‘In the difficult and dusty terrain of
Helmand province, homemade bombs buried underneath the ground quickly became
the Taliban's most terrifying weapon. At the time of soldier Chris Scott's
first tour of Afghanistan in September 2011, counter measures had been
introduced by the British army to try to locate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
before they detonated. At just 20, Scott was given the job of
"vallon" or front man, first man through to check the ground, responsible
for protecting the lives of the 30 men behind him in his patrol from the
dangers of IEDs’. [Summarized from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30229415]
It made me wonder how I’d cope with the
knowledge that the next step I took could be my last. There was not only the
danger but the sense of responsibility for all of those men following you and
relying upon your skills for their safety. You have to admire the bravery that
was shown by soldiers in the conflict areas into which they were sent!
However, there is one thing that the
Christian has and that provides tremendous help in such situations. We have the
knowledge that Jesus Christ has gone before us. He has been our ‘vallon’, our
front man. Through His death on Calvary, outside the city of Jerusalem, he has
prepared a way of safety into God’s presence. He has cleared the way!
The danger that every one of us faces is the
consequences of our sin and guilt. We have failed to obey God’s law, fallen
short of His holy standards, and stand condemned. One step could bring us
face-to-face with God as our judge to be sent down to eternal punishment. As
the Christian has placed faith in Christ, that punishment has been borne for
them. The debt of our sin and guilt has been paid. Our way is clear! The
Christian is but one step away from heaven and glory.
Another Bible verse tells us to prepare to
meet our God. As you take your next step in life, are you prepared to meet God?
Photograph courtesy of: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
