August 8, 2024 Devo

One of the decisions Wanda and I made as we raised our boys was to keep our boys in public schools. It was an intentional effort for us to be salt and light to a dark-and-dying world. We wanted to be involved. We wanted to be connected. And we wanted God to use our boys and our family to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear. Though we made that decision with careful thought and prayer, we had no idea how much God was already at work there.
When we registered our boys at the elementary school in Phoenix, we discovered in a conversation that the woman in the office was a believer. We were further encouraged to know that there were a group of the teachers and staff who came early to the school each day to walk the halls and stairwells, praying for God’s presence, power, and protection to be there. We knew that though there would be many challenges to faith in the public arena, there would also be warriors of Jesus fighting alongside our boys. It gave us wonderful reassurance.
Some of you who are reading this today are some of those warriors. You not only live out your own commitment to Christ, you have committed yourself to the cause of teaching. Some of you are administrators who have to navigate challenging situations and deal with difficult people. Some of you are staff who serve both those above you and around you. You are often the “angels” who quietly and lovingly make sure things function without too much chaos. Some of you are teachers who have to connect and communicate with an extraordinary spectrum of kids from diverse backgrounds and who are at various levels of ability, both intellectually and emotionally. And you are heroes.
Then there are all of you who homeschool, who teach in our churches and private schools, and who give yourselves to afterschool programs that help children learn to read, write, and have a safe place to study and get a much-needed meal. Do you know how Jesus refers to you? He calls you “GREAT.” Great because you are taking on a great task. Great because you engaged in a great challenge. Great because the result of your work and influence in the lives of others bears eternal rewards. So we join Jesus in honoring you today. We lift you up in prayer. We love you. We believe in you. You are the Great Servants of God. That’s God’s Word for you today.