By Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.” Hebrews 9:27-28
Many men and women have made a choice to serve in one of America’s five major military services in the past 100 years. We still actually have a few 100+ year old veterans. Some of our veterans served in wars, like the 100+ year old Vets of WWII, and the remainder served during times of a peace kept by them.
On Memorial Day, we honor those whose choice to serve ended in their death, mostly in combat. But on Veterans Day, we honor all who served anytime, some as little as a few months, and others multiple decades. For example, I, myself, served 33 years in the Army, and in that time fought in Vietnam in 1969 and 70. My father served in the Navy and the Marines and fought in WWII and Korea. My brother served in Army Aviation and as a Combat Pilot in Vietnam for two tours of a year each.
We celebrate on November 11 all those who willingly served the nation in one military service or another. Without this willing service, we can safely say, we would not exist as a nation. We might be speaking German, or Japanese, or Russian, or Chinese, rather than English.
Without any veterans, we would have no National Security; the United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard would not exist. All of your lives would be totally different if they even still were.
You can certainly say that apart from veterans, there would be no United States of America. Think about that as you consider the reason for Veterans Day.
An ungrateful nation is not worthy of being defended or of being secure. Lethargic, uninterested, self-absorbed citizens are an embarrassment to any still free country.
The world, because it is the “playground” of Satan, is a dangerous place. Lawlessness uncontrolled is a universal threat, and the danger of war and incursion of evil-doers is, in this present world, a constant possibility. This is the reason that our nation’s budget has a disproportional part that is set aside for national defense. Apart from veterans, we would have no national defense.
God ensures in His providence that veterans of God-fearing nations are raised up to combat Satan’s schemes in the world. He raises up Kings and sets Leaders and Presidents in place. They lead and rule at His pleasure. Veterans are necessary to provide the defenders of the nation, which is still a free republic. Praise God!
Encouragement
“O God of love, O King of peace, make wars throughout the world to cease; the wrath of sinful man restrain; give peace, O God, give peace again.”(1st verse of Henry Baker’s hymn, “O God of Love, O King of Peace,” 1861)
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