Advancing or Retreating

Two major events in the second World War happened on French beaches. One was a humiliating retreat and one was an advance with astonishing human price.

In May of 1940, France was unprepared for a Nazi assault described in German as “blitzkrieg.” or “lightning war.” The idea was identified by Carl von Clausewitz and described in his book On War in 1832. French leadership was also still convinced that Hitler could be reasoned with.

British troops had already been in France and Belgium as allies of the western European nations against Nazis. When Belgium surrendered to Germany and France was overrun by blitzkrieg, The armies of Britain and France were being pressed toward the English Channel and cut off from supplies.

From May 26 through June 4, an unofficial British “navy” of any boat that could traverse the Channel was convened by Winston Churchill to rescue the armies from Dunkirk’s beach and harbor by repeatedly making trips to transport more soldiers.

Four years later in June, an offensive was begun on Normandy beach in France with the hope of driving Nazis back across France and destroying them in Germany. At midnight it began with Allied troops being dropped behind the Germans in Normandy, followed by a diversion tactic 150 miles away to draw German support troops from the site of the invasion. By 06:00, the beach landing in Normandy began. Of the nearly 155,000 soldiers in the operation, nearly 9,000 were slaughtered by Nazis when they landed on the beaches.

When those lives had purchased passage beyond the German fortifications at the top of the cliffs overlooking Normandy’s beaches, the process began of the liberation of France and Belgium and the eventual destruction of the Nazi intentions of global domination.

One of those operations was a retreat, and one was an assault. One had the unprepared armies trying to stay alive long enough to be rescued, and the other had the prepared armies in a costly assault against global domination by demoniacs. Both succeeded, but one gained the prize. Dunkirk, where the retreat happened, was named after a church that was built there some time before 1067 AD. Dun = dunes and kirk = church. The church built on the dunes. The church built on sand.

One day, Jesus will come for you. It may not look like the rapture. He comes for someone every day. Focus on the prize of bringing the nations to Jesus as His inheritance and you will likely succeed at whatever His assignment for you is.

For we don’t want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in the province of Asia: we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life. However, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us; we have placed our hope in Him that He will deliver us again.
(2 Corinthians 1:8-10 HCSB ©®)

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.
For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your radiance.
Raise your eyes and look around:
they all gather and come to you;
your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters will be carried on the hip.
Then you will see and be radiant,
and your heart will tremble and rejoice,
because the riches of the sea will become yours,
and the wealth of the nations will come to you.
(Isaiah 60:1-5 HCSB ©®)