The Song That Stopped a Bullet

Ira D. Sankey was traveling on a steamer along the Delaware River when he was asked to sing. He led the passengers in “Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us.” When he finished, a man stepped forward and asked if Sankey had served in the Union Army. He had. The stranger then revealed that he had once been a Confederate soldier on picket duty on a bright, moonlit night during the war. From the shadows, he had aimed his musket at Sankey, who stood clearly visible in the moonlight. Just as he prepared to fire, Sankey lifted his eyes to Heaven and began to sing the very hymn he had just sung on the steamer.

The Confederate soldier said the words of that hymn stirred memories of his godly mother, who had sung that same song to him as a child. Conviction flooded his heart. When the song ended, he found himself unable to pull the trigger. His arm dropped to his side. What Sankey never knew that night was that God had used a simple hymn as a shield of protection. The Lord who preserves His children does not always do so in ways we can see—but He is always at work.

How many dangers has God turned aside that we will never fully know? How many unseen protections has He placed around our lives? Sometimes His guarding hand works through circumstances. Sometimes through other people. Sometimes through a song sung in simple faith. The Shepherd truly does lead His sheep, even when they are unaware of the wolves in the shadows.