dog will be attentive and watchful. She trusts the dog will not let her come to harm. She trusts her dog will see the things she cannot and keep her safe – no matter where she goes or what is happening around her.

God asks us to trust Him the same way.

In the verse above, we see Joseph forgiving his brothers after they had been horribly cruel to him. They had intended to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery which resulted in many years of one tragic event after another. He was falsely accused of trying to rape his master’s wife and thrown into prison where he was forgotten. Ultimately, however, he ascended to the second most powerful position in all of Egypt.

Years later, he was reunited with his brothers, they thought he would seek revenge. In a wonderful example of grace, he tells them in spite of their actions, God had a plan for him and God’s plan always wins in the end. It may take time, it may not always be clear, but God’s will always wins.

We are to trust Him to be attentive and watchful, trust He will not let us come to harm. He calls us to trust He sees the things we cannot and that He will keep us safe – no matter where we go or what is happening around us.

My prayer this week is that we will, by the faith He has given us, trust God and live in the freedom that trust brings.

“…as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.” – Romans 3:10   

A headline caught my eye this week which read, “(Richard) Sherman says Tom Brady isn’t the Clean-cut Hero Everyone Thinks He Is.” The article goes on to say “while people seem to carry on with their compliments and talk of Brady as someone who does everything right, Sherman says he and his teammates ‘know him to be otherwise.’”

Now, let me clear on this, I don’t care who wins the Super Bowl. And, I’m not a fan of Sherman or Brady. But, this isn’t about them, it’s about us – you and me.

The headline is what got my attention. Because the truth of the matter is NONE of us is all that nice. None of us is as “clean-cut” as others may think. And, there is always someone who knows it.

We are all broken people who deal with some sort of sin in our life. Most often we try to hide it, but inevitably it will rear its ugly head and we (and others) must face the fact that we are not perfect people.

My prayer this week is that we will realize our brokenness and turn to God, who loves us as we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way.