In ancient Roman circa 49 B.C., there flowed a small river that emptied into the Adriatic Sea. It used to mark the boundary between the territory of barbaric Gaul and ancient Italy, seat of the "glory of Rome." It was this river that Julius Caesar crossed when he marched his armies, in defiance of the Senate, against the armies of General Pompey. His strategy was one of "conquer or die." Once he crossed the river, there was no turning back. So, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has come to mean risking it all or making an irrevocable decision.

We have "crossed the Rubicon." Those of us who have decided to follow Jesus, that is. While the journey and the battles are hard, there is now no turning back. In Luke 9:62, Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." We must go on. There are times we feel like the ancient Hebrews who cried to go back to Egypt, where "we remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic." The appeal of the world's temptations is strong and living for God is not easy. Moving forward in our Christianity is a day-to-day struggle. But go forward we must. There is nothing for us back beyond the Rubicon but we know that Glory lies ahead.