American =
Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson arrived in Burma (today Myanmar) in =
1812, and died there in 1850. During that time he suffered imprisonment, =
torture, and disease. After the death of his beloved wife, Ann, he was =
so depressed that he sat daily beside her tomb. Three years later, he =
wrote: ‘God is to me the Great Unknown. I believe in Him, but I =
cannot find Him.’
But =
Adoniram’s faith sustained him and he threw himself into a translation of the Bible for the =
Burmese which he finished in early 1834. Nevertheless, when he died =
after 38 years of labor there were less than 20 believers and no =
churches there.
At the 150th =
anniversary of the translation of the Bible into the Burmese language, =
Paul Borthwick was addressing a group that was celebrating Judson’s =
work. Before he got up to speak, he noticed in small print on the first =
page the words: "Translated by Rev. A. Judson." He turned to =
his interpreter and asked, "What do you know of this man?" The =
translator, a Burmese Christian, began to weep and said…"We =
know him—we know how he loved the Burmese people, how he suffered =
for the gospel because of us, out of love for us. He died a pauper, but =
left the Bible for us. When he died, there were few believers, but today =
there are over 600,000 of us, and every single one of us traces our =
spiritual heritage to one man: the Rev. Adoniram =
Judson."
But Adoniram =
Judson never saw it.
Sometimes we =
think we aren’t making a difference. That we’re wasting our time trying =
to help people. That God isn’t blessing. Let’s not forget that we are =
investing in the future, and only God knows what he intends to do with =
the labor you are putting forth today. We want instant gratification. =
With God a thousand years is as one day. When you’re tempted to give up, =
remember Adoniram Judson.
=
[Sent by fellow-pastor =
Wayne and appropriate for this week. Thirteen years ago (January =
9, 2005) we started Sovereign Grace Church (Reformed Baptist) here in a =
living room in Casper, Wyoming, with a couple families. It has been a =
privilege to minister in the Word to these people, watching hundreds of =
people touched by God in the ministry of the church. And a special smile =
knowing that as we give to missions, it includes funds to help churches =
in Myanmar build facilities and print Bibles/Gospel tracts to continue =
the legacy of Judson!]
=
~~
Dr =
Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This =
I Love!"
=