One More on the Ridge

In the 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge, there is a scene that should haunt every person who has ever wondered what courage really looks like. Private Desmond Doss, a combat medic who refused to carry a rifle because of his faith, stands alone on a blood-soaked escarpment in Okinawa after his entire company has retreated. The Japanese forces hold the plateau. Every sensible instinct says climb down the cargo nets and get to safety.

Instead, Doss crawls back into the smoke. He finds a wounded soldier, drags him to the cliff's edge, and lowers him on a rope. Then he whispers a prayer that has become one of the most powerful lines in modern cinema: "Lord, help me get one more." And he goes back. Again and again — seventy-five times through the night — he repeats that prayer and pulls another broken body to safety, all without ever firing a shot.

What strikes me is that Doss did not ask God for superhuman strength. He asked for the courage to do the next faithful thing. Just one more.

That is often how the Almighty works in our lives. He does not hand us bravery for the whole war at once. He gives us enough for the next step, the next conversation, the next act of obedience. Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Not all at once — but one more, and then one more after that.