My daughter just finished a book report about my book For Valor: Defending the Faith for those of Worth. As a proud papa, I am joyfully sharing the report with you. It is readily apparent that my daughter clearly understands the concepts brought forth in the book. May we all diligently strive to equip our children with discernment and dedication to walk out their faith with valor. May the Lord watch over them, pouring out His protection, provision and presence keeping them under His watchful care. To Jesus be the glory!
For Valor
Defending the Faith for Those of Worth
Chaos is complex, unwanted visitor. No matter what we do, or how much we try to get rid of it, chaos always returns. It is guaranteed. In For Valor, Corby Shuey writes about how Christians should defend their faith from chaos. The book opens by explaining how people with a different, secular worldview dwell on and constantly think of negative things. The devil spreads these negative thoughts and lies quickly and quietly, often with bits of truth intertwined. We have to be very careful to keep our focus on God’s true Word or else we can get pulled away from the Truth. We have to listen to the whisper of God’s Word to defeat these lies. God’s Word is Truth but other worldviews say that there is no truth or false truth. Postmodernism says everyone’s self proclaimed truth is in fact the truth and that nobody else can argue with that. It also says that there is no constant in life. Postmodernism and other false worldviews are responsible for the deconstruction of knowledge and identity. Because of this postmodern thought that have become seemingly more popular in today’s modern society, everyone thinks their truth is theirs and that nobody has the right to change that. They think everyone is free to do whatever they want. Christians, as the author says, are sinbathing, just going along with the flow, and just ignoring the unfortunate situation of those without faith.
Identity has become a god, made in the image of fallen man. The one true God, our God, purposely made us how He wanted us to be. We don’t need to try to change ourselves just to fit in somewhere. Transhumanism is trying to defy the biological limitations of humans. The devil wants us to forget about our identity in Christ. He tries to separate us from our Father. Humans try to mess with God’s creation, mixing different species and clone things to make different creatures. Our pride often gets in the way of a simple understanding of life. God offers order rather than chaos.
We must use the sword of the spirit and fight for our King, not for our own glory but for His. Not for our own sake but for the next generation for we bear His name. The Bible teaches us what is right and wrong and the difference between the two. In chapter four, we go through several passages of scripture and dive deep into it. First, Luke 23. This passage of scripture tells about how the people wanted to crucify Jesus and to let the murderer go. But Jesus willingly died for us. Those who put faith in Him will be saved. Jesus tells us to weep for those who don’t know Him since they will perish. The Lord says to keep those who know Him safe because during the last day, everything will be destroyed except those who fear God. We are supposed to recognize God’s work in our lives, embrace it, and walk it out. Our first responsibility is to love the Lord with all our being. Our lives need to reflect that. The Bible speaks of fishermen many times and explains how the disciples were fishers of men. However, these fishermen are very few in today’s modern world since the culture is becoming more and more troubling as the days pass. So we have to rise up, take courage, and become fishermen. We have to embrace the Word of God because God says He will release hunters to capture those who purposely deceive His people. Zechariah tells us that Shepards during that time failed to protect their sheep. He warns us that we guard ourselves and don’t fall into that pattern because we don’t want to be destroyed when Jesus returns. The Lord’s anger burns against those who lead the sheep astray. If we keep close to the Word, we are more than conquerors and our job is to help show sheep the right path so that wolves don’t devour them. Jehovah Roi, the Lord is the Shepard that guides us. We must follow Him.
At this point in the book, we are at a standstill. We are left to choose either withering in chaos or thriving in the peace of Jesus. Compared as a “glass divide” where on one side of the glass, there is peace, and on the other there is chaos. We have to choose which side of the glass we will stand. If we are on the side of peace, we can still see the chaos but ultimately, we don’t need to worry about that since we have Jesus. We have to pick a side; we can’t switch back and forth or try to be somewhere in the middle. We bear the name of Christ in our faith. God calls us by name so we should act as if we are representing Him no matter what the situation because we are. If Christians have contradicting beliefs and actions, we cannot be a part of God’s priesthood.
Chapter eight of For Valor talks about flint. Flint is a type of quartz that is used as a fire starter. Flint breaks steel when you strike the two together and that creates sparks. Charles Spurgeon talks about how Jesus set His face like flint when He went to die for us even though He did nothing wrong. Jesus’ face is as flint and ours is like clay so He can mold us and shape us. For example, when Jesus told Peter to walk on the water, he was doing great until he took his eyes off of Jesus. Then he was reminded of all the chaos that the world has to offer. So, if we keep our faces like flint and keep our eyes on Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid.
In 1 Samuel, there is an account about a giant who’s name was Goliath. Everyone was scared of him and just completely forgot about God. We do similar things when times get particularly tough or scary. However, in this event, there was a boy named David who knew who he was in God and he was confident in that. He chose to defend his faith and trust in God completely, even though the situation may have seemed hopeless. We can also be like David and defend our faith in times of trouble. We don’t have to be afraid for the battle is God’s and it has already been won.
Chapter 10 refers to a great teacher named Edwin Felecie. He once preached a sermon called “No Greater Valor” which starts with Felicie, a veteran who served our country for many years, explaining the soldiers creed. It tells about how soldiers main purpose is to serve the people of America and to never quit. This is how we should act when it comes to our faith. We are to serve others and never quit for the greater glory of God. We should take what we learned about setting our faces like flint in a previous chapter and apply it to our lives. The word valor in Hebrew is חַיִל (khah yil) which really means strength, might, efficiency, ability, and army. Those in the military serve only because they see worth in those whom they are protecting. They serve for valor. We must do the same.
The next chapter gives us a few physical pictures God gave us in the Bible so we could remember His faithfulness. First, the ark of the covenant is a reminder of God’s love and mercy for us. Another reminder of God’s love for us in the Bible are the stones of remembrance, set up by Joshua. The Hebrew word for this is (ot) which means sign, mark, banner, flag, miracle, or example. God is called “The Lord is my Banner” (or in Hebrew, “Jehovah Nissi”). That name was very important to Moses because it reminded him of how God delivered the Hebrews back in Exodus. We don’t need a pile of stones in our backyard to remind us that God is our banner too. Unless of course you want to. That’s ok too.
The final chapter of For Valor explains that we supposed to be a mirror of God. We have to work on restoring the mirror firstly, and get into the Word. Then, we have to share the Word and help others to become mirrors themselves. We need to teach about God’s Word diligently for our children, the next generation. For valor, defend your faith for those of worth. Be an example to others so that they may also be examples for their children and their chidren’s children. Like the disciples in the middle of the storm, we can be very scared at times. But Jesus calms the storm and He silences chaos. We do not have to be afraid. He fights for us and we are His. To God be the glory.
The reason I believe Mr. Shuey wrote this book is in the subtitle. He wants to warn us that we have to defend our faith so that others can believe and be grafted in. So that others may be a part of God’s priesthood. Not for our glory but for His.
– Ali Shuey 2023
Corby Shuey 