Frequently in churches in the American South you will hear a prayer for our troops.  I have a tendency to cringe at the statement.  After all God “deposes kings and raises them up.” (Daniel 2:21).  It may sound patriotic to pray for our troops, but ultimately God chooses to have troops fail or succeed as in the book of Joshua.

So does God have particular interest in American troops keeping oil fields safe or to promote democracy among those under dictatorships?  I hardly doubt it.  It is God, not the troops that ultimately protect our freedoms.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am very thankful for the troops’ service.  However I don’t want to involve religion with the military, at least in worship services.  The troops’ mission may or may not be in God’s plan….and God will have the troops succeed or fail.

We must keep in mind that the morality of our American government and its foreign policy is virtually independent of our ultimate goal: an eternal home in heaven.  Our leaders’ choices may make it more or less difficult for Christians, but those with enough faith to finish the race will succeed with or without our government’s help.