“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” – Ephesians 3:12

David Bloom was 39 years old when he died of a pulmonary embolism while covering the war in Iraq. The former NBC correspondent was a co-host of the weekend television show “Today” and he was a White House correspondent from 1997 to 2000. He covered other major stories as well such as Hurricanes Andrew and Emily, the Somali famine, the Midwest floods, the siege of the Branch Davidian cult in Texas, and the coup that led to U.S. intervention in Haiti.

Bloom, who left a wife, Melanie, and three daughters, was a committed Christian. A friend acknowledged that it was just two years ago that he began to allow his godly faith to influence his life. Bloom’s very last report out of Iraq on April 5 was not for publication, because it was an email to his wife. The message was read at his memorial service:

“I hope and pray all my guys (troops) get out of this in one piece. But I am at peace. Here I am, supposedly at the peak of professional success, but I could, frankly, care less. It’s nothing compared to my relationship with you and the girls and Jesus.”

When our faith in Christ is the core of who we are, we are free in the Lord. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that through faith in Him we may approach Him.

“If people haven’t truly put their trust in Christ, they may feel they tried Christianity and found it lacking, when they haven’t tried it at all.” – Les Magee

God’s Word: “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” – Philippians 3:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2003, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN EPHESIANS pkennedy@devotional.com