Holy God, who defeated death by Jesus' work on the cross, we come to You today as the Victor of the war against sin and Satan. We come to You as the Greatest Warrior of all time, who set Your face for the work before You, humbled Yourself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. You are exalted to the highest place and are given the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So we confess today that Jesus is Lord. We praise You and glorify Your Name. We kneel to You who saved us when we were hopeless and helpless. We thank You for every day that You do not abandon us and continue to meet our needs in this fallen world. We thank You for how You continue to fight with us the spiritual battles still before us. Commander of Angel Armies, we pledge our service to You.
And, Lord of all life, we thank You for a day to remember our honorable dead, a day to remember that You still desire Your people to fight for the widow and the orphan, those who cannot fight for themselves, those who bring evil to Your children, those who do not bend their knee in service to You. We thank You for those who sacrifice for the cause of Christ, for the love of country and family and Lord. We thank You for those who lived Your peace on the battlefield before their companions and enemies. We thank You for those who sacrificed their lives for the lives of their brothers and friends. You are the only God who gives courage and hope and life.
We thank You for the opportunity to be still and remember that honorable living is not easy, not for the lazy or complacent, not for the man who desires comfort and pleasure. And we thank You for each one You have raised up to sacrifice in joy and humility and grace. None of us can live a consistent life of honor without You, the God who pours out abundant grace in our moment of need. Thank You for going to battle with Your soldiers. Thank You for being a Commander who leads and follows and surrounds. Thank You that being in the center of Your will is the safest place to be. May we understand as Your son, Jim Elliot, professed, "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
Praise to the Name of Jesus Christ who has won everything we need now and forevermore. Amen.
