At seventeen, he became a gunnery sergeant and made snap decisions that no adult should have to make—life-or-death decisions. Dad served in the first wave of boots on the ground in the Philippines during World War II.
He said little about his time in the war, other than a few tidbits we pried out of him. We only knew he was shot in the upper shoulder by a sniper, inches from his carotid artery. After he healed, the Army shipped him back to the front, where he was blown off a hill by a mortar that left him unconscious for a month.
After Dad’s death in 1996, we noticed his military papers had the wrong birthdate. Dad lied about his age to enter the military. His aunt signed for him and told the recruiters he was eighteen. Why would anyone lie to go to war?
Isaiah could only imagine what God had in store in this prophecy of a Messiah (Isaiah 53:5). Although he saw the result of God’s wrath on His people, Isaiah must have wondered what kind of mighty warrior would intentionally suffer for a people who seemingly didn’t care. The truth was, Isaiah knew even in God’s anger and frustration with the children of Israel, He still loved them more than anything. So much so, He was willing to give them a hint of the height, depth, and width of this love. What an amazing God.
When this prophecy rang true, the Messiah had come, and come willingly. He knew death was imminent. Every word Isaiah prophesied came true. Unlike Dad, Jesus never lied about His reason for coming and going to battle. Yet still, we have to wonder why anyone would willingly go to war against death and the powers of evil for us. The answer? Unconditional love.
Our country stands on the cusp of her 250th birthday, and men and women still vow to go to battle for our freedom. There is no greater love. When the fireworks explode on July 4, remember those who fought and even died by choice, so that you might live free. More so, remember the Messiah who did the same.
Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.