In the autumn of 1777, George Washington’s forces suffered two major defeats against the British. In one of those battles, Philadelphia fell to British forces.
So, Washington had moved his beleaguered troops to an encampment near Philadelphia, hoping to block any further British advance. But he knew that his Continental Army, worn and ragged, was not ready for another fight, and would not be any time soon.
And as if that were not bad enough, Washington suffered another blow. But this time it was friendly fire.
The Duche letter
While Washington was considering his options, he received a 14-page letter from an old friend, Jacob Duche. Duche was the first chaplain of the Continental Congress, and he had famously prayed for the Congress in 1774. He and Washington shared a friendship grounded in their common faith and in the cause of liberty.
But Duche, under pressure from Loyalists, had recently earned his release from jail by recanting his commitment to the American cause. Then, in an effort to appease the British, Duche tried to enlist Washington to join his treason.
In his letter, Duche declared that the cause of liberty was lost. He encouraged his friend to publicly renounce the Declaration of Independence and end the war.
Washington’s response
When Washington read the letter, he was furious. Duche’s treason was bad enough. Now he was betraying Washington as well as the cause of liberty.
But far from caving to the pressure to quit, the letter hardened Washington’s resolve.
Dismayed by both the timing and the audacity of his friend’s call for his defection, Washington forwarded the letter to the Continental Congress with pertinent and terse remarks of what he thought of his old friend’s betrayal.
On that chilly autumn day, Duche’s letter had the opposite effect than what he intended. Now, more than ever, Washington was committed to the greater cause of liberty.
What bolstered his confidence? Why was he so resolved to stay the course? He was convinced that God was on his side.
Trust in God
In an ironic twist, Washington expressed greater faith in God than the Chaplain of the Continental Congress.
Washington frequently faced setbacks and discouragement, but his resolve never wavered. In fact, his ability to calmly and confidently conduct himself and lead the army were traits that characterized him throughout the war.
And those traits were grounded in his unwavering faith.
According to historian Rod Gragg, even when facing defeat, Washington repeated the source of his confidence and resolve. He believed that “The Almighty Ruler of the Universe,” would “intervene” in their higher cause. God, Washington knew, would bring to their cause “signal instances of Divine Goodness.”
God was working
Even Washington himself did not know how right he was.
At the same time that his weary army camped outside of Philadelphia, and nearly at the moment that he was reading Duche’s letter, on the other side of the world King Louis the 16th of France was committing French forces to the American Revolution.
And then, remarkably, just two days after Washington rejected Duche’s call to treason, an entire British command surrendered to the American General Gates at Saratoga. Even to this day, historians are baffled by that unprecedented surrender.
But Washington knew. God had intervened.
The secret is no secret at all
Discouragement haunts us most when we are battle-weary. It’s easy to be disheartened and to second-guess your decisions when nothing seems to go right.
And when your struggles overwhelm you, petty people take advantage to sow discouragement and doubt. The future can seem clouded by a foggy hopelessness. How can you stay focused, calm, and resolved, no matter how bleak things appear?
It’s no secret. The difference between quitting great causes and staying the course is being in God’s will. It’s the firm belief that you are doing what you have been called to do, and God will come through for you.
In the Bible
This same kind of resolve and confidence is threaded through the Bible. Person after person, convinced that they serve the cause of Christ, stands firm. Rather than listen to petty people, rather than let discouragement overwhelm them, they stay the course and often get to see God’s hand at work.
Consider Moses, Esther, and Gideon. All were called to a greater work and rose to the occasion, even in the face of personal loss.
Nehemiah refused to stop God’s work and come down from the wall when petty people coaxed him to defect (Neh. 6:3). Caleb and Joshua refused to join the crowd of naysayers when they faced giants in the land (Num. 13:30). Paul stayed true to God’s course for him no matter the consequences (Phil. 4:13-14).
And Jesus embraced the Father’s plan for our salvation, standing firm and paying the necessary price to see God’s greatest purpose to fulfillment (John 5:20, 19:30).
Resolve to see it through
Maybe you are a weary parent. Maybe you are a Christian pressured to compromise your convictions. Maybe your friends abandoned you because you chose to follow Christ.
Or maybe you’re just battle-weary from the struggles of the day.
When you are in the right, stand firm. Endure for the greater cause of Christ. Remember that God is unstoppable. If you are in His will, don’t quit. Don’t defect or take the easier path. And don’t listen to petty people.
Hold fast. Stay the course. You never know. God may be about to do something great. Don’t miss it (Eph. 3:20-21, Heb. 11:1)!
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Cor. 15:58
*First written for my church family at FBCS.
Your Blog is so encouraging Bob
Thanks JD!