Tobit, Chapter 14, Verse 1-2
1 So the words of Tobit’s hymn of praise came
to an end. Tobit died in peace at the age of a hundred and twelve and was
buried with honor in Nineveh. 2 He was fifty-eight years old when he lost
his eyesight, and after he recovered it he lived in prosperity, giving alms; he
continued to fear God and give thanks
to the divine Majesty.
May God in his grace
open your eyes to your blessings! Tobit’s song of praise focuses on giving
praise to God who is all powerful and yet has a love for us that grants us
freedom and mercy.
Tobit[1]
- Tobit took the angel’s words seriously. He prayed
out loud and long, proclaiming God’s great mercy to anyone who would
listen. He also prayed for his countrymen. If God could bring
about such healing in Tobit’s life, what more could he do for the people
of Israel!
- Tobit, apparently, lived a happy life after that.
He passed on when he was 112. He was 58 when he became blind and was
blind for four years. He continued to give alms and to praise God.
- Before he died, he called Tobias (who now had seven
sons) and told him to leave Nineveh and to return to Media. He
predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem as well as its
restoration. When the temple would be rebuilt, people would see and
be converted to the one God.
- He made Tobias promise that he would leave the day his
mother was buried.
A Grateful Heart[2]
Having and retaining a
grateful heart is the key to making right judgments and being a person of
character. John McCain highlights in his book, “Character is Destiny” the life
of the Native American war Chief Tecumseh as an example of a man that never
lost his gratitude in life. Tecumseh was a great Indian leader who lost a war
but taught even his enemies how to live. Everyone knew that the great Tecumseh,
fearless warrior and visionary, steadfast leader, did not tolerate torture or
murder, or suffer intentional harm to be done to innocents. He was a man of
honor. Even his enemies knew that, especially the man who had fought him the
longest, William Henry Harrison. However, as a youth Tecumseh was unnerved in
his first encounter with organized bloodletting, and fled the battle. It was
the only time in his life his courage failed him. In a later raid near the end
of the war, the Shawnees attacked the crew of a flatboat on the Ohio River. All
but one of the crew was killed in the encounter. The lone survivor was dragged
ashore and burned at the stake. The atrocity left a deep mark on Tecumseh, who,
though he was too young to intervene in the victim’s behalf, denounced the
murder after it occurred, and swore he would never again remain silent in the
face of such an injustice. He would live and die determined to defend Indian
land from the insatiable appetites of American settlers. In the course of his
crusade, he became the greatest Indian leader of his time. Many would argue,
including Americans who fought him, that he was the greatest war chief of all
time. Raised by his older brother Chiksika, he took special care of his younger
brother Tecumseh. He taught him to hunt and fish, and to learn the fighting
skills of a Shawnee brave. He raised him to revere the memory of their
courageous father, and the virtues he had exemplified as a warrior who
preferred death to dishonor. There
was something in his character that repelled despair, finding in life, with all
its many tragedies, a reason to be thankful for the very fact that he could
remain true to himself. He was the kind of person for whom life was a gift that
could not be diminished by suffering, and it gave him a unique strength, a
confidence that was superior to most people. Tall and sinewy, with an erect
bearing, a superior skill at arms, exuding a sense of command, and possessing a
gift for oratory that earned him admirers even among his enemies, he was
renowned as a capable provider and protector of his clan, whose leadership had
an ever-broadening appeal to neighboring tribes. Tecumseh delivered an address
to his people as he prepared them for the coming struggle that has become
famous not only as a measure of his own character, but as a code of honor that
merits respect and emulation.
So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand
that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things
in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of
your people. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a
friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and
grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and the
joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in
yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and
robs the spirit of vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes
they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a
different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.
On the day of his final
battle never having despaired over the vicissitudes of life, he would not do so
now. He arose in the morning and gave thanks for the joy of living. At the
Battle of the Thames in Ontario on October 5, 1813, British General Procter and
his soldiers fled the field after the first volley was fired. Tecumseh
dispensed with his sword and British officer’s jacket, and charged, as always,
into the thick of the battle. When a musket ball shattered his right leg, he
told his braves to leave him. He kept fighting until a crowd of American
soldiers surrounded him. He sang his death song and died like a hero going
home.
Fitness Friday
Recognizing that God the
Father created man on Friday the 6th day I propose in this blog to
have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in strength;
mind, soul and heart.
Your Posture says a lot about you-stand
tall have an erect bearing
Humble Confession[3]
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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