Hudson Taylor- God Changed My Unbelief

By Mary Vee

Year: May, 1866 
Hudson Taylor: age 34

From J. Hudson Taylor's Notes

Here I stand, with my beloved family, on the deck of a ship bound for China. How I happen to be standing here, at long last, excited to return to the ministry in China, is totally due to the provision and love of God.

A gentle ocean breeze blew through my hair and stirred my excitement. The ship was pulling away from shore.

I thought back to the moment when I first realized I had to return to England for my health. The sadness overwhelmed me to leave China. 

I had no clue about God's plans and the importance of my leaving China. While working with the Chinese, I had no time for outside projects. We struggled to survive alongside the native people and had no opportunity to think about the dyeing souls farther inland. 

But in my London room where I spent many hours resting, recovering, praying, and drenched in the Word, I gazed at a map on the wall where I could see the whole of China. I prayed for those lost souls whenI was awake. I soon realized that without those months that pressed into years of dedicated study in the Word of God, I would not have been prepared for the new task God has given: the formation of the China Inland Mission.

I had my doubts about starting a new mission. Those who worked with me certainly didn't want to get in the way of any other mission. I also had my doubts over the strength of any new missionary sent into the mountains of China, far away from any city, protection, medical aid, food, postal service. Could an English man or woman endure such things?

My worries about the details of the new mission overwhelmed me. I allowed doubt to overcome the words God had spoken. It wasn't until I walked the beach, mentioned in the last post, that God pushed the doubts away and revived my soul, gave me strength, and empowered me to push forward with His calling.

I spoke at meetings of large audiences, telling them about our new mission. At these meetings I instructed the leader to not take up an offering. If God was to show His calling, than He would lay the burden of support on the hearts of the audience even after they left the meeting. The thought would turn from a momentary gift of pity, or concern, to a willingness to take part, to commit to the missionary work in inland China.

The decision proved true. The day after a meeting a man came to my house and handed me a large sum of money. "I had planned to put a few pounds in the offering, but last night the Lord spoke to me, asking me to give this gift." I looked at the check and saw five hundred pounds. 

It was this very gift that purchased the passage for my wife, children, and I aboard this ship where I now stand. I can't begin to tell you the joy that is flooding my heart, the excitement bubbling in my spirit, and my love for the Savior who saved us for all eternity.

Please pray for all missionaries and for those who don't know they will be missionaries in the future that God will bless, strengthen to carry out the work God has called them to do.

J. Hudson Taylor

Missionary to China--preparing to leave for my beloved China

Blessed by God

Photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

Research resources: J. Hudson Taylor, An Autobiography by J. Hudson Taylor; It is Not Death to Die, a new biography of Hudson Taylor by Jim Cromarty; Hudson Taylor Founder, China Inland Mission by Vance Christie; J. Hudson Taylor, A Man in Christ, by Roger Steer, and Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Dr. &and Mrs. Howard Taylor.