Veteran’s Day November 11, 2020

Remember the sacrifices our veterans have made on our behalf.

It is easy for those of us who have not been in the military to take for granted the sacrifice and service of our veterans. In the past 30 years over seven thousand of our American service men and women have died, and over fifty-three thousand have suffered injury from going to war to keep us safe. This does not include the many thousands who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues. While they serve, they might often be far away from family and friends. This creates other difficulties for the service men and women and their families. When they leave the service, it is often difficult to readapt to being home.

We have several men and women who currently are serving in the military who are on our Wednesday prayer list. They are members or related to members of our church. Let us remember to keep them in prayer.

The apostle Paul used the military as a metaphor for the Christian life:

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. - 2 Timothy 2:3-4

As Christians our goal should be to please Jesus Christ by being a good soldier who does not quit when facing the enemy. Some thoughts from these verses:

1.      A soldier must obey those in authority. We serve Jesus Christ and obey His commandments without question. John 14:15, 21

2.      Just like our military provides for and equips our soldiers, so Jesus equips us in both defense and offence. He provides everything we need to serve Him and obey His commandments. He also provides all the protection we need from the enemy who would tempt us to fall. See 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Ephesians 6:10-18

3.      A soldier must often sacrifice personal ambitions and goals for that of the military. Often, we consume ourselves with the affairs of this life as if this is our only life. Peter reminds us that we are strangers and pilgrims who temporarily reside in this evil world. We have a heavenly home. 1 Peter 2:11.

4.      Most of us are facing hard times along with our nation. We must not succumb to worry. Nothing surprises Jesus. Let us keep our eyes on Him. Hebrews 12:1-3 and Colossians 3:1-4.