Virginia Brandt Berg (1898-1968)
Dear Son,
A happy New Year, and mother's favorite greeting, a sincere God bless you. Here at home we've been following with keen interest everything that concerns you and the other men. The numbers that are being sent abroad, the movement of all the troops, the keeping of the truce, and everything.
I've said it so many times it must get trite, but I always want you to know, you're never out of our thoughts and always on our hearts. I hope it gives you some real comfort and hope to know there is much prayer going up for you every single day. The knowledge we are praying won't give you much assurance or hope if you believe what you told me about in your last letter.
You remember you said, if I recall it rightly, that your friend there says that prayer can't change things at all. That it doesn't change anything. And he said that when your time comes you'll just go, that's all. If a bullet or shell is meant for you, you'll get it, and nothing in the World can stop it, especially prayer. If that's your time to die, you'll just die. Well, son, that's what we call fatalism!
But I know from definite experience that prayer does change things, and there are many things in the Bible -- God's Word tells of how prayer changed lives, and many lives were spared. Hezekiah prayed and God gave him 15 extra years of life. Moses prayed and God spared Israel, thus sparing many lives. God was going to wipe out the city of Nineveh completely but when the city of Nineveh repented and prayed, God spared the entire city. Oh, there are so many instances of this, that is, God sparing lives in answer to prayer in the Bible, I mean, of course, I couldn't possibly begin to mention them all. I believe God daily spares lives in answer to prayer and changes many vital situations in that way.
I know He spared my life that way. I was given up by a number of physicians as a hopeless case and they stated frankly that they could do no more for me, but in answer to believing prayer, God worked a miracle! That was many years ago and God is still working miracles for those about me. And every minute He's answering prayer, and I can tell you of so many instances.
Now let's reason a little along this line. Why would all these wonderful promises be in the Bible if they didn't accomplish anything? What are they in there for? If they don't change the situation, why would God say He would do so and so if you'll pray, and He'll give you so and so if you'll pray, and He'll change such a situation if you'll pray? There are promises that the Lord will keep you, and will lead you, save you, heal you, guide you, deliver you in time of trouble and supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.
And all this is at your disposal if you'll use the means God has given you to obtain these things. And that means to call on Him and just ask Him -- and that's prayer, because that's just what prayer is, is asking God for whatever your need is. It says He will supply your every need according to His riches in glory.
You know, many modern scientifically-minded people think it's utterly ridiculous to take the promises of God's Word literally, seriously. You know, isn't it strange that in an age of mysterious powerful invisible forces such as we have today as radar and television, atomic energy and jet propulsion, that we would doubt the power of a mighty God and His supernatural working in answer to prayer. It seems if ever we should believe it's today!
Well, so it is that in spite of all this philosophical reasoning, there are those of trusting and childlike faith who are daily doing things and getting things from God through His power, well, such as the doubting intellectuals say can't be done. And these people are daring to appropriate these promises, taking them just as they are in the Word of God and acting upon them, and getting the most wonderful answer to prayer. Problems solved, and their needs met, well, I say, just let the philosophers tangle themselves up in the web of difficulty and doubt, trying to explain away our rights to accept these promises just as they are, but we're going to walk right in and enjoy to the full all the riches God has promised us.
You don't have to comprehend the greatness of the promises or understand how they work. All God asks is simple childlike faith and to reach out and apply them. And you can do that in the midst of the hottest battle, in the midst of trials in the barracks, any place, with someone that's not pleasant to have to be with, and someone that makes it miserable for you there in the field. Oh, what a marvelous privilege we have as Christians.
Well, of course, because we're lifted up through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God with everything that's powerful and Holy and true -- and with such a tie as that I wonder why we hesitate to trust God. With so much talk of space today, let's not forget with all the myriads of celestial bodies held in place by His power, there's never been a mishap in the skies, no accidents, although they move with such terrific accuracy and such great speed.
Oh, why not just trust the promises over here in 2nd Peter, and in the 1st chapter, there are these words: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" And now here's the Verse I want you to get, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises." Isn't that wonderful! "Exceeding great and precious." (2Pt.1:2-4)
You know I can never forget the day when it dawned upon me, I would say, that the promises were real, a fact! That the promises in the Bible were practical and could actually be applied to my everyday needs. It was quite a revelation, I can assure you. I had been taught the Bible since earliest childhood, but I'd never realized that God meant exactly what He'd said in His Word. And that He made it so plain and that the promises are so important, so very important, because this brings us into sweet contact, personal contact with the Lord.
I wonder, did you ever have a friend upon whom you could utterly depend? Who was absolutely faithful to you when things were going wrong? Oh, such friends are so few. But oh, how we value them!
Someone has said, there is a strange bond that links a man to that which he has found to be dependable and true. There is a tie that really binds you to the one that you can utterly trust to stand by in stormy weather. Do you wonder then that anyone who has tried and proven the promises in God's Word and found them unfailing and absolutely trustworthy, should feel that strong bond of confidence?
Oh, many of our fighting men who have had no hope and nothing to lean on in the dark hours have found that this is true! That God has not failed in one of all His good promises. That's a Bible quote. "He has not failed in one of all His good promises." (I Kings.8:56) Well, no wonder we've come through the storms with such a great love for God's Word.
I tell you son, you couldn't tell some of these praying mothers who have been on the stormy path for so many years, sickness of little ones, and some times tragedies in the family -- and they've had marvelous answers to prayer -- these dear praying mothers, you couldn't tell them God doesn't answer prayer!
Now if these promises are not worthy of unconditional, limitless trust, then the Gospel of love and grace of God told about in the Bible is a myth. This is either fact or fiction, this is either true or false.
Well, I know through long experience that I can trust God's Word. God's Word says, "For I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." (2Tim.1:12)
Oh, when the battle gets hot and the trials come, find a promise from God's Word, get down in your Bible and claim the promise, in Christ's Name, and instead of getting frightened or expecting the worst, step out upon the promise and God will meet you -- simple childlike faith! Walk right up to the Throne of God and with utter confidence in His Word, ask and receive. And walk away with the desire of your heart!
Don't let those fella's tell you that prayer doesn't do anything, doesn't do any good, that when it's time to go you go. Well God can change things. I no longer wonder at the miracles of God! I've come to know more and more that it's so because God said so.
Now, why not right now, get your Bible and get alone with God and do some seeking of God. There's a way out! God will show you that way. Have a good talk with the Lord alone and pray for us here at home. We need prayer too, we have our trials and difficulties, but we know that prayer changes things.
Remember son, from Taps to Reveille, and Reveille to Taps, we pray for you here at home -- Mother.