Sitting next to his lovely wife, he thought "Finally I’m home."
A rough voice awakened Cody. It was his commander. He was still in the middle of WWI.
Cody was in the 91st Brigade. When he joined the Brigade he was given a card with the 91st Psalm on it and was instructed to read it every day. As he read it today he had no idea of what was going to happen in the next few hours.
"Private Cody come here." The commander said
"Yes sir!” Cody replied. "We just picked up a lost soldier. I'm putting you in charge of him." Cody took the man and showed him around camp. Then he gave him a card with Psalms 91 on it.
"What is this?” he asked.
"It's the Psalm for our brigade. We read it every day and you’re part of our brigade now." Cody replied.
After Cody showed Henry the camp, there was a meeting called. The commander told everyone, “We are to attack the Belleau Woods today at 1200 hours. We will meet the other troops at 11oo hours, so we need to march right away.”
They got to the meeting place right on time, and at noon they rushed out at the Germans. When the Germans realized what was happening, they began firing their machine guns. Cody and Henry stopped at the edge of a little opening and took cover.
“Follow me!” yelled Cody to Henry. Then they started running though the opening. After about 10 feet Cody fell to the ground. As Henry watched a bullet hit the tree right behind Cody. Cody then jumped up and kept running. When they made it to the end of the clearing they were able to see the men shooting the machine guns.
“Henry you start from right to left and I’ll start from left to right.” Cody commanded. After shooting down the machine gunners they continued to push the Germans until dark.
At the camp fire Henry asked, “How did you know to drop to the ground in that clearing?”
“I didn’t drop. I tripped,” Cody replied with a little laugh.
“Did you know a bullet hit right where you would have been standing?”
“No, but I could tell the Lord was fighting by my side,” Cody said.
“For the first time I could feel the Lord in my life too,” Henry acknowledged.
The battle lasted 19 more days. The Americans defeated the Germans, ending their last big attack. At the end of the battle 9,777 Americans were wounded and 1,811 were killed. None of them were from the 91st brigade. When Cody heard this, he remembered Psalms 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
On November 30th, the fighting had stopped and Cody got to go home. When he arrived at his house, his wife was the only one home. “Cody! I am so glad you’re back! Let’s go see the kids. They’re at the church working on the Christmas play.”
Even though the story of Cody is fictitious, it is true that the 91st brigade had everyone read the 91st Psalm daily. In the battle of Belleau Woods other brigades lost up to 90% of their troops. And through the entire war, the 91st brigade didn't lose one single soldier to battle.
Are we in a war today? Yes, a spiritual war. When I thought of this, I started reading Psalms 91 every day because I don’t want the devil to take me down in battle.
Psalms 91
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.