THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL.
Not a Whim.

By Andrey Kotorov

April 4th, 2026

“Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments… then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house.” 1 Kings 11:38

I came to the Lord quite early, when I was only 16 years old. I began attending Bible courses in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and I learned about God, believed in Him, and was baptized by full immersion like the Bible teaches. It was a radical change in my life since from childhood I had followed the example of my parents, who drank and often fought. From the age of 14, I, too, smoked and drank.

But shortly after my baptism, I was called up to serve in the army, and I felt I had to defend my new religious beliefs there. When I arrived, I immediately announced my convictions. I refused to take the oath, take up arms, or learn to kill. They sent me to a combat battalion where almost all of my fellow soldiers were indifferent to my faith. In fact, some of them thought I was simply shying away from service and treated me accordingly.

My insistence on observing the fourth commandment and rest on the Sabbath caused a lot of misunderstanding because Saturday in the army is the busiest day of cleaning and preparing for the week. On that day, I read my Bible but seemed to always be in everyone’s way. I could not find a secluded place to be by myself with God. The soldiers drove me from corner to corner, got irritated, and even threatened to beat and maim me. But I entrusted God with my protection, and He saved me from the beatings.

I had a great experience trusting God when I had to go before our regiment’s chief of staff. I was summoned to the office of the lieutenant colonel, and he asked me to explain my position. I told him that my behavior was not a whim, and then I proceeded to use common sense as I explained my desire to keep God’s law. He threatened to lock me up and send me to a disciplinary battalion, where nothing good awaited me—and that’s when I began to pray, Lord, please help him understand that it is useless to try to dissuade me.

The answer from God was instant! The lieutenant colonel suddenly stopped mid-sentence and said, “Well, if you can’t take the oath, then no problem. You won’t take it.” Then he followed me into the corridor and shook hands in front of everyone—a signal that turned into a kind of defense against everyone else’s attacks.

I have never regretted taking the side of Jesus Christ because He gave my life meaning. He put my feet on solid ground and gave me hope of eternal life with Him!