Psalm 31:14-15 “But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them the persecute me.”
Psalm 107:19-20 “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
This past week marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day – the aerial and amphibious invasion of mainland Europe by allied forces during World War II. It was a perilous operation designed to create the foothold for forces that would eventually end the war on the European continent.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the difficult decision to launch this massive operation on the evening of June 5th, 1944. It would start the following morning. Once he made that fateful decision, Eisenhower did two noteworthy things as he waited.
First, he drafted an official message that brilliantly models the personal accountability and responsibility of a leader. Fortunately, it was never sent because it was only prepared in the case of failure:
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
Second, as General Eisenhower waited for news from the front lines, he wallowed in the weightiness of his occupation and the helplessness of his situation. He recorded this powerful thought in his journal: “there was nothing we could do but pray, desperately.”
In the midst of our present turmoil, Christians in this land must do the same as we consider the weightiness of our occupation and the helplessness of our situation. We must pray, not just lackadaisically or casually, but desperately.
PLEASE PRAY DESPERATELY FOR OUR NATION. We cannot expect to win without doing so.
