Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Deuteronomy 33:25-27
During the fighting along the Pennsylvania frontier during the French and Indian War in 1755, a raid by the Lenape tribe on Penn’s Creek left dozens dead and a number of young girls taken into captivity. Among them was Regina Leininger, who for the next nine years would be held as a prisoner. When the war finally ended, she was among a large group of former captives who were released.
News spread that family members who were missing loved ones should come to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Regina’s mother was among them. But after nine years of separation, she did not recognize her daughter, and Regina did not recognize her. Seeing Mrs. Leininger’s distress as she searched among the returned captives, an officer suggested she try something that might spark a memory. Mrs. Leininger began singing the German hymn, Allein, und doch nicht ganz allein, “Alone yet not alone am I, though in this solitude so drear, I feel my Savior always nigh.” Though Regina had forgotten how to speak German, she remembered the hymn and began singing along. Through the memory of God’s unfailing presence, the family was reunited.
No matter how difficult or challenging the circumstances of our lives may be, those of us who have trusted Christ have an unfailing promise of His presence. He is a source of strength and comfort even on our darkest days. Even when it seems like there is no hope that things can ever get better, God is there. And though He may not work in the way or in the time we would prefer, He never ceases working on our behalf, and He never will. “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:14).
