[ampaterry]

He is opting to spend more time with his family right now -

Today is another special day - Armed Forces Day! This is a day on which we should especially think about, thank and pray for all the members of our armed forces. American History teaches us about all the freedoms that were put into place for the citizens of this nation of ours. The constitution is the law of our land, and guarantees those freedoms.

But if you look at it objectively, the constitution is words written on paper, and has no power to guarantee anything to anyone. High sounding words, true, but just words. No proclamation of any kind has the power to guarantee anything without some force to back it up.

The deed to your home and the title to your car are both meaningless without the Judiciary system to certify your ownership of both against those that would claim they are really theirs.

But even the certification of the Judiciary means nothing without some force of arms to ensure that this certification is honored. Domestically, this force of arms consists of the various police agencies. Protection of your ownership from those outside of our nation is the purview of the Armed Forces. Every single freedom which we enjoy is only there because of the past and present work of men and women willing to leave their daily lives behind, take up arms, and fight those that would take our freedoms from us. Everything we own, everything we do, everything we love would be at risk without these fine young people standing between us and the forces of evil that run rampant around the world.

Does that mean that you and I, all those that are civilians, can kick back, throw up our feet, and let God handle all those troubles by using the tools of our armed forces?

No.

We have our own duty to perform:
Deuteronomy 23:9 (KJV);
When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

The armies alone cannot secure our blessings; each one of us is required to strive for righteousness within themselves, for only then will God continue to bless us as he has done thus far.