Page 108 - Living Epistles

"We might indeed have had a guarantee fund if we had wished it; but we felt
it was unneeded and would do harm. Money wrongly placed, and money
given from wrong motives are both to be greatly dreaded. We can afford to
have as little as the Lord chooses to give, but we cannot afford to have
unconsecrated money, or to have money placed in the wrong position. Far
better have no money at all, even to buy food with; for there are plenty of
ravens in China, and the Lord could send them again with bread and flesh...”

"Our Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children
wake up with a good appetite every morning, and He always provides
breakfast for them, and does not send them supperless to bed at night. 'Thy
bread shall be given thee, and thy water shall be sure.' He sustained three
million Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. We do not expect He will
send three million missionaries to China ; but if He did, He would have ample
means to sustain them all. Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that
we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in everything, great
and small. Depend upon it, GOD's work done in GOD'S way will never lack
GOD's Supplies."

It was men and women of faith, therefore, who were needed for the Inland
Mission, prepared to depend on God alone, satisfied with poverty should He
deem it best, and confident that His Word cannot be broken.

There is great wisdom in these words, and it is little wonder that the China
Inland Mission met with much greater success in leading others to faith in
Christ that those missionary organizations that operated along man’s
principles, seeking to shield themselves from trials and distresses. It is also
not surprising that the China Inland Mission found itself accused of
recklessness, irresponsibility and folly by those denominational groups that
always kept suitable money in reserve, and insurance policies and lines of
credit for emergencies. The flesh of man finds it a terrifying thing to be
vulnerable before the world. Yet peace is attained by the one who makes God
his refuge and looks to the bank of heaven to supply His needs.

One such family who were willing to embrace the life of faith faced their own
tests as God brought them to cast all upon Him. We read of their experience
in the following words.

In the little town of Attica two other hearts had been learning similar lessons,
hearts united in an equally deep bond of love. Circumstances had changed a