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Prior to his departure to the mission fields of China, Hudson Taylor realized that he would continually be alone and always in great need. Knowing this – and given his bold philosophy of never asking people for donations – he thought it necessary to learn “to move man, through God, by prayer alone.”
If this sounds like a Jedi mind trick to you, think again.
Believing that God could singlehandedly provide for his needs, both personally and professionally, Hudson Taylor seized an opportunity to test this belief when Dr. Hardey, the busy – and sometimes forgetful – physician who headed the medical clinic where he worked, asked Taylor to remind him when it was time to be paid. But Hudson decided he would pray, asking God to remind the doctor of the payment, Himself…even if it meant going without money!
And so, the time for being paid came…and went. But for the sake of his “experiment,” Hudson said nothing to Dr. Hardey; besides, he still had a few pounds leftover from his last pay period.
But a few nights later, on his way home from volunteering his medical expertise in the city’s ghettos, he was approached by a poor and brokenhearted man. He asked Hudson to follow him home and pray with his family because his wife was dying. With his last coin in his pocket, Hudson went with the desperate man. When he arrived at the home, Hudson saw five children with sunken cheeks, the unmistakable symptom of slow starvation, and a woman lying on a mat in the corner…with a 2-day-old infant too hungry to even cry.
Hudson tried to console the family with words of hope, but his conscience betrayed him. He tried to pray with them, but struggled, because he knew the real help they needed was in his pocket. And so, with great calculation – and an explanation that it was his very last coin – Hudson fished the money from his own pocket and gave it to the man. (Hudson later noted in his journal that the money was used to save the life of the woman.)
But now, Hudson had no money at all.
The following morning, however, Taylor’s landlady brought a package to him that had been sent anonymously. Inside was a blank sheet of paper and a pair of kid-sized gloves. But when Hudson opened the gloves, half-a-sovereign, 400% more money than he’d given the family the night before, fell out into his hands!
Most of us would consider that the answer to prayer. After all, Taylor now had his needs met monetarily. But the young apprentice reminded himself that he’d asked God to remind Dr. Hardey about his overdue pay.
Yet another week passed, and now the anonymous donation had been used up. More importantly, Hudson’s own rent was due, and the lady to whom he owed it was a poor Christian widow who couldn’t afford delinquency on Hudson’s part. Hudson seriously contemplated asking Dr. Hardey about the pay, but then, late on Saturday afternoon while Dr. Hardey and Hudson were working together in the lab, the doctor spoke up and asked, “By the by, Taylor, is not your salary due again?”
Hudson tried to keep his inner joy from bursting within him. In spite of his excitement, Hudson was able to quietly report that, in fact, it was a little overdue. But then, the missionary-in-training’s excitement was completely dashed.
Dr. Hardey continued, “Oh, I am so sorry you did not remind me. You know how busy I am. I wish I had thought of it a little sooner, for only this afternoon I sent all the money I had to the bank. Otherwise I would pay you at once.”
Hudson had nothing in his pocket, nothing in his stomach, and nothing for the landlady.
Dr. Hardey eventually went home and Hudson spent the rest of the evening working at the office – until he was sure the widow would be gone to bed. Only then did he begin to close up the shop. But just as Hudson was walking out the door, Dr. Hardey raced into the surgery and asked Hudson for the ledger. The doctor told his trusted apprentice that his richest customer had personally come by his house to pay his bill…in cash…on a Saturday night…at 10:00pm! Dr. Hardey gave the cash to Hudson as his payment.
At that moment, Hudson knew he could pay his rent. More importantly, he knew his God had answered his prayer. He believed he could fully rely on God to meet his needs. And for the rest of his life, this is exactly how Hudson Taylor led the world-changing China Inland Mission.
God used Hudson Taylor in radical ways, but it was partly due to the fact that Hudson Taylor was willing to be radical in his faith.
Resource’s Origin:
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets by Howard and Geraldine Taylor. Discovery House, 1990, Pages 17-25.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Calling
China
Disappointment
Doubt
Excitement
Faith
God’s Provision
Lifestyle
Perseverance
Prayer
Prepared
Sacrificial
Test
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
