John Gordon was a respected general for the South in the Civil War. After the war, he was running for the United States Senate, but a man who had served under him in the war, angry over some political incident, was determined to see him defeated.   Everyone knew this man would fight Gordon's bid to become a senator.

During the convention, he angrily stamped down the aisle with his anti-Gordon vote in hand.  As he saw Gordon sitting on the platform, he noticed how his once handsome face was disfigured with the scars of battle -- marks of his willingness to suffer and bleed for a cause he believed in.

The old soldier was stricken with remorse. Overcome with emotion, he exclaimed, “It’s no use; I can’t do it. Here’s my vote for John Gordon.”   Then, turning to the general, he said, “Forgive me, General. I had forgotten the scars.”

What a difference it makes in our lives when we remember the scars!   With so many things to distract us, we don't often take time each day to reflect on what Jesus went through on the cross for us.   But, when we are tempted to stray, it is a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice that has the power to draw us back to him.

"He was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was
upon him, and by his stripes
we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

May I encourage you this morning to take a moment to pause and "remember the scars".