"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
It was World War I and the British lieutenant was leading his
soldiers back to the front.
His men had seen considerable action
in the trenches and all of them had lost friends and close comrades.
They had been given a two-week furlough, but the time of rest and
relaxation was over, and their orders said they must return to the
conflict.
The soldiers' shoulders sagged because they knew ahead
of them lay mud, blood and possible death.
Nobody talked. Nobody
sang. It was a heavy time upon their hearts, made heavier by a dark sky
and a steady, cold drizzle. As they marched, they passed the remnants of
a church. The lieutenant's eyes were drawn inward. Although the walls of
the church had been blasted by cannon and small-arms fire, the altar of
the church was still intact.
And above the altar, miraculously
having escaped damage was a statue of the risen Christ.
The
lieutenant, a Christian, remembered His Redeemer who had suffered, died
and victoriously conquered death with His third-day resurrection. He
recalled how the knowledge and faith in the living Lord had given him
forgiveness and eternal life. He knew, no matter what else happened to
him, because of Jesus, he would also be victorious.
Although the
lieutenant was not prepared to preach a sermon to his marching men, he
did what he could. With faith in his heart, he barked out the order:
"Eyes right!"
Every head turned to the right. As the soldiers
marched by, they also saw the cross and the representation of the risen
Redeemer. Many of those boys also drew comfort from those church symbols
which had, almost miraculously, survived the conflict which had raged
around them.
The soldiers took courage and with straightened
shoulders they continued their march, but now with strength in their
steps and a smile on their faces.
This morning, as I write this
devotion, I don't know what battles and conflicts you are facing in your
life. If, by God's grace, there are none, then I rejoice with you. I
pray that the Lord continues to smile upon you.
On the other
hand, if you are struggling, then I -- like that lieutenant -- encourage
you to lift up your downcast eyes and see your Savior. He has
successfully completed His divine mission of grace, which was designed
to forgive our sins and save our souls.
Because of that, we, like
St. Paul and hundreds of millions of other Christians, can rest secure
in the knowledge that "in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
THE
PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may cast all my cares and concerns upon
the Christ. Then, having done so, may I be given that peace which passes
all human understanding. This I pray in the Savior's Name. Amen.