Twenty-Seven Men

“He keeps his promise, even when it hurts him.” — from Psalm 15

In November 1853 David set out from the town of Linyanti to find a road west, to the Atlantic Ocean. With him went twenty-seven men chosen by Sekeletu, Sebetwane’s son, the young chief of the Makololo. Their leader was a man named Pitsane. It was their journey as much as David’s. Without them he could not have gone a hundred miles.

David took very little, but he did take a magic lantern, which showed Bible pictures painted on glass. Once, when he showed a picture of Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac, the women watching thought the knife was coming out of the picture at them, and ran away! Everyone laughed about it afterwards.

A young woman chief named Manenko led them to her uncle’s town herself, marching at the front through the pouring rain, so fast that the men could hardly keep up! Later, some people demanded one of David’s men, to sell as a slave. David sat with his gun across his knees and refused. He would not give up a single man. In the end he gave them an ox instead, and nobody was hurt.

On 31 May 1854 they reached Luanda, a city by the sea. The men had never seen the ocean. They had always believed the world had no end, they said, but now the world had told them that it was finished!

David was very ill, and an Englishman named Mr Gabriel nursed him. Then some navy officers offered to take David home to England on their ship. But he said no. He had promised Sekeletu to bring the men home, and they did not know the way back through dangerous country. So he stayed. And the ship sank on its way to England, with the letters and maps he had sent on it!

God always keeps his promises, and he wants us to keep ours, even when it costs us something.

Dear God, thank you that you always keep your promises. Help me to keep mine, even when it is hard. Amen.