"Father, Into Your Hands…"

Because of the war on terrorism, brought on by the horrible events of September 11, you've been called to put your life on the line. You've been asked to leave home and family, school or career, and risk yourself for your country. It's a tense and lonely time, not knowing what the future will bring, not being sure of how this struggle will end. Where can you turn for strength and encouragement?

That's why those words, "Father, into your hands…", are so important for a time like this. If those words have a familiar ring, it's because they are the very words spoken by God's Son, Jesus as He hung dying on the cross. What an act of faith! He was called upon to put His life on the line, for you, and me, and every sinful person on earth. Jesus would die, so that you and I could have God's peace, and forgiveness, His love and acceptance, and finally eternal life in His presence. At the lonely moment of His death, Jesus, believing that His Father was in control of all things, cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Luke 23:46)

You are defending America, a country that has been more blessed by God than any other country on earth. Blessed, not just with all the wealth and materials things we have, but blessed with values that we all hold dear: human dignity, justice, the freedom to worship God as we please, the right to live in peace and security. You care about those values, and are willing to stand up and fight for them, not just with words, but by actually risking your own life.

But it's a little bit different now. The war on terrorism is real, and home is far away, and sometimes you feel that you are all alone with your fears and anxieties. Somehow the letters and phone calls from home can't put all those fears to rest.

Your Father is in command of all things. He knows what you're sacrificing to serve your country. He knows what it's like to have such a shaky and unsure future. In the person of His Son, He's been at the lonely moment where you stand now, away from family and friends. That's why He stands right beside you as you serve. In this difficult time, as in all other times, He offers you His love, His forgiveness, His acceptance, His peace. He reminds you of His promise that you will live forever in His Kingdom.

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit"-a tremendous way to begin each day, to begin each tour of duty, to begin each struggle in the war on terrorism.

Your Father invites you to make that same leap of faith that your Lord Jesus Christ made. Just as Jesus trusted His Father to rescue Him from the cross, so you can trust your Father to be with you during these tense and frightening times, to go with you wherever you are called to serve, and to watch over you as you put your life on the line for your country.