My husband recently visited a friend who lives in an independent living facility for seniors. On his way out that day he saw a war veteran and decided to shake his hand and thank him for serving our country.
After their exchange, the veteran told my husband, “You know, I can’t get over how people today thank us veterans for serving in the military. When we came back home from the war no one did this. In fact, many of us lost our jobs, people ignored us or acted like we weren’t around”. How sad that this happened in our country!
As my husband said his goodbyes and walked toward the door, the veteran said, “I’m no hero you know. The real heroes are the ones in the ground”.
If you’ve ever read the Old Testament, you will find it filled with stories of war. I wonder, did anyone ever thank Joshua for leading the Israelites around the gates of Jericho? I find it interesting that Joshua 6:27 says, “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land”. Whose fame? Joshua’s or the Lord’s?
In his book, The View from the Ground: Experiences of Civil War Soldiers, Aaron Sheehan-Dean indicates that through a thorough search of soldiers diaries, many soldiers of the Civil War did not start out being religious. Rather, as the war waged on, more and more turned to God for the comfort and security they craved.
It is true, our soldiers are heroes and God is the ultimate hero. He gave us his son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so we may live with him forever in heaven.
In an excerpt from his book, Sheehan-Dean quotes Union Private John Henry Pardinton as saying, “Let us put our trust in God and all will be well”.
As Psalm 34:10 NLT says, “Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing”.
On this day, July 4th 2016, let us thank God for our heroes, the soldiers who died serving our country, those who returned and those currently serving. Let us also thank God for his gift of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ. For without his sacrifice, we would not be enjoying the fruits of eternal life in heaven.
He Spoke To My Heart 