“Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes” – Genesis 18:27

In 1853, J. Hudson Taylor arrived in Shangai as a young twenty-one year old missionary. Twelve years later, he founded the China Inland Mission and became the first Protestant missionary to go into inland China. Taylor led the China Inland Mission for the next 40 years and at the time of his death in 1905, the mission had 205 stations, 849 missionaries, and 125,000 Chinese Christians. Taylor also translated the New Testament into the Ningpo dialect.

Near the end of his life, two ladies in Shanghai once began talking about him, wondering if he was ever tempted to be proud. One of the ladies went and asked Mrs. Taylor. She did not know. But Mrs. Taylor went and asked Hudson.

He was surprised and inquired, “Proud about what?”

Mrs. Taylor replied, “Why, about the things you have done.”

Then immediately Hudson replied with the beautiful answer, “I never knew I had done anything.”

He was right. Hudson Taylor never had done anything, for it was God who had worked in and through him.

Is pride stopping you from becoming great in the Lord’s eyes? Today in prayer, confess any sin of pride and humble yourself before the Lord.

“The higher a man is in grace, the lower he will be in his own estimation. Not because he is comparing himself with people, but because he is comparing himself with the Lord God.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” – 1 Peter 5:5-6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2006, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS pkennedy6@yahoo.com