by Gabriel Smith   gabrielsmithpro@gmail.com 

June 1876, Montana Territory, the Seventh Cavalry, led by their famous
commander General George Armstrong Custer, are preparing to attack a
massive Indian village.

Custer splits his men into three groups one led by a man
named Reno and another led by a man named Benteen.

Benteen, he sent around behind the village in a large
sweeping motion, we can assume to stop any of their opponents from escaping, Reno, he
sent in a legendary direct charge against the village.

As the events unfolded Custer himself takes another route and begins to follow a band of fleeing women and children, we can assume in hopes of capturing
them and using them as hostages to stop any further bloodshed and bring the battle to a swift end.

Custer instead found himself under attack, he ordered his
men to fall back to a hill, most likely in
hopes that Reno and Benteen would arrive. It was a smart idea really, taking
the high ground is normally tactically a good plan, but the force Custer was
facing was too large and Custer, along with his third of the men, would all be
killed.

In our own lives we often times try to climb hills, surrounded by our sins on all sides we become trapped. We are guilty, we were the ones who
decided to make the advance and we have to bear the burden. We chose to sin and
now we have to pay the price, which is hell.

In an attempt to save ourselves we make for the high ground;
we heap up our good works like a hill. Like Custer what we are doing in our
eyes seems right, but no person can ever do enough good to save themselves. Our sins are too great, and just like Custer if we try and heap up a hill
of good works, in the end, no matter the size of the hill we will suffer the consequences of our choices.

We
are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they
are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our
sins sweep us away like the wind.

(Isaiah 64:6)

 There is no hope in good works.

The only hope that there is, is in Jesus.

Jesus knows that we all deserve to die, but He loved us. He
loved us so much that He, Jesus, who is God Himself, came down to earth and died,
paying the debt we owed.

No good works will ever save us, only trusting in Jesus by believing
in Him that He has paid the full price for our sins, we can be saved.

“For
God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone
who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

(John 3:16)

Jesus rose from the dead three days later, and He is in heaven preparing a place for all who believe.

Everyone has a choice, they can run to a hill of good
works and fail, or they can run to Jesus and fall into His arms, trusting He has
saved them.

You have a choice to make, what will you decide?