Consider the discouragement of a young
missionary named David Brainerd (Ruth Tucker, "From Jerusalem to Irian
Jaya", pp. 90-93). In the 1700s David Brainerd felt called to bring the
message of Christ to the native Americans. Brainerd faced constant
discouragement as he tried to share Christ’s love with the native Americans;
they had seen too much American greed and abuse to believe Brainerd’s message of
grace. Brainerd wrote in his journal, "My heart sunk. It seemed to me that I’d
never have any success among the Indians. My soul was weary of my life. I
longed for death." For two years nothing happened, as he constantly battled one
discouragement after another. Finally, three and half years into his work, he
saw about 150 native Americans come to faith in Christ. Though that is not much
by today’s mass evangelism standards, it was a real start. Unfortunately, David
Brainerd died a year later, at the age of 29, and his work seem to stop
completely.
This is not the end of Brainerd's story. Someone published his journals that he had kept during those times of discouragement. Those journals fell into the hands of a man named William Carey the man widely known as the father of modern missions because he ignited the modern missionary movement that continues to this day. Carey’s efforts and inspiration have been the impetus for literally millions and millions of people coming to faith in Christ. When someone asked William Carey what inspired him to devote his life to missions, he pointed to the journals of David Brainerd. God used David Brainerd beyond every limit.
Several years ago Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia had to turn away a little girl named Hattie May Wiatt from children’s ministry because of overcrowding there. That day Hattie May Wiatt started saving her pennies to help the church make more room in their children’s ministry. Two years later, Hattie May tragically died. In her pocketbook next to her bed her parents found 57 pennies and a piece of paper with a note saying that the money was to help the church build a bigger children’s ministry. At Hattie May’s funeral, her mother gave that 57 cents and the note to Pastor Russell Conwell, the pastor of Grace Baptist Church. That Sunday, Pastor Conwell shared Hattie May’s story with his congregation. People’s hearts were touched; a realtor give the church a piece of land to expand the children’s ministry, asking for 57 cents for a down payment. A local newspaper carried the story, and soon news about Hattie May Wiatt’s 57 cents spread across the country. The pennies grew far beyond Hattie May’s initial 57 pennies. Grace Baptist Church not only built a new children’s ministry wing, but also a new ministry center, today seating over 3,000 people. Out of that movement of generosity from Hattie May’s example the church built Temple University in Philadelphia, and Good Samaritan Hospital. In fact, you can visit Temple University today and find a picture on the wall of Hattie May Wiatt, a little girl who’s 57 pennies were used by God far beyond the limits of her life.
God likes using us beyond our limitations because He gets the glory for it. He likes taking a temple ( Haggai) that seems pathetic in comparison to the first temple, and visiting that second temple with His Son. He likes using a faithful servant like David Brainerd to inspire others to share Christ. He loves using people like Hattie May Wiatt to inspire the rest of us to a new level of generosity and giving toward God’s work. When we stay focused in the midst of our discouragement, God uses us beyond our limitations.
This is not the end of Brainerd's story. Someone published his journals that he had kept during those times of discouragement. Those journals fell into the hands of a man named William Carey the man widely known as the father of modern missions because he ignited the modern missionary movement that continues to this day. Carey’s efforts and inspiration have been the impetus for literally millions and millions of people coming to faith in Christ. When someone asked William Carey what inspired him to devote his life to missions, he pointed to the journals of David Brainerd. God used David Brainerd beyond every limit.
Several years ago Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia had to turn away a little girl named Hattie May Wiatt from children’s ministry because of overcrowding there. That day Hattie May Wiatt started saving her pennies to help the church make more room in their children’s ministry. Two years later, Hattie May tragically died. In her pocketbook next to her bed her parents found 57 pennies and a piece of paper with a note saying that the money was to help the church build a bigger children’s ministry. At Hattie May’s funeral, her mother gave that 57 cents and the note to Pastor Russell Conwell, the pastor of Grace Baptist Church. That Sunday, Pastor Conwell shared Hattie May’s story with his congregation. People’s hearts were touched; a realtor give the church a piece of land to expand the children’s ministry, asking for 57 cents for a down payment. A local newspaper carried the story, and soon news about Hattie May Wiatt’s 57 cents spread across the country. The pennies grew far beyond Hattie May’s initial 57 pennies. Grace Baptist Church not only built a new children’s ministry wing, but also a new ministry center, today seating over 3,000 people. Out of that movement of generosity from Hattie May’s example the church built Temple University in Philadelphia, and Good Samaritan Hospital. In fact, you can visit Temple University today and find a picture on the wall of Hattie May Wiatt, a little girl who’s 57 pennies were used by God far beyond the limits of her life.
God likes using us beyond our limitations because He gets the glory for it. He likes taking a temple ( Haggai) that seems pathetic in comparison to the first temple, and visiting that second temple with His Son. He likes using a faithful servant like David Brainerd to inspire others to share Christ. He loves using people like Hattie May Wiatt to inspire the rest of us to a new level of generosity and giving toward God’s work. When we stay focused in the midst of our discouragement, God uses us beyond our limitations.
In Christ,
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