In all our wars there have been military people in this nation who have looked to God for help. One of my father's close friends was a fighter pilot who got shot down during World War II. He was captured and incarcerated for almost 22 months in a prison camp.

One day he looked outside and the sky was covered with B-24s and B-17s. The prisoners were shouting with joy to realize they would be rescued, but then it dawned on them that they might get killed in the crossfire.

Our friend dove under a bed along with two other fellows—one Jewish, the other Catholic. During the time he was a POW, he diligently confessed Psalm 91, and that's what started coming out of his mouth:

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.... A thousand shall fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come nigh me!"

The Jewish boy jumped right in, then the Catholic boy said, "God, I don't know it all by heart, but amen, amen, amen!"

The prison camp was leveled. The hospital was leveled. There was nothing left but about $4 worth of rubble—and one little bed with three fellows under it who were trusting God.

That is what Psalm 91 will do in combat!

You may not often hear about it, but we still have military officers who put their trust in God and look to Him for help.

A friend of mine led an outfit in Vietnam. The group before them was hit hard.

So when he took his men in there he told them, "Now boys, all of you know that Jesus of Nazareth is my Lord and Savior. I'm not telling you that you have to make Him your Lord, but there is one thing you have to do to stay in this outfit. You have to memorize the 91st Psalm."

And he checked to make sure they were on the spot every morning—verse 3, verse 4, verse 5.

His outfit was on the line longer than any other of its kind—with zero casualties.

Zero.

The men in his outfit learned to rely on Psalm 91 and whenever anything happened, somebody would yell, "91st Psalm, verse 5!" Everyone in the outfit would holler it just as loud as they could. I'm telling you, God's Word was on the line!

The men and women who defend this country are just as important as any of its leaders. As our leaders and troops continue to look to God for their help and trust in His deliverance, He will continue to be their refuge and fortress.

Truly, they will dwell under the shadow of the Almighty!


Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka:  Kenneth Copeland Ministries