The Bible is full of stories. I especially like the ones that cover a pivotal event that changed the course of the future. 

Adam and Eve’s decision in the Garden of Eden to listen to Satan rather than God; Noah’s decision to be righteous and how God used him to repopulate the Earth after the world-rearranging Flood; Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as God had asked; Moses’s rejection of the fame and fortune of being a son of Pharaoh...and on and on.

What about world history? Any inspiration there?

It was the Battle of Bastogne in the ending months of 1944. This battle was a part of the larger effort by the Germans in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. By Winter 1944 Nazi leaders were beginning to see their desperate situation as the Allies established a foothold on European soil and began to push the Germans back from occupied territories.

Bastogne was strategically crucial because this little Belgian town had seven converging roads. As the Germans fought toward Bastogne they initially found little resistance. Allied troops had been moved to other points of the front line leaving a very minimal force to defend the town and its surroundings. In a matter of a few weeks the Germans managed to cut off Bastogne. To make matters worse December 1944 was one of the coldest on record in Europe and many of the Allied troops were not clothed properly. 

As the situation grew desperate for the Allied troops in Bastogne, the German commander sent a message to the U.S. General McAuliffe, telling him his only hope of not losing every soldier under his command was to surrender. 

General McAuliffe considered and responded with one word – “Nuts!”

This battle hardened soldier had no intention of surrendering. His duty was to hold Bastogne until reinforcements came. 

How did they fare? The Allies held Bastogne and tied up considerable German troops and equipment in the process. While Bastogne was not a turning point in the war by itself, it contributed to the push that sent the German military back to its homeland and into eventual surrender.

What’s the lesson for us? 

We, too, have an evil adversary, Satan who seeks to destroy us, and he has never given up in this desire. This is our war. We may be surrounded at times, and while it seems this war will never end, we can be assured that God will help us to be victorious if we do not give up. God has promised to finish the work He began in His Church. He leaves no one behind.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart,” (Galatians 6:9). 

This spiritual battle is ours if we stand firm with God.  “Nuts,” to Satan!