Battlefields and Blessings

A good friend of mine wrote a book entitled Battlefields and Blessings. This is a daily devotional book with stories of Faith and Courage from people who lived and died during the Civil War. I haven't kept up on a day to day basis but every once in a while I get the signed book down and look at it. Today I just happened to read January 18th. Now I know I'm way behind but I've got so many devotional books and right now I'm sticking to "My utmost for His Highest" but I still love to read about the Civil War. I wanted to share this day with you.

THE WAR IS OVER
Confederate Soldier Walter Sullivan wrote:
Desertion from the ranks was a major problem for both sides during the war. Fear was only one of the factors that led me to desert. The miserable daily life of the soldier---the lack of food, clothing, shoes, (particularly in the South)---led men to desert the army. The call from the home front might be too great to resist....many mothers and wives wrote letters encouraging their men to desert and come home to feed and to protect them. Many soldiers answered the call....Two confederate deseters had been caught in Floyd County and placed before a firing squad. As the order to "fire" was about to be given, a rider approached. He bore the message, "The War is over! The war is over!"
The two deserters believed their lives had been spared, but the Confederate officer did not believe the news and gave the command, "fire". The two deserters died, but for nothing; the war was over indeed.

The word "finished" is telos in the Greek meaning "to bring to a sense of completion or end." A war has been waged from eternity past between the forces of heaven and of hell. satan's foremost plan was to keep Jesus from implementing God's eternal plan. If Satan could erect some type of roadblock, then he would be thwarting the way of salvation for lost people. But when Jesus was dying, his last words were not of gloom and defeat, but words of victory. He won the battle on the cross and sealed it with his resurrection. Unlike the two Confederate soldiers, Jesus death was not in vain. Therefore, we have no cause to fear death---we can welcome it as a friend.
In John 19:30 Whe n He had received the drink, Jesus said, "it is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up the spirit.

It no doubt was a hard time during the Civil War. Many men lost their lives through battle, through starvation, through cold and freezing weather and I'm certain that many wanted to depart the ranks and go home, "desert". What about the soldiers of Christ today, many are also departing the ranks and deserting. Jesus says that when this happens, we can know that His return is soon. Praise God today for the words,that Jesus spoke on the cross, "It is finished". We can stand firm and know that the war has already been won.