Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.

• Proverbs 18:10

“[Samuel] Adams was the brains behind the Sons of Liberty. He was an open rabble-rouser against British taxation, a member of the first Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and later the governor of Massachusetts. Throughout the War, the British had a price on his head, and he was often just a step away from the scaffold.
“His zeal came from his faith. Adams was a devoted follower of Christ who anchored his soul in God’s Word. While on the run, he wrote his wife, Betsy, saying, ‘I pray God to … protect you in these perilous times from every kind of evil. The name of the Lord, says the Scripture, is a strong tower, thither the righteous flee and are safe. Let us secure His favor, and He will lead us through the journey of this life and at length receive us to a better.’
“Samuel Adams truly believed Proverbs 18:10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower-a place of security and watchfulness, a place of refuge. Everything else may go wrong, but God’s name never loses its power or its protective care over His people. Though all else may crumble, the Lord Himself remains a beacon of personal safety and perpetual strength.
“As the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia and tried to reconvene in York in late September 1777, only about twenty members showed up-all of them bewildered men. As they spoke, their faces betrayed gloom and their words were grave and desolate. Sam spoke last, and his words may be the greatest pep talk of all time:

“Gentlemen, your spirits appear oppressed with the weight of the public calamities. Your sadness of countenance reveals your disquietude. A patriot may grieve at the distress of his country, but he will never despair.  If we wear long faces, long faces will become fashionable. The eyes of the people are upon us. The tone of their feelings is regulated by ours. If we despond, public confidence is destroyed, the people will no longer yield their support to a hopeless contest, and American liberty is no more. But we are not driven to such narrow straits.  We have appealed to Heaven for the justice of our cause, and in Heaven we have placed our trust. Numerous have been the manifestations of God’s providence in sustaining us. In the gloomy period of adversity, we have had our cloud by day and pillar of fire at night. We have been reduced to distress, and the arm of Omnipotence has raised us up. Let us still rely in humble confidence on Him who is mighty to save. Good tidings will soon arrive. We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid and protection.”

• Robert J. Morgan, 100 Bible Verses That Made America

In my recent trip to visit the grandchildren, the oldest of them went with me to Nashville, to sell used books and games.  One of the books that I purchased in return was 100 Bible Verses That Made America by Robert J. Morgan.  As we approach the 250^th anniversary of the birth of the USA, I thought I would do a condensed mini-series on some of these verses, four posts per week for a few weeks – maybe not all 100 verses.

This speech was given at Valley Forge after the defeat at Brandywine.  The soldiers were already horribly outnumbered.  And Brandywine had taken more than a tenth of the Continental Army, between dead, wounded, and captured.  What was left was a ragtag group of people with nothing left to fight with.  Their last gunpowder was rain-soaked.  They were disheartened.  John Adams called the morale to be at its worst, but his cousin, Samuel, never thought the worst.  Samuel Adams was a great encourager.

In football, they talk about momentum.  The sportscasters talk too much about momentum, trying to invent drama so that you will not change the channel.  But in baseball …

“Momentum? Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.”

• Earl Weaver, while manager of the Baltimore Orioles

Morale, in a certain sense, is a lot like momentum in a sporting event.  If you can convince yourself that the tide is turning, then you will start playing with more energy.  If you play with more energy, it will affect those with you.  And you will do things that you never felt could be done.

But, take that to the spiritual realm, and your attitude changes while God provides strength that you would not otherwise have.

George Washington still had poorly trained soldiers.  He had no viable supply lines to restock his army with ammunition and food.  But the bewildered men rallied behind Samuel Adams words of encouragement.  They would have faith in God to deliver them.  They obviously did not see the supplies coming down the road.  And the winter ahead of them would take more men than they lost at Brandywine, over twice as many.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.