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Civil war, disease, and poverty were wreaking havoc on those living in China during the 19th Century. Each year millions of men, women, and children died from these terrible living conditions. Sadly, almost none of them knew Christ, and were thus separated from God eternally.
But in spite of the millions, a man named Ni was only concerned about one: his father.
Ni, a deeply religious man, had spent much of his life pursuing truth in various eastern religions, so when the Chinese man spotted a group of people assembling for worship in the town of Ning-po one evening, the decision to join them was automatic. Though he didn’t know it at that moment, his life – and eternity – was about to be changed forever.
That’s because Ni had wandered into a worship service being led by the mighty missionary from England, Hudson Taylor. That night, Taylor preached about a God who loved the world so much that He sent His Son Jesus into the world so that the world would be saved through Him. At the end of the service, Ni stood and said, “I have long sought the Truth, but without finding it. I have travelled far and near, but have never searched it out. In Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, I have found no rest. But I do find rest in what we have heard tonight. Henceforth I am a believer in Jesus.”
Hudson and his wife Maria spent time teaching Ni the Scriptures. They were pleasantly surprised and greatly encouraged by the rapid growth of the new convert’s faith. In fact, it wasn’t long before Ni was able to share his testimony with his fellow Chinese at the (pagan) religious society he had once led.
But a few weeks later, Ni pulled Taylor aside. “How long have you had the Glad Tidings in your country?” Ni asked the Englishman.
“Some hundreds of years,” Taylor confessed.
Ni was shocked. “What? Hundreds of years?” After a pause, Ni continued with words that cut Taylor to his heart and caused him to deepen his sense of calling. “My father sought the Truth and died without finding it,” said Ni. “Oh, why did you not come sooner?”
Who is waiting for you to share the Truth with them?
Resource’s Origin:
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets by Howard and Geraldine Taylor. Discovery House, 1990, Pages 97-98.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Calling
Discipleship
Evangelism
False Teaching
God’s Plan
Missionary
Obedience
Preaching
Questions
Religious
Regret
Salvation
Time
Transformation
Truth
Witness
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
