Do we have the devotion of such men as these?

Do We Have Devotion Such As These Men?

Dear Fellow Saints!

The following statements made me weep. Me because I have a mere shadow of these mens' devotion to the cause of Christ, a drop of their humility, and perhaps even less of their ceaseless passion for the heart of God. They were too busy communing with God and doing the work of the Kingdom than to fiddle with idle pleasure, sordid entertainment and temporal wealth. I don't think of them as missionaries. I think of them as lovers of God and obedient to His orders.   

David Brainerd:


"Here am I, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the savage pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it be but in Thy service, and to promote Thy kingdom."

"Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God's glory!"

"All my desire was the conversion of the heathen... I declare, now I am dying, I would not have spent my life otherwise for the whole world."

William Carey:

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."

After hearing an account of the spiritual needs of India, the secretary of the meeting remarked: "There is a gold mine in India, but it seems almost as deep as the center of the earth. Who will venture to explore it?" "I will venture to go down," said Carey, "but remember that you must hold the ropes."

"I feel it my duty to plod on while daylight last."
 
David Livingstone:

 "For my own part I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay?"

 "I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of that kingdom, it shall be given away or kept only as by giving or keeping of it I shall most promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity."

Robert Moffat:

"Oh, that I had a thousand lives and a thousand bodies! All of them should be devoted to no other employment but to preach Christ ..."

C. T. Studd:

"Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."