George Washington should have never made it to adulthood. Raised in the Virginia countryside in the eighteenth century, he lost both a father and a brother at a young age. Growing up in a male-dominated society without the leadership of a father was very difficult for both himself and his mother. Public schools had yet to be created, and his mother did not have the means to send him away to private school or hire a tutor, so he never attained more than an elementary school education.
His trials continued into his teenage years. He had grown very close to an older half-brother, who contracted smallpox, a deadly disease in those days. When traveling with his brother to a warmer climate in hopes that he would heal, George also fell victim to the disease, and then had to watch his half-brother die. While surviving smallpox himself, he was left with pock marks on his face and was unable to have children, a trait which carried a social stigma.
Returning to Virginia, he joined up with other colonials during the French and Indian War, distinguishing himself for his bravery. As a 6’4 officer in a time when the average man’s height was 5’8”, he clearly stood out among his peers, particularly when he was on horseback. In one specific battle with rival Indians, all of the officers were killed, except himself. In his own words, he stated: “But by the All-Powerful Dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me.”1
Years later, he met one of the Indians who had tried to kill him, and the man recounted: “Washington was never born to be killed by a bullet! I had seventeen fair fires at him with my rifle and after all could not bring him to the ground.”2 Throughout the next decades of his life, Washington survived repeated episodes of disease, hypothermia, and Indian attacks. He continued to survive unlikely battles in the French and Indian War, as well as in the American Revolution, and humbly declared that his life was spared for a Divine purpose. Many individuals believe that God was sparing his life to accomplish a great good in leading the American people to form the first democratic republic, the United States of America.
From studying the life of George Washington, we can see that God spared him for a particular purpose. When he should have died, he was miraculously protected and equipped to bring about good to his fellow men. Without the military and, later, political leadership of George Washington, we may never have won the American War for Independence. If we had not won this war, we would have continued to have restrictions on free speech and the free exercise of religion, for no country in the 18th century extended these rights to their citizens. God used Washington and nameless brave Americans under him to establish a free republic, a nation where individuals could boldly declare the good news of the Gospel to all they meet, print religious tracts freely, meet together in houses of worship without restriction, and continue to spread the good news that Jesus is coming soon!
Call to Action
As we look back on our lives, many of us can see specific incidents where God protected us in unlikely circumstances. Yet sometimes when we look to the future, we can become afraid that we will not have the courage to stand up for truth. Let us remember that: “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”3 Let us dwell upon specific instances of protection in church history, our nation’s history, and in our personal lives. Doing so will enlighten, encourage, and equip us to spread the news that Jesus is coming soon!
- William J. & Susie Federer, Miracles in American History: 32 Amazing Stories of Answered Prayer. Amerisearch, Inc. 2020, 17-19.
- William J. & Susie Federer, Miracles in American History: 32 Amazing Stories of Answered Prayer. Amerisearch, Inc. 2020, 41.
- Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1915), 196.
