05/27/2019
Today is Memorial Day, and is a federal holiday in the United States; it is a day in which we remember those who have fallen in military service to our country. It is appropriate on this day for us to read or recite Psalms 91 which is known commonly as the soldier’s prayer. On this day my mind wanders to a different kind of soldier as well, the Christian soldier, and the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers”. It is hard to separate soldiers from their faith in God... it is so deeply called upon in the heat of battle... both physical, and spiritual.
“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.”
Psalms 91:7 ESV
My father, like his before him, served in the United States military. He fought in WWII, and Korea, where he was both wounded and decorated for his bravery during those wars. It was following Korea in 1951 that he married my mother, and in 1952 I was born at Ft. Dix New Jersey where I was delivered by a doctor who had survived the Bataan Death March, and imprisonment in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Later, in 1962, I was brought to Christ by Colonel Ira Palm and his wife. During WWII The Colonel was in command of a small group of men (think special forces) who slipped behind enemy lines and into the home of Adolph Hitler where they intended to kill him... but fortunate for Hitler, he did not return home that night. Those soldiers placed theirs lives in check so that our freedoms, including the practice of our faith, would remain secure, and they took their faith with them.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalms 91:1 ESV
I tell you these things to say that soldiers, and their families, live and engage in history itself. They might serve most of their careers on its cusp, but in an instant they can find themselves on the beach at Normandy, or in some other place, like the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya in 2012... when suddenly “significance” becomes an inadequate word.
“I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”
Psalms 91:2-4 ESV
So realizing that God is with us in the midst of peace, but also in the heat of battle, becomes no more real than in the lives of soldiers, and especially those who believe in God, and Jesus Christ.
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”
2 Timothy 2:3-4 ESV
Today lets say aloud the Soldiers Prayer, and remember those who didn’t return home, and those families who were suddenly cast into the throws of war in a very real sense.
“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”
Psalms 91:9-10 ESV
I remember the times as a boy when historic events occurred, and they impacted me directly. I remember instances like the Cuban Middle Crisis, and the Assassination of President Kennedy, when my Father sped up to our quarters in Augsburg, Germany, and while grabbing his weapon and duffel bag in a rush told my mother to listen to the General’s wife... that they would get us out of there. War felt imminent, Germany felt once more like a battlefield, and the sacrifice of soldiers became a very real family commitment in an instant. So remember the families today, and understand that the spear that takes the lives of our soldiers pierces the sides of their families as well.
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
Psalms 91:11-12 ESV
So today we remember, and honor those who took up arms and laid their lives down at our bequest. We walk by tables where soldiers dine, and see ourselves in them, because they are in fact you and me, and our faith in Christ sustains them just as it does us. Today we become the collective family that mourns the return of the flag draped casket, with the understanding that the soul of a loved one lies within... waiting to face one final battle when in victory they will rise to meet Jesus in the air!
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for those who have laid down their lives for me, and in a breath gave up the ghost to join you in heavenly chorus... “Onward Christian soldier; marching as to war.” We await the final victory Holy Father when you will lift us up, the martyrs, heroes, Saints, and believers, to sing your praise... and we pray that those who went and died in battle for us will rejoice in peace, and an end to the horrors of war. Hear my prayer today Father as I pray the Soldier’s Prayer, and remember those who gave themselves, and as I honor those who march today understanding that significance is just a word. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God, and the protector of soldiers who you lead into battle at your good will... to confront evil so that the many will be spared its flaming memory. Give them peace and rest until that faithful day Father when in Christ they will be lifted up, and families reunited again. We praise your name Merciful Father, and raise your banner high in the promise and brilliant light of your eternal grace!
“"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."”
Psalms 91:14-16 ESV
Rich Forbes