Safe in Battle as in Bed
General Stonewall Jackson
The courage of Civil War leader Stonewall Jackson on the battlefield can be a lesson for us believers. Historian Mark Brinsley wrote:
A battlefield is a deadly place, even for generals; and it would be naïve to suppose Jackson never felt fear… But invariably he displayed extraordinary calm under fire…after the first Manassas battle someone asked him how he managed it. “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed…God knows the time of my death. I do not concern myself about that but to always be ready…”1
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…’He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’…He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge…A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” (Psalm 91:1-7)
The secret of bravery in Jackson’s opinion was a firm reliance on God’s providential care and a readiness to meet him at any moment…”Fear the Lord, and you will have nothing else to fear.”
1 Tuley, Terry , Battle fields and Blessings; Stores of Faith and Courage from the Civil War, AMG Pub., Chattanooga, TN, 12.
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