The Night God Rained on Napoleon's Parade Ancient Wisdom for Modern Control Freaks

"The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD."

- Proverbs 21:31

Rain drums against the window panes of Wellington's headquarters. It's June 17, 1815 – the night before Waterloo. The candlelight flickers across maps spread on rough wooden tables, across the faces of anxious officers.

Napoleon Bonaparte, the self-made emperor who rewrote warfare's rules, waits in the darkness with 74,000 men. His artillery – the finest in Europe – stands ready. His cavalry, unmatched in the world, awaits his command. His battle plans, honed by two decades of almost unbroken victory, are set.

The smart money's on France.

History's momentum favors tyranny.

Every military mind expects Napoleon's triumph.

And in this moment, the Duke of Wellington does something that defies all human wisdom:

He decides to go to bed.

A General's Strange Peace

His officers can't believe it. Messages keep arriving – urgent dispatches, critical updates, vital intelligence. Europe's fate hangs by a thread. The greatest army in history is poised to strike at dawn.

"Sir," they plead, "shouldn't we review the positions one more time? Check the supply lines? Adjust the strategy?"

Wellington looks at them with calm eyes that have seen too many battles. His voice is quiet but firm:

"I have done everything possible to be ready. The rest is in God's hands."

Then he does what men of faith have always done in the face of overwhelming odds:

He sleeps.

Like Daniel before the lions.

Like Peter in prison.

Heaven's Response

That night, God answers with water.

Not gentle rain.

Not passing showers.

But the kind of deluge that reshapes battlefields and rewrites history.

Napoleon's dreaded artillery? Mired in mud.

His lethal cavalry? Struggling to stand.

His brilliant tactics? Drowned in divine providence.

The same rain that dampens French gunpowder strengthens Allied resolve. The same mud that stops Napoleon's cannon wheels gives Wellington's infantry firm ground to stand upon.

The Wisdom in Wellington's Rest

What did Wellington understand that we forget?

He knew the ancient truth:

• We prepare the horse

• We sharpen the sword

• We position the troops

• We make the plans

But victory?

Safety?

Outcomes?

Those belong to the Lord.

The Battle We All Face

Every day, we stand at our own Waterloo:

• Facing impossible odds

• Wrestling with uncertain futures

• Confronting overwhelming forces

We have our artillery:

- Careful planning

- Hard work

- Smart strategy

- Backup plans

But like Wellington, we must learn:

True peace comes not from perfect preparation,

but from perfect trust.

Your Own Waterloo

Today, as you face your battles:

1. Prepare thoroughly

2. Plan wisely

3. Then rest completely

Because sometimes God's greatest victories come not through our strength,

but through His rain.

Remember:

• Wellington slept while Napoleon planned

• David sang while Goliath raged

• Daniel prayed while lions prowled

And God worked while His children rested.

The Victory in Surrender

So make your plans.

Prepare your horse.

Do your part.

But then do what faith has always done:

Rest in God's sovereignty.

Trust in His timing.

Sleep in His peace.

Because sometimes...

Victory comes through rain.