When I was in grade school, I was a voracious reader, so my mother found a large collection of old school readers and gave them to me to read for fun. In one of these, I read a story that has stuck with me ever since. Its title was “The Drummer Boy.” You may find this story in many places, but I shall leave a link here  so that you needn’t search too long.

The story introduced me to a Christian drummer boy named Charlie who served in the American Civil War. He was injured in battle, and had to have an arm and a leg amputated, but wouldn’t take pain medications or sleep-inducing drugs because of his specific beliefs. He knew he could not only live through the excruciatingly painful procedure, but even have abundant joy throughout the whole experience. He didn’t cry out or curse or bid the doctors stop; in fact, the only words he said, he said over and over again. “Blessed Lord Jesus, stand by me now.”

I want today, on July 4th, this nation’s semiquincentennial anniversary, to look more deeply into this phrase. I believe there is enough truth packed into these seven words that this whole blessed nation could be turned towards Christ again, if only faith-filled Christians would echo Charlie’s words.

So, what’s so special about this phrase? Let’s dive in.

“Blessed Lord Jesus”

1 Corinthians 12:3 states that nobody can say that Jesus is Lord [of all, of their life, etc.] unless they have the Holy Ghost in them. So then the certainty that comes is that Charlie was a firm believer, and that he joyed in reminding himself (and God) of His Lordship and blessed control over Charlie’s life and circumstances.

Would that all Christians everywhere gloried in the fact that Jesus is Lord over them, their pasts, presents, and futures, and every circumstance that came their way! What do you think would happen if every Christian in America did that? If every Christian blessed the Lord with every breath, especially with the breaths that hurt most to take in and let out? Are we not so quick to curse God or others for the circumstances He gives us? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says that God’s will is for us to rejoice, pray, and be thankful in all our circumstances!

For the one whose circumstances are nearing the level of Charlie’s pain, and you are finding it hard to believe that Jesus is truly able to be in control of these circumstances, just turn over to Lamentations 3:18-26 with me. Jeremiah is in great pain and anguish, as you can tell from the first two verses I mentioned. But he remembers God and makes an equation you can find in :22-23.

The next verses equate that the right response to God’s faithfulness is quiet, expectant waiting for His salvation from what you cannot handle.

(For those facing death: God is not suddenly unmerciful when He lets death (literally, the separation) overtake you. He brings you to Him, out of the pain of living halfway in this physical reality, and into the whole reality that you were created for– the reality of His presence in Heaven. The separation is only from pain for those who believe in Him.) 

“Stand by me now”

Have you ever gotten into a scrape and not wanted to face it any longer? Or opposition has loomed and you wanted to run? Charlie couldn’t run from an amputation even if he wanted. He could have taken chloroform and run from pain that way. But he knew that, just like the Israelites, he might have taken the victory for himself if he’d gotten through it in his own strength or on his own terms. So he denied anything that would take his spiritual gaze off of the Lord and His strength in Charlie’s weakest hour. 

We are quick to run from pain, and ask God to take the pain and suffering away. But Charlie didn’t pray away the pain. He prayed for God’s presence in the pain. He knew God had a reason for it outside his understanding. And he submitted to the pain as Christ did to the cross, and prayed for strength in God’s will. 

God has promised us more times than I can count that He will be with us. What a comfort that is! And as Charlie spoke those words while the doctors’ saws worked, he reminded God of His faithfulness and joyed in the promises of old. 

Are you scared of pain, awkwardness, death, hunger, need? Are you terrified of your own weakness? Sure, you may know that it’s biblically wrong to fear such things. But if you do, I know just how you feel, because I have been there. I know that knowing fear of anything or anyone but God Himself is sin (unbelief) doesn’t make it any easier to get out of it. But it’s all in the Bible, and all I had to do was remember a verse.

Well, not that one. A Bible verse. 2 Corinthians 12:7-11. Go ahead and read the passage yourself. Paul not only dealt with prison, beatings, angry mobs, and shipwrecks, but also problems of his own. And three times he asked for God to remove some of his trials. But God told him, and tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” So He left Paul the trials, but He did not leave Paul alone with them. Paul recognized that his weakness was an enabling factor for God’s grace, power, and ultimate glory to manifest. And that was what Paul desired most. 

Is that your desire? Can you say with Paul that for you to stay alive is a manifestation of Christ’s power, and death is gaining Heaven?

Influence

Just as Paul, Charlie did not rest during the time confined to his bed. Not even during surgery! For in that time, his secret prayer inside, while he was praying aloud for Jesus to stand by him, was for the doctor, who was unsaved. And in the five days he lived after the surgery, he witnessed to this doctor, even to his dying breath! Truly, for Charlie, every moment he lived was in Christ and for Christ, and everyone who saw or heard him was influenced towards Christ. And so when God gave Charlie the biggest of mercies in separation from pain, truly, dying was the gaining of the One for Whom he had given so much! He understood that his life was nothing if not an influence to others towards his blessed Lord Jesus. 

“What is our life, but influence?” –Dr. Nicky Chavers

Someone is always watching or listening. Whether you’re in easy moments or hard, are you being a light of Christ? It may be your last chance. It may be some unsaved friend’s last chance to hear and believe on your blessed Lord Jesus. Your circle of influence extends to every person who sees or hears you, in your home, in the grocery store, and in the field watching fireworks. Are you using your life to influence others towards Christ, or towards thinking He doesn’t really have power over the lives He said He could change?

This July 4th, and every day afterwards, remember Charlie, and Paul, and our blessed Lord Jesus Who has always stood by us and will continue forever, and live without fear of your circumstances or pain, and live boldly knowing that your circle of influence will only grow in His strength and have ripple effects that you can’t see until you gain Heaven’s eyes. The best is yet to come, and the journey is worth the pain.

I’ll see you along the Way!