Letter from God is Dedicated

      Study Guide 8 is dedicated to my late husband Sheriff Bernard "Bud" Grysen who received his permanent change of station to heaven almost ten years ago. In writing about the military leader Joshua, I realized that Bud had been a modern day Joshua. Bud served the people of Ottawa County in Michigan for 25 years. Five years as a deputy and twenty years as their Sheriff.

     As Joshua followed and meditated on the teachings of the Torah, Bud's textbook was the entire letter from God. Looking back over his first ten years as Sheriff (note picture), Bud exclaimed that he finds direction and guidance from God's Word.

     Bud knew God established the military and law enforcement systems. He considered both of them honorable and God-given missions. He was aware that in Romans 13:4 we read, "For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."

     Joshua and Bud knew that their warriors needed to be prepared to fight with the right thinking. As Joshua read the Torah to his soldiers, Bud shared his faith in God with his fellow officers. They were both excellent organizers and instilled confidence and courage in the officers under their command. When the cause was just, Bud and Joshua were fearless fighters.

     Bud and Joshua realized that training and weapons were important. With the right thinking, training and equipment, their team was unbeatable. Under pressure, courage and training kicked into action. No panic — duty and orders always came first. Joshua and Bud were both brilliant leaders and true servants of the Lord. (Bud was proud that his great-great grandmother on his mother's side was Jewish. Perhaps Bud came from Joshua's tribe?)

Acknowledgments

   To our Divine Teacher, God the Holy Spirit, who was the invisible teacher in our class. "The Holy Spirit will teach you all things," John 14:26.

   To our pastor-teacher, Col. R. B. Thieme, Jr., for his faithfulness in studying and teaching God's messages for 54 years.

   To my son Walter, who shared his thoughts and doctrinal information for the "Letter From God" series.

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