Wednesday, June 19, 2013
God works in mysterious ways. He provides and protects us through any means He chooses. He fed Israel with manna every morning. He provided water from a rock. He fed Elijah with angel food from heaven when he fled from Jezebel. We are not always quick to give God the credit for meeting our needs. However, it is no coincidence when you learn that you were delivered in time of peril. The LORD did provide for you.
In the latter years of the 19thcentury, the great revival team that God mightily blessed was Evangelist Dwight L. Moody and his fellow team member and singer, Ira Sankey. God provided for them “in” the ministry with great success but He also watched over them “before” their ministries began to protect them for His purposes.
It was Christmas Eve, 1875, and Ira Sankey was traveling on a Delaware River steamboat when he was recognized by some of the passengers. His picture had been in the newspaper because he was the song leader for the famous evangelist, D.L. Moody. The folks asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey demurred, saying that he preferred to sing William B. Bradbury’s hymn, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”. As he sang, one of the stanzas began, “We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the guardian of our way.”
When he finished, a man stepped from the shadows and asked, “Did you ever serve in the Union Army?”
“Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, “in the spring of 1860.”
“Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlight night in 1862?”
“Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered very much surprised.
“So did I, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post, I thought to myself, “That fellow will never get away alive. ‘I raised my musket and took aim. I was standing in the shadow, completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling on you. At that instant, just as a moment ago, you raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing...'Let him sing his song to the end,' I said to myself, 'I can shoot him afterwards. He's my victim at all events, and my bullet cannot miss him.' But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly: 'We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.' Those words stirred up many memories. I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many times sung that song to me. When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.' And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side." (K Hughes, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, Tyndale, 1988, p. 69.)
