Be Strong and Courageous

Lieutenant General Bruce L. Fister, USAF (Ret.) Executive Director, Officers' Christian Fellowship

America has been through a trying time this past month and a half as a result of the terrorist attack against our nation. September 11, 2001 was a watershed event in all of our lives. We have been grieving and calling out to the Lord. This attack was personal and strikes at the heart of every family in our military.

Because the attack against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was one of the most devastating attacks against Americans at home since the Civil War, we should take stock of where we are and how we should respond.

This attack was not the first American tragedy of this magnitude. As a single day event, it was horrendous and shocking. But the Civil War, the San Francisco earthquake, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam conflict, and Hurricane Andrew are just a few examples of tragedies that extracted a great cumulative toll on our nation. Yet, as a nation, we responded and grew stronger.

In spite of many things we see in our country that grieve our hearts, I believe the foundation of our nation is set upon the Rock in many respects. In terms of values and spiritual strength, a key component of our foundation is our military, and the core of our military is Christian officers and the many Christian Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coastguardsmen and their families that serve.

Our national leadership is strong. President Bush's speech to the joint session of Congress on September 20th is but one example. Our Commander-in-Chief's determination and resolve to seek justice in this situation are biblical and undeniable and are based upon his faith in our Lord. In fact, he reminded me of President Lincoln during the American Civil War when Lincoln explained his faith before Gettysburg, a pivotal battle in that conflict:

"In the pinch of your campaign up there. . . oppressed by the gravity of our affairs, I went to my room one day and locked the door and got down on my knees before almighty God and prayed to Him mightily for victory at Gettysburg. I told Him that this war was His, and our cause His cause, but we could not stand another Fredricksburg or Chancellorsville. Then and there I made a solemn vow to almighty God that if He would stand by our boys at Gettysburg, I would stand by Him. And after that, I don't know how it was, and I cannot explain it, soon a sweet comfort crept into my soul. The feeling came that God had taken the whole business into His own hands, and that things would go right at Gettysburg, and that is why I had no fears about you."1

This war on terrorism is not the same as Gettysburg, but it is of the same severity to our nation. I also suspect that our President has been on his knees before almighty God and that is why he has such determination and confidence and why he has no fear "about you."

We are the "you" in this war on terrorism; military personnel and their families, both active duty and retired. We should be confident as we come before God on our knees, that He will enable us to do what is asked of us during this struggle. Before Joshua was about to cross the Jordan and conduct the campaign for the Promised Land, God said to him: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deut. 31:6).

This battle against terrorism is ultimately a spiritual battle. Whether you are deploying into combat for the first time, acting in a support role at your home installation, caring for families who are left behind, or are conducting a mighty prayer campaign for His will and favor upon our nation, we can be confident that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will never leave us nor forsake us. The battle is His and for His glory. Be encouraged, be strong, be courageous, for "He will never leave you nor forsake you" and His will and purposes will prevail.

John Wesley Hill, Abraham Lincoln - Man of God