A Closer Walk
"Do not try to make circumstances fit your plans. Make plans that fit the circumstances,” General George S. Patton. In the motion picture about the general which takes place during World War II, entitled simply, “Patton,” the general once asked the chaplain to write a prayer for the general to pray that the Almighty would clear up the weather so that the Army Air Corps could provide air support for the soldiers on the ground. The chaplain was in disbelief that the general would want a prayer asking for the ability to kill his fellow man. The general realized that his soldiers, and others on the ground were being decimated by the German army. Air cover could help alleviate that.
The weather is the weather. In this particular scene from the movie the skies were cloudy and overcast, and in those days, if a pilot couldn't see where he was going, he couldn't fly. So General Patton was utilizing the quote above, making plans that fit the circumstances. His army needed relief. At that point in time in that situation the relief could only come from the air. He needed the Lord's help to provide relief for his troops. From an interested bystanders's point of view, the general was doing everything he could do to help his army, including enlisting the aid of Almighty God.
Are there times and situations where we can't “go it alone” so to speak? Absolutely! Here is another quote from General Patton. “Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. Pray for the defeat of our wicked enemy whose banner is injustice and whose good is oppression. Pray for victory. Pray for our Army, and Pray for Peace. We must march together, all out for God.” The message? Pray everywhere all the time. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB. Pray without ceasing.
Three things we learn from this verse. 1. Rejoice always. These two words exhort us to rejoice every day, all the time. In all situations. In all circumstances. Cloudy or sunny. Rainy or blue sky. By the way, what do we call a place where the sun shines every day, day after day after day? A desert. A place where very few things grow, and only the very strongest things survive. The storms of life nourish us and help us to grow in our walk with God. 2. Pray without ceasing. Refer to the quote from General Patton in the above paragraph. 3. In everything give thanks. In EVERYTHING give thanks. Why? Why would we even want to give thanks in the trials and testings? “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him,” Nahum 1:7 NASB.
Why would we want to give thanks in everything? Because the Lord is good. And further: “But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father, We are the clay, and Thou our potter; And all of us are the work of Thy hand,” Isaiah 64:8 NASB. Trials and testings testify to us that our loving Heavenly Father has not given up on us. And since He is good and loving He desires us to be closer to Him today than we were yesterday. He desires that we grow, and grow in our faith. And that we would grow in trusting Him more each day. He desires that we be more like Christ today than we were yesterday. In addition, the trials and testings testify to us that God is not done with us. That He is still working on us, and with us. So that He can then work through us.
He molds us and shapes us into the vessel He determines we should be. And that vessel will be useful to Him. “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work,” 2 Timothy 2:20-21 NASB.
So as best we can we should, according to General Patton, make our plans fit our circumstances. And not the other way around. And we should pray every day, all the time. For everything. And every circumstance. And we would do well to remember what the Old Testament prophet Nahum said above. “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go. Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King; This thro' countless ages men and angels sing. [Refrain]Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!” Words by Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924, tune St. Gertrude composed by Arthur S. Sullivan, 1842-1900, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, specifically for this text.