Crossing the Delaware

So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."

-- Genesis 22:14

Now that much of the nation has experienced some of the most frigid temperatures in recent history, it's only appropriate that we look back at some of the coldest--and bleakest--days of American history.

Let's turn back the clock to December 1777. General George Washington's exhausted Continental Army had set up its winter camp in Valley Forge, PA, after a year of battling the British. The situation was grim for the 12,000-man rag-tag force. What's more, Washington was also under attack by members of Congress, who disliked his strategic choices and lack of success on the battlefield. Some were even advocating his removal as head of the American army.

With food, clothing and ammunition in extremely short supply, Washington wrote, "...that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place...this Army must inevitably...starve, dissolve, or disperse..."

And a great change would indeed take place. According to the eyewitness testimony of a Valley Forge resident, Washington was alone and on his knees in prayer in the woods. The tired general called aloud for God's help--and not just for his army's dire plight--but also for all of humanity and the world. The witness recalled that he was astonished at the power and earnestness of Washington's prayer. "We never thought a man could be a soldier and a Christian," he said. "But if there is one in the world, it is Washington."

The rest, as they say, is history. In the darkness of Christmas night, Washington and his army crossed the ice-choked Delaware River to attack and defeat the Hessian mercenary force hired by the British. The news of America's surprise victory spread quickly and reinvigorated its fading war effort.

The eyes of our fledgling nation were on George Washington. And it was in the most difficult of circumstances that the general sought God for help. But what about Christ-followers today? When we face seemingly insurmountable odds, do we seek worldly solutions? Or do we trust that God's way is ultimately the right way--regardless of the price?

Rather than the British, it's likely that our 21st century adversaries are unbelieving co-workers, neighbors or even family members. Your supervisor might want you to shade some sales figures so the department will look good to the rest of the company. Or your spouse might tell you to fudge the tax returns for a bigger refund. After all, who would ever know the difference?

When the spotlight is on us, we need to expect opposition. And that's when we need to ask God for the power to trust him and resist the temptation to compromise on what we know is right.

Doing things God's way can be costly--and particularly uncomfortable--when it seems like the world is watching. But such situations can actually be opportunities for demonstrating that our faith is much more than mere words. It's this kind of faith-in-action that honors God. And when we seek to honor him, he will seek to honor us.