For the past few devotionals we have been reflecting on God’s providence. That’s his invisible hand, working in the lives of his people even when they can’t see it.

Let’s continue with that encouraging theme.

In World War One a troupe was engaged in trench warfare. A lieutenant told his men to sneak across a field to attack the enemy. They set out to do so.

All of a sudden, shots rang out. Bullets rained down. Retreat! They got back to their trench as quickly as possible.

Everyone was accounted for, except for one man. A silence descended. The gunfire had stopped. All they could hear was one man’s pain-filled moaning. He had been hit and was lying wounded on the battlefield. 

A member of the troupe, George, begged his lieutenant to let him go back for his friend. He was refused over and over again. “I’ve lost him. I don’t want to lose you too.” 

George persisted. “Okay!” the lieutenant finally replied. “If you want to get yourself killed, go ahead! I’m tired of listening to your whining. Go out and get yourself killed, if that’s what you want to do.”

The young soldier snuck out onto the battlefield. He crawled through the mud. George finally got to his friend. Muddy inch by muddy inch, George dragged his friend back to safety. 

What did the wounded soldier say? “George, I knew you’d come!”*

Do you want to know why? Because that’s what friends do.

Oh, by the way, do you want to know what Jesus calls his disciples in John 15? Friends.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (verses 15-16). 

When you are in the messy battles of life, and when you feel down and discouraged, and when you feel on the verge of defeat, God comes for you. In fact, he never left. Why? Because ours is a warrior God of friendship and courage. Ours is a God of the trenches.

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Notes:

–Pause Alert. After today (March 8th) The Up Devotional will go on pause for two weeks. I’ll be on vacation for week 1 and then on study leave for week 2. It returns on March 25th during Holy Week. You can find back issues at TheUpDevo.com, or listen to episodes as a podcast wherever you subscribe. You can also buy the most recent book of devotionals called ‘Turbulence’ here.

—*Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You A Story (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000), 17-18.

—Bible quotes are from the NIV.