In His Name Devotionals
THE GREATEST SOLDIER OF ALL!
In His Name Devotionals
THE GREATEST SOLDIER OF ALL!
When a television reporter recently asked a Fort Campbell, Kentucky soldier how he felt about being deployed to the Middle East, he answered, "I'm afraid…but this is what I signed on for and I'm ready to go."
One has to be impressed by this man's bravery and his willingness to die if necessary so we can enjoy liberty and freedom. Our hearts swell with an uneasy sense of gratitude for this man and the thousands of other members of the armed forces who are willing to risk so much for people they don't even know. Over the generations we have come to realize that freedom isn't really free because so many have spilled their blood on battlefields in order to preserve our way of life. In America, we have enjoyed more than 200 years of freedom because of the sacrifices made by our forefathers.
There is a parallel that can be drawn between this Fort Campbell soldier and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord feared the events ahead, but He also knew what He had signed on for when He emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7-8) of His divinity and came to this earth to live among men. Jesus prayed to the Heavenly Father (Matthew 26:39) that it would not be necessary for Him to die on the cross, but He submitted His will to the Father's will in order that eternal liberty and freedom could be offered to all who shall ever walk upon the earth.
While the sacrifice of the Fort Campbell soldier is admirable, the freedom he offers to us pales in comparison with the freedom offered by Jesus Christ. The average adult may be able to enjoy freedom for another 30 or so years because of the bravery of our soldiers, but Jesus offers a freedom that will last for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and thousands and thousands and thousands and millions and millions and millions and billions and billions and billions and trillions and trillions and trillions of years; and then eternity is just beginning. How marvelous it will be to enjoy freedom forever in the presence of God in His Heavenly Kingdom! Is that awesome or what?
