No Vain Thing“That was a precious summer [1852, 19 years of age], spent in working, thinking, ‘remembering,’ and in diligent study of the Word of G. Time seemed all too short for the many duties crowded into it, and he [Hudson Taylor] was learning how much more can be accomplished in a day from which an hour is deliberately taken for ‘remembering,’ than in the same time wholly given to one’s ordinary occupations.
“I am finding it a good plan not to attempt anything in my own strength, but to look to the L. for all…. I would earnestly recommend you [his sister, Amelia] never to read your B., much less any other book,…nor even attempt to write a letter, without first lifting your heart to the L., that He may guide, enlighten, and teach you…delivering you from the snares of the evil one and in all things giving you His blessing. Try it, and you will find it no vain thing to wait upon the L.” (Hudson Taylor: The Growth of a Soul, pp. 143-44).
Psalm 37:5 and Proverbs 16:3 tell us to “commit our ways unto the L.” and He will establish our ways and thoughts. Mathew and I spoke of this today, how that as bondslaves of our Master, our whole purpose for existence is for the good of our Master. We can, or should, have no desires that are truly for our own purposes. We no longer have rights of our own. We willingly have given ourselves to our Master, and now our ear has been pierced through with an awl, as it were, to use the OT imagery. If I believe this, then I will commit the planning of every way unto Him—when I eat my meals, when I go to the market, whom I eat with, when I do my lesson planning, when I write e-mails, when I sleep, when I play the guitar, when I read, when I remember, when I fellowship with Brothers, when I fellowship with others, when I…. It is easy for me to go through a whole day with my own agenda: then I look back and think, “What was accomplished for the Kingdom by my self-serving?” I hope that I can soon echo from experience the words of Taylor, “Try it, and you will find it no vain thing to wait upon the L.”
