“But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May his miracles have a deep and permanent effect upon your lives! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles he did.” (Deuteronomy 4:9) TLB
Earlier this week I read an article in our local newspaper that really made my heart sad for two different reasons. It was about a young man that grew up in our city here in Canada who had a dual citizenship so decided he was going to enlist in the Marines in the US after 9/11 happened.
He never got in the Marines so ended up in the Army and of course in Iraq. He has been so traumatized by his tour in Iraq that he now has been diagnosed with PTSD. This is the first thing that makes me sad.
The second thing that really bothers me is that he grew up as a Christian even went to a Christian school and since experiencing all the horrifying things that he did, he has basically turned his back on organized religion. He says he is agnostic which I am sure his parents find very upsetting as they tried their best to teach him the ways of God. I totally understand that he is confused greatly and has been traumatized by what he endured in war, yet he doesn’t seem to understand that it was God who kept him alive for His purpose. I am praying for this young man that he will be able to receive the help that he needs spiritually and emotionally. It grieves my heart to see these young men and women suffering from all the trauma they dealt with in a war. My precious nephew who is in the Canadian military did two tours in Afghanistan and he is dealing with the after effects of all the trauma he went through as well as being blown up by IEDs. This man was taught as a little boy all about God as well. My dear mother made sure of that as she felt his parents weren’t doing the job, so he knows, yet he claims to be agnostic! What is it that goes on in these wars to make these men doubt God? I know with him, as well as the other young guy, they saw so much horror. Their buddies being blown up and of course things they don’t even talk about. He really questioned about God after his first tour as he could not understand why God would let this happen. Why does God get the blame for all the bad things that happen? God is good and only good comes from him. It is the evil of man that causes these wars and the devastation that comes with it.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)
God kept him alive when he was in the thick of gunfire and patrolling out in the wide open desert. All because I prayed and had other people praying for him as I am sure the parents of this other young man did as well. The interesting part about my nephew, is when he was doing his last tour to Afghanistan, he was the Sergeant in charge of his company of soldiers leading them into combat. Before he left, I was asking him the names of each and every troop he was leading and he sat down with me and gave me every name. He knew why I was asking, he knew I would be praying for them. I had prayed for him on his first tour and told him so. They all came back without any significant injuries so God was watching over him every step of the way. These dear young men do not seem to realize that it was God and only God that brought them through.
My prayer is that someone will come into their lives that can show them how much God loves them, that He has laid His hand upon them and hedged them behind and before. God’s word and truth is in there so I am asking the Holy Spirit to bring it to their remembrance. This should not be with these young people who were willing to lay down their lives for our freedom. To see them aimlessly wandering around their country with no job and no place to call home breaks my heart. God has not forgotten them, they are His creation but they have to ask or invite Him into our circumstances before He will be able to do anything for them. Unfortunately, they turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the pain. He is standing by just waiting as He loves these young people so much and hates to see them suffering like they are. Let us pray for our troops who have served and are still serving. They are a special group of people, very special and they deserve far better treatment than they receive.
“He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber. [I Sam. 2:9; Ps. 127:1; Prov. 3:23, 26; Isa. 27:3.] The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. [Isa. 25:4.] The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. [Ps. 91:5; Isa. 49:10; Rev. 7:16.] The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” [Deut. 28:6; Prov. 2:8; 3:6.] (Psalm 121:3, 5-8 AMP)
These verses became very important to me for my nephew. I prayed them over him every day as to me they were quite appropriate for men patrolling on foot in the desert where IEDs were everywhere!
How God Loves Us 