Casandra Martin

Today is the anniversary of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. In 1775, the Boston silversmith set out on a journey that would take him across the countryside and into history. His mission was to warn the American militia about the advance of the British army. He arranged for a signal to be given about the movement of the British troops. One lantern would hang in the steeple of the Old North Church if the British were moving across land. Two lanterns would alert the patriots that the British were coming by sea.

On the evening of April 18, 1775, word came to Revere that the British were moving by sea. He traveled under the cover of darkness to warn independence fighters. His timely message helped set the stage for the Revolutionary War and the birth of freedom.

Revere’s watchfulness and commitment to alerting his countrymen remind us of a valuable lesson. We need each other. We need to stay alert and be ready. We need to be watchful both for the movement of God and the attacks of the enemy.

It is difficult to stay attentive on our own. We get tired, distracted, weary, and busy. We need each other to help us see what is easy to miss. Sometimes it is hard to trace the fingerprints of God. Pain or despair cloud our vision. Others can help us see His movement in our lives and find His fingerprints on our day. In other moments, we need someone to alert us to the prowling of the enemy. He seeks those he can catch off guard. When we stand by each other, we minimize the vulnerability that springs up when we try to go it on our own.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be ready. I am going to take a lesson from Paul Revere and keep my eyes open. I am going to pay attention and invest myself in freedom. I will give myself to shining a light in the darkness if the enemy gets too close. I am going to align myself with others who long to live in dependence on God and commit myself to remaining alert for His presence.