I came across this story of David Livingston, the famous explorer and missionary, who found himself stuck on a riverbank for days, somewhere in Africa. He had with him his native followers who were dreading the thought of having to cross the river, in what was hostile territory.

Eventually he decided that the crossing would have to be made at night. In preparation for this he opened his Bible and the verse he read was,

"...Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
Matthew 28:20

'It is the word of a gentleman of the most strict and sacred honour, so there's an end of it!' Livingstone had said to himself as he placed his finger for the thousandth time on the text on which he staked his life. He was surrounded by an hostile and infuriated people. During the sixteen years that he had spent in Africa, he had never before seemed in such imminent peril. Death stared him in the face. He thought sadly of his life-work that had scarcely begun. For the first time in his experience he was tempted to steal away under cover of the darkness and to seek safety in flight. He prayed! 'Leave me not, forsake me not!'

He put down the Bible and told his followers that they were going to cross the river at once. “What about the enemy?” they had cried. “We will all be killed!” “Jesus will be with us,” he said. “He has promised to be with us always, and He never breaks His word.”

The crossing was made without a casualty. How good it was, to be able to trust a higher power so completely with one’s own life!