Just a few minutes ago, President Bush signed into a law the bill that officially makes the Mount Soledad National War Memorial property of the federal government!

From the efforts nearly two years ago to make Soledad a national war memorial: from the provision in the federal budget; to the petition to direct the San Diego City Council to rescind their refusal to donate the property to the federal government; to the campaign for Proposition A that succeeded despite the last-minute “rule adjustment” by Judge Pat Cowett; to the efforts and energies to file the appeals in both the federal and state courts concerning the decisions of Judges Cowett and Thompson that involved—once again—a City Council vote; to the actions of action groups urging the White House to exercise eminent domain; to the stay granted by United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy; to the actions in drawing up and passing legislation—all of this effort has culminated in a single signature by a single leader in a beautiful White House.

But I want to take the occasion of this message to tell you where the Mount Soledad National War Memorial was really preserved.

Proverbs 21:1 says that even a king’s heart is a water channel in God’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses. God in His Sovereignty worked in and through the elected leaders, the attorneys involved, the passionate citizenry, and yes, the judges and justices who have ruled to bring about the result in which we bask today. Despite the fanatical efforts by a few to chase God out of the public sector while curiously denying His existence at the same time, God continues to use their energies and efforts to accomplish His will and purpose.

So while we express our gratitude to the tremendous leadership provided by people such as Phil Thalheimer, Charles LiMandri, Teresa Mendoza, T.J. Zane, Anne Subia, Roger Hedgecock, Mark Larson, and Rick Roberts as well as Congressmen Duncan Hunter, Darrell Issa, Brian Bilbray, Mayor Jerry Sanders, and yes, even Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, we need to remember Who it is that has always been in control throughout this tremendous effort.

However, this does not mean that we rest on our prayer “laurels.” This issue is still far from being resolved.

James McElroy has hinted that he will be filing suit in federal court to overturn this new action of Congress. While there are a lot of things working against him now (in that now his opposition is the United States Department of Justice), we must do our part to continue this battle on our knees. We must continue to make the Soledad issue a matter that we take to the Lord in our personal devotion times We must continue to keep this issue before our churches as a matter to pray over. 

The Lord has indeed answered our prayers in a magnificent way today. Let Him find us faithful holding the ropes of prayer!