“ so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart’
I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and it’s gates have been destroyed by fire?’
The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’
Then I prayed to the God of Heaven, and I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, LET HIM SEND ME to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’”
Nehemiah 2:2-5
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“LET HIM SEND ME”
This is what burns in almost every heart of every soldier that serves in our country's military. This is why we sign up. This is why we put our name on that dotted line and hold up our right hands and swear to defend our country from all enemies foreign and domestic. We are in a war again. I’m sure you already know this. What I’m not so sure that we are all aware of is God’s role in this war. Most of us believe that war is man-made and that God desires peace and brotherly love, I would be lying if I said anything differently. I want to make it perfectly clear that love IS what God desires for His people His love above all things. But, peruse our history books… war has been around almost as long as man has been around. There is war in heaven (Rev 12:7) and we can be assured that the Father has His hand on it. It is in His control.
“The Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.’ When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, the Lord our God delivered him in battle over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons, and his whole army.”----------- “ From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave us all of them.”
Deuteronomy 2:31-33, 2:36
Our soldiers deserve our respect and our support. They are simply being obedient to the Commander-In-Chief. Just as we are to be obedient to the Lord God, they are to be obedient to their commanders. God had His hand on the battle against Sihon and He is in control of this battle also. It is my personal belief that if the Lord brings our fighting men and women into battle then he will deliver them one way or another. Some will die, that is true but I believe we will see them again. It will be painful for their families and for all of us watching and listening, but our hope is this; that the Lord Jesus Christ will come back and avenge the death of all those who have died for His cause, fighting His fight here on earth.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 15:5
As Christians we need to stand together especially now more than ever. We are called to be salt and light to the world. A symbol of the hope that lies in Christ. A living example of the love and acceptance that is evident when we give our lives over to Jesus. A born-again believer knows struggle and suffering and devotion to purpose. How are we any different than our brothers and sisters who are fighting in Iraq? How are we any different than those families that are back here in the United States? We are all in this together. Do not let our adversary divide us. Don’t let that old serpent, the devil, come in and splinter us from within. Reach out and hold the hand of the one next to you forming an unbreakable chain that can’t be broken and do all through the Lord Jesus Christ whose sacrifice on the cross made us all equal and blameless in God’s eyes. Bless our troops.
Especially:
Sgt. David Portillo 1-327th Medic attached to 101st Airborne U. S. Army
PFC Nick Taylor Inf U.S. Marines Somewhere in Iraq
Sgt Steven Seymour Inf U.S. Marines Somewhere in Afghanistan
Sgt Kevin Robinson 3-21st Mech Inf U.S. Army Somewhere in Iraq
Sgt Michael Waltjen US Army
If you have someone whose name you would like to have added here please email me the name and where they are don’t forget to include their rank and what branch of the military they are in. Remember these and all our troops in your prayers. Pray for their safety, and swift return to the loved ones back here.
