photo #4635516

"And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?' (1 Peter 3:13)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. They asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey said he preferred singing William B. Bradbury's hymn, "Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us." As he sang, one of the stanzas began with the words, "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, moonlit night in 1862?""Yes," Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised!"So was 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 upon 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 now and my bullet cannot miss him.'But the song you sang then was the same 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 that night and my dear 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 must have a great and mighty plan for his life.""Mr. Sankey", the man continued, "My arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side and my heart said, 'I can do this man no harm!"'And friends, so it is with you and me. The Lord is for us, with us and in us. Therefore, we have no cause to fear any enemy. Remember: His watchful eye is upon us, His strong arm is around us, and His grace is sufficient to pardon us, protect us, and bring peace to us.