The Word from Waterloo

The Word from Waterloo

News from the Battle of Waterloo was relayed by a system of signals used to keep the people informed on how the battle was going. The signal station on the tower of Winchester Cathedral flashed the message W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- -D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D-. Just at that moment, fog covered the tower and obscured any further news. It was June 18, 1815 and the English reacted to the news of the defeat with understandable sadness and gloom.

Before I finish that story, we had two staff members recently agree to meet at Sam’s Club at 10:30 one morning. As they both waited in the lobby, they both wondered why the other was so late. But no-one was late. One of them was in Utica and the other in Roseville. Their frustration with each other quickly turned to laughter when they realized that they had forgotten to agree on which store to meet at.

Problems in communication happen all the time. We can get a partial message or no message at all. In our Christian walk, it happens when we fall short in knowing the Lord through His Word. God’s Word says “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37) and “God who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus” (II Corinthians 2:14). Yet we become discouraged when we read the incomplete message our circumstances are sending us rather than realizing God is still at work in us.

When the fog lifted, the message W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- -D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- -T-H-E- -E-N-E-M-Y could be seen by everyone. The good news of the victory at Waterloo spread quickly and the sadness was turned into joy.

When the early church was scattered by persecution, it seemed, at first, like a defeat. But as they went everywhere preaching the Word, and as the church multiplied because of it, they understood that “God always causes us to triumph”.

We can walk in that same understanding, in that same confidence, knowing that “He who began a good work in you will certainly complete it”.


God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church