Week Forty-One, 2025
It is so gigantic that it can be seen from space. I have walked parts of the wall several times. The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable.
Built in the 14th Century by the Ming Dynasty. By the 14th century, China’s Ming Dynasty was the envy of the world — wealthy, cultured, and terrified of Mongol invaders. To protect their empire, the Ming embarked on the ultimate construction project: the Great Wall. Stretching over 13,000 miles, it was a feat of engineering, manpower, and sheer willpower. But here’s the catch: building the wall was the easy part. Maintaining it? That’s where things got messy.
The Ming poured resources into the wall, but they skimped on the soldiers guarding it. Troops were underpaid, overworked, and often left without supplies. Corruption ran rampant: officers pocketed soldiers’ wages, and merchants bribed guards to let them smuggle goods (and sometimes invaders) through the gates.
In 1449, the Mongols, led by Esen Taishi, tested the wall’s defenses. The result? A disaster. Ming troops, demoralized and underfed, abandoned their posts. The Mongols waltzed through, capturing the emperor and humiliating the dynasty. But the enemy breached it. Not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers.
The Great Wall’s failure wasn’t just a military blunder — it exposed the dangers of prioritizing show over substance. The Ming had built a symbol of power, but neglected the systems needed to sustain it. Sound familiar? The lesson? A wall is only as strong as the people defending it. And if you don’t pay your guards, don’t be surprised when they let the barbarians in.
There’s a 21st century parallel. America has the strongest democratic republic in the history of the world’s governments. We are strong and resilient, but at the same time we are in a time of downward spiraling decay. Polls and church attendance show a drifting away from Judeo-Christian values. We are one generation away from losing the Christian faith.
Our institutions are strong, but our gatekeepers are getting weaker, as they slowly slide away in moral decay. Especially the young in America expose atheistic socialism. Moral relevancy is increasingly scarce.
As mature Christians we have a calling to stand up and speak out for the restoration of Biblical relevancy in our land. May we heed the call or be prepared through our neglect to usher in the enemy through our unkept gates. Even the grandest of plans and institutions can crumble without care.
Sometimes True Stories
What is the biggest difference between the righteous and the wicked? The righteous pray, the wicked don’t! When we don’t take the time to pray, we are basically saying to God, I can handle this on my own, I don’t need You. The opposite of such independence is prayer in which we acknowledge our need of God’s instruction and guidance. Jesus lived His life in complete dependence upon God, we must do the same. Tony Ferguson
– 0 –
You have about 4,000 weeks. Give or take. And that’s your whole life — from start to finish.
Most people waste them: chasing someone’s approval, wasting time in arguments, getting caught up in pointless conflicts, fighting windmills, putting off what really matters, judging others, living in hatred.
Don’t be like most people. Build a life you’ll be proud of. Because one day you’ll look back and realize — it was just a short trip.
– 0 –
Annealing is a process of heating a material, such as steel, which actually makes it less hard and more ductile. Ductility is the property of said material to flex more easily and prevent brittleness or breakage. It almost seems counterintuitive that annealing would make the material less hard. But it’s the end result that matters.
God treats us in a similar way. He will allow us to experience various trials (turn up the heat) because, when we faithfully get through it, He knows that we will become more flexible and durable, “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
The key is that we exercise faith in the process. Faith in the One Who will always bring us through. If you experience trouble or trials today, look for how you might grow by exercising patience and perseverance. Have faith and grow. Rich Jensen
Quotes You Can Use
The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Johnny Cash
We cannot understand eternity. It is beyond our ability to do so. We live in time, yet God and our eternity have no ending. I can’t fathom it, but I can accept it and know that one day I will enter it into that eternity and know peace as I have never known it before. Elbert Nasworthy
If you want to be respected by others the great thing is to respect yourself.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
It is in the quiet crucible of your personal, private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born, and God’s greatest gifts are given. Whitley Phipps
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. Marcus Aurelius
I’m getting to the age where it’s considered rude to pull out a bottle of ibuprofen if I don’t have enough for everyone. John Grant
Living for Jesus is not a once-a-week kind of experience. Dan Shock
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. Ovid
On his death bed, famous minister Luis Palau said “we will never regret being courageous for Christ.”
God desires that our lives be a vessel to contain the Spirit of God, and that we would then channel God’s Spirit to a thirsty world around us. Dan Shock
Keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason. Jesus said so. Tony Ferguson
Eric Metaxas puts it best. “We need to know when it’s time to speak, and I’m here to tell you, the Church needs to speak loudly… The Church needs to stop cowering and saying, “What am I allowed to say?”
God has called us to be paramedics rather than policeman. Dan Shock
There is a problem when sin doesn’t offend us, but correction does.
Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025