Tracking Indians

     Of Jesus it is written, “And spread out before Him was the great library of God's created works. He who had made all things studied the lessons which His own hand had written in earth and sea and sky. Apart from the unholy ways of the world, He gathered stores of scientific knowledge from nature. He studied the life of plants and animals, and the life of man. From His earliest years He was possessed of one purpose; He lived to bless others.” DA 70

     In the history of this world, God’s faithful ones, like the Waldenses have often had to flee to the mountains to find safety and security from the persecutor.  So it is in these last days, just before Jesus coming.  The intimate knowledge of the natural world, such as the frontiersmen of our nation had in reading God’s creation like an open book, will always stand one in good stead—in the knowledge of the Creator, as well as in their own personal survival.  Among the most fascinating of the arts involved in the study of God’s creation is the study of tracking.  Someone seeing a track in the mountains and knowing what it means, may keep you free or save your life.

     In the early days of our country, Daniel Boone, the Quaker frontier scout, experienced the capture of his daughter, Jemima, by 36 Indians.  Boone set out with eight men to rescue his daughter and her two friends, the Callaway girls, who were being carried miles away by the Indian party who had a days travel behind them.  It was night, with a dim moon, as Boon and his eight men crossed the river and ran hour after hour through the forest, tracking the whole way.  (One time Boone ran for eight hours, rested for two hours, ran eight more, rested and ran another eight hours.)  The Indians follow a strategy of following parallel trails to throw pursuers into confusion, but the pursuers kept on.  Morning had broken when Boone called a halt.  They had traveled thirty miles through the night.  They set off again, and ten miles later tracked the Indians to where they were preparing camp for the night.  Immediately Boone, his son, and another man attacked, driving off the Indians in the dim light, and rescuing the girls.  There had been scarcely any time for rest since they had set out, yet with no time for delay, Boone scooped up his daughter, carrying her, while companions carried the other girls for several miles.  They then stopped to eat, and discovering that the Indians were not pursuing, relaxed their pace, arriving home two days later.  (In Boone’s personal account, the girls were taken captive July 14th, and he overtook the Indians July 16th.)  It was a triumph of tracking, endurance and strength to follow the Indian trail 40 miles, 30 of which were at night, on the run, but it won back the precious girls from the grip of the enemy.

B Trefz

     Did you know Someone has come to rescue you from the grips of the enemy to keep you from loosing your life?  In this world we are captives of Satan, the enemy, who is destroying everyone he can.  But Jesus came to take us from the grasp of the devil to give us opportunity to have eternal life with Him.  So we have to ask Jesus to free us from the snares of Satan and all sin so we can have an obedient life of following all that Jesus says in His Word, the Bible.  That is when we are the happiest and the safest.  Then soon Jesus will come to take His obedient children to heaven, away from the enemy.  Be sure to ask Jesus to be with you every day.