Older, But Not Wiser

The Lord is challenging me, like never before, in the area of faith . . . to walk by faith and not by sight. As a result, verses like Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing shall be impossible", and Mark 10:27, ". . .With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible", are standing out to me. I also felt like this would be a good time to re-read the biography of one of my all-time favorite heroes - Hudson Taylor. :0) As I was reading last night I came across this passage. Hudson had just learned that a pastor in his area had a book about China and so he went to visit him, inquiring if he could borrow it . . .

"This he kindly granted, inquiring why I wished to read it. I told him that God had called me to spend my life in missionary service in that land.

'And how do you propose to go there?' he inquired.

I answered that I did not at all know; that it seemed to me probable that I should need to do as the Twelve and the Seventy had done in Judea, go without purse or scrip, relying on Him who had sent me to supply all my need.

Kindly placing his hand on my shoulder, the minister replied, 'Ah, my boy, as you grow older you will become wiser than that. Such an idea would do very well in the days when Christ Himself was on earth, but not now.'

I have grown older since then, but not wiser. I am more and more convinced that if we were to take the directions of our Master and assurance He gave to His first disciples more fully as our guide, we should find them just as suited to our times as to those in which they were originally given."             (Vol. 1, pg. 85)

Obviously I have to grow older, but oh, may I never grow wiser! May I hear the voice of Jesus saying "All things are possible for one who believes" (Mark 9:23), cling to Him like never before, and trust Him with all of my heart.