Ninety-nine years ago, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in a forest in France, Germany surrendered to the Allied nations to end the most horrific war to that point in human history. They called it the Great War—the War to End All Wars. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Two decades later, World War II was upon us.
Across the British Commonwealth, and in the United States, people still pause and pray to honor the sacrifices of so many who gave their lives defending their homes, their people.
In the Commonwealth, it’s called Remembrance Day. In the U.S., it was Armistice Day, later renamed Veterans Day to include all those who have served in the defense of liberty. But no matter where we are, we honor their bravery, their sense of duty, and their willingness to pay the price for our freedoms.
As believers, we pray for the kind of peace mentioned in Isaiah 2:4—“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshare, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
But we know that kind of peace will not come until our Savior returns. For as Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 25: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Until Christ’s return, let us honor and remember those who defend and protect us. We pray that God keeps them well and safe. And we await the day when His peace reigns.
