"The Victory Medal"
At the age of 111, Ernest Charles Pusey was the
third-oldest person in the world the day he died on November 19, 2006. Nine days before his death, Mr. Pusey
received a visit from Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Bush presented him with a World War I Victory
Medal on November 10, the day before Veteran’s Day. Mr. Pusey had served in WWI as a sailor in
the Navy aboard the USS Wyoming which was charged with patrolling the sea lanes
around the British Isles.
Mr. Pusey's death in 2006 left fewer than 25 US veterans
of World War I out of nearly 5 million who served, according to the Department
of Veterans Affairs. According to
Wikipedia, the last living veteran of World War I was Florence Green, a British
citizen who served in the Allied armed forces, and who died February 4, 2012,
at the age of 110.
Mr. Pusey didn't recall receiving a medal after the war,
and there was no evidence that he had ever received the Victory Medal. So after 87 years, Governor Bush presented
him with the medal in a ceremony at Mr. Pusey’s trailer in Bradenton, FL. A black-and-white photo of the battleship
Wyoming hung on the wall of his home near a framed letter of congratulations
from President Bush, and the president's brother added the glass-encased medal
to a table near Mr. Pusey's recliner.
A man extraordinary for longevity and survival,
"Ernie" was honored by his country on Veteran's Day, even if the
honor was a bit overdue.
There is a war that continues to rage over the souls of
men! Satan wants to destroy us; God
wants to save us.
Christ won the decisive victory on the cross, for it was
there that He died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2) and defeated Satan
(Hebrews 2:14-15). Defeated, Satan
continues to try to “take down with him” as many as possible (1 Peter
5:8). But Christ offers the victory over
sin and death to all who will accept it on His terms.
God will save those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31),
turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38). When we trust and obey
Christ, we are “enlisted” in His victorious army and issued this
challenge: “You therefore must endure
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this
life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).
And in the end, God will reward our faithfulness. The Apostle Paul, a seasoned veteran in the
army of the Lord, wrote these words near the end of his “tour of duty”: “For I
am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure
is at hand. I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that
Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2
Timothy 4:6-8).
Neal Pollard informs us that we may “have to wait what
seems like a long time before receiving ‘official recognition’ for our tour of
duty. Yet, our reward will be
imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25) and eternal (1 Thessalonians 4:17)! Don't lose heart. God will not forget your service for Him
(Hebrews 6:10).”
Won’t YOU trust and obey Christ for the victory and serve
Him faithfully the rest of your days?
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