DAILY DEVOTIONAL – August 27, 2020
“The Clear Victor”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have won the battle we could never win. In the death and resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You have proven to be and we declare You alone to be the victor over our own sin against You, and the death our sin deserves. Thank You Lord for your powerful love and grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:56-58
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Devotion – “The Clear Victor”
One of the great military battles of all time was the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium, in 1815. The British forces were led by the Duke of Wellington and the French forces by Napoleon.
In 1815, “communication” on the battlefield was a very relative term. There were no electronic communication devices then – not even a telegraph. Word was sent from the seaport on the English Channel to London by way of signalmen stationed in towers located at regular intervals along the English coast.
On Sunday, June 18, 1815, that dreaded day finally came when Napoleon attacked. The fighting went on for months. When the dust finally settled and the war was over, news of who the victory belonged to had to reach back home to London. The first signalmen signaled the following tower and spelled out, one letter at a time: “W.E.L.L.I.N.G.T.O.N.D.E.F.E.A.T.E.D.” This message was sent along the line until it reached England. However, just as the last signalman had signaled the last “D” in the word “defeated”, a dense fog rolled in, making it impossible to see any additional signals that might have been sent.
Londoners were left in shock and dismay by the news. They had been defeated by the great Napoleon. They were filled with despair, and hopelessness. It was only a matter of time before they were occupied and maybe enslaved.
Among other consequences, a disastrous financial panic swept the British Board of Trade. But, all the panic proved completely unnecessary. The next day the fog in London lifted, and the last part of the full message came through. The message now read, “W.E.L.L.I. N.G.T.O.N.D.E.F.E.A.T.E.D.T.H.E.E.N.E.M.Y.” In that instant, the despair, depression and hopelessness that fell upon Londoners immediately gave way to celebration, laughter and hope!
There are no doubt those times in life where it seems the fog of war blinds us from seeing the hope of the Good News that we have received, but that doesn’t change the outcome of the war; Christ has defeated the enemy! Sin, death, the devil, are no more for all who put their faith in Christ’s death and resurrection from the dead. Every conceivable bad thing you’ve ever done or even imagined has been defeated by God’s love, through Christ, when He died on the cross.
In His loving grace and mercy, God has used His faithful people through all generations to write down and record the Good News of God’s work of salvation in Christ, so that at any time, especially in times of what may seem like great defeat and loss, we would be reminded and strengthened in the absolute truth of the hope that we have in the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Our only hope of cutting through the fog of life, is to open His Word and believe.
Thanks for joining me again for another daily devotional in God’s Word, and remember, that God has forgiven yesterday, is with you today, and has already taken care of tomorrow. Amen.
