The Word of John

From Pastor Tim’s article in the 4/5/16 Weekly Update

George was facing one of the most important decisions of his life and, as is typical when facing a crisis of that sort, he didn’t know what to do. Making the right choice would not only determine his future but would impact countless other lives. The gravity of the situation was not lost on him. He agonized over the decision and weighed the risk versus reward factor. What to do?

Enter John. John worked for George and actually knew quite a bit about the very situation that George was losing sleep over. John was the son of a farmer and had never been to college, yet George asked John to do some research for him and John threw himself into it with great zeal. He gathered information, asked questions and took some mental snapshots that filled him with confidence that he could inform George of what he should do.

So when George met with him just days before his deadline, the information that came to him from John was that he should definitely take a chance and be aggressive. The option of waiting or seeking another pathway to success should be abandoned and the risky, clever and far more challenging option should be embraced.

One thing should be clear; George had no first-hand information about what was ahead of him. He would be operating completely on the word of John, his employee

That is exactly what George did. He made the choice and rallied his supporters around him to attempt one of the most difficult tasks he would ever accomplish. On the word of John, on Christmas Eve in the year 1776, General George Washington led his 2,400 men across the Delaware River in a series of late night crossings. After crossing the frigid water on a blustery, cold night he marched them 8 miles into the town of Trenton, New Jersey where they surprised an army of Hessian soldiers. These soldiers had been led to believe that a demoralized Continental Army was in no condition to attack.

More than a thousand prisoners were captured while just three of George’s men were killed. The attack gave courage to a beleaguered army and proved to be a turning point in the American Revolution.

None of it would have been possible had George Washington not trusted the word of a man named John Honeyman. His faith in a man, when he himself could not see, proved to be decisive.

For the Christian, the experience of trusting the word of a man is central to our faith. When we cannot see the future and don’t know what to do, one man calls us to trust Him and align our actions with His clear and decisive call. His name is Jesus, and our victory hinges on whether or not we will believe Him when he asks us to heed His counsel.

What river lies before you today? What battle are you facing that may very well decide your future? Trust the word of God today and you too will know the glory of victory.