Recognized Service

"No one service as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer."  2 Timothy 2:4

Veteran's Day - truly such a special day to remember and give thanks.  It is a time to honor those who gave service to our country and all that they sacrificed in order for us to have the many freedoms we have today.  There are so many reasons to honor these wonderful folks, but as our verse above shares, they all have left their families in order to serve their commanding officer and our country.  They gave up their comforts, their own freedoms, and their families so that we can have all of that and more.

Famous soldiers of the Bible.  I Googled that phrase as I thought about this week's post.  There were many names that I came across that were familiar names - David, Joshua, Gideon.  Yes, they were definitely great warriors - warriors for our Lord.  As I delved into each one, the familiar stories started to return, but there was certainly a larger picture.

David, yes the one that fought Goliath.  We see, from the early age that David took on this giant, that he was going to be a great warrior.  Time and time again, David led his men into battle.  He was certainly well respected as a military leader.  David, though, was defined as a military leader with compassion.  He looked upon his enemies with generosity and forgiveness.

Joshua had big shoes to fill.  He replaced Moses upon his passing to lead the Israelites, definitely not an easy task.  With all that they had gone through, to lose their beloved leader was certainly an impact.  Yet, in walks Joshua.  I'm sure you remember the story of the army walking around the walls of Jericho and the "walls came tumbling down".  In this battle, and many others, he was known to have a strong obedience to God.

Gideon's greatest battle showed us that "more is less".  With an army of 32,000 soldiers, he was still outnumbered by his opponent.  As God helped him to see the hearts of his soldiers, his army (that was already lacking in numbers), was whittled down to a mere 300!  Yet, with the power of our Lord, he defeated his enemy, showing us that big things can be done with small numbers.  As in our verse for today, they all served a higher commanding officer - God!

Each of these men gave us a picture of Jesus, the one who fought the greatest battle.  Jesus knew who his enemies were and always approached them with a sense of forgiveness.   He forgave them until the very end, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."  Jesus obeyed God in his walk on Earth, until the very end, "If this cup cannot pass by but I must drink it, Your will be done."  The ultimate picture that represents Gideon's battle is that Jesus, the sole man of God on Earth, took on all our sins (way too numerous to count) and the devil to die on the cross for our sins until the very end, "It is finished".   

On this Veteran's Day, I ask that you please pray for all of our veterans and the sacrifices that they have made.  Pray for the members of our military service, giving them strength, courage, safety, faith in God, and peace.  Just like the great warriors of the Bible, each one of these men and women have given of themselves to protect us.  May we always remember them in and show them our thanks.  Finally, may we also always give thanks to our great soldier, Jesus, who gave all for us.

Dearest Jesus, please help us to pray every day, for the members of our military.  Help us to recognize those who have given service to our country so that we may live with the freedoms we enjoy each day.  Our veterans dropped their civilian life to follow a commanding officer that helps to keep our country free.  Let us pray for peace and rest for these great people.  In your name we pray, Amen!