“Go to China.” Hudson heard the words as clearly as if someone beside him had spoken them.  Thousands of men and women would die having never heard of the gift of God — unless someone would go to China to tell them. 

Hudson Taylor knew no one in China. If he obeyed the call, he could expect help only from God Himself. If he ran out of money, there would be no one to borrow it from. If he lost his way, he wouldn’t know how to ask for directions. He could think of all sorts of needs and problems and the solution to them all would have to be the same — go to God. If this was how he was going to live, he figured he’d better start practising right away. He needed to learn to “move men, through God, by prayer alone.”

Hudson Taylor’s Experiment

Going to work for Dr. Hardey would be the perfect opportunity to begin.

The Doctor was a busy and rather forgetful man. “Be sure to remind me when your salary comes due, Taylor.” He said.

His young assistant smiled but said nothing. I will do nothing except pray. Hudson thought. God will have to remind the Doctor. It was just the lesson Hudson had been hoping for!

 The day he was to be paid came and went. A week passed without the Doctor having remembered to pay him. Though he only had a single half -crown left, Hudson refused to waver. He said nothing except to God. 

Often on Sunday evenings, Hudson preach to the poor. This week, as soon as he finished his message a man came up to him and asked if he would come to his house and pray for his wife who was dying. Hudson agreed and the two set out together.

The man looked tired and anxious, “The priest asked eighteen pence to come and I haven’t enough to even feed my children!”

Hudson did not doubt the truth of the words, the man’s thin face and threadbare clothes confirmed his story. When he entered the single room that was the family’s home, Hudson saw that their situation was even worse than he had expected. The man’s wife lay in bed. The three-day old baby laying beside her was crying. Five other children stared at Hudson, every face thin and pale.

 Suddenly the half – crown in his pocket did not seem so small. If it were only two shillings and sixpence instead of this half-crown. He thought. How gladly he would have given them part of it!

In His quiet but persistent way the Lord urged Hudson to give them the coin. Lord, I have but two meals left. His excuses were of little help. He tried to put the thought out of his mind. Taking the lady’s hand, he began to tell the family of a loving heavenly Father who would care for them, but he could not say very much. The words seemed empty and he felt as if he would choke on them.  He knelt to pray, but how could he pray when he was not willing to obey God and help these people who so badly needed it? 

The father put his hand on Hudson’s shoulder, “If you can help us, for God’s sake do!”

In Hudson’s thoughts a verse followed the father’s plea. Give to him that asketh thee. Without further argument he took the single coin from his pocket and pressed it into the man’s hand.

Once it had been done, the sacrifice no longer seemed so hard to make. A second verse followed. Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Hudson could not contain a smile as he left the house. The money had been lent to God and he was quite sure it would have a good return.

The next morning there was a letter in the mail; the envelope had not been marked with any return address. Hudson opened it and dumped the contents onto his table. A pair of leather gloves and a half sovereign. There was no note of explanation. Hudson didn’t need one. God had paid him back with good interest! The coin was worth five times that which he had given away the night before!

That money carried Hudson Taylor through the next two weeks. Then Saturday came around and he recalled that his room rent would be due that night. He knew how dearly his landlady needed the money but his mind was made up. I will not say anything about it to the Doctor. I can’t! He knelt down and prayed again. Surely God would answer the need.

Hudson waited with expectation all morning. The Doctor must say something about it today. His faith was tested with each passing minute of the afternoon but he did not turn from his purpose.

Late in the day, Doctor Hardey finally mentioned the subject. “Is your salary not due yet, Taylor?” 

Hudson tried to repress a triumphant smile. “It is overdue some little time, Sir.” 

“You should have reminded me!” The doctor said. “You know how busy I am. If I had thought of it a little sooner, I would not have sent all the money to the bank this afternoon. I would pay you now if I had the cash.”

Hudson gave no reply. He had so hoped he would have the money by tonight! This is surely the hardest test of all! Hudson continued his work in silence until he found a moment to spare. Slipping away to a quiet place he fell on his knees and cried out to God. He rose with an assurance that the Lord would work it out.

Hudson was just closing the books for the day. The sun was setting and his coat lay over the back of the chair ready to be put on, when the Doctor hurried into the room. He was laughing. “Can you believe that one of my wealthiest patients has just come, at this late hour, to pay his doctor bill! Look up the account, Taylor, and see what he owes. Do you not find it funny that he should come at this hour when he could write me a check any day?”

Hudson laughed too but it was in joy more than amusement. The doctor returned with the money in hand and gave it to his assistant. Thus, Husdon Taylor’s needs were supplied and more importantly his landlady could be paid! Both Doctor Hardey and his wealthy patient had been “moved, through God, by prayer alone.” 

Sole Reliance

David said, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm cxxi.1-2, NKJV)

Where does your help come from?

Can you join the Psalmist and say, “my help comes from the Lord”?

Hudson Taylor had no other choice. While in England, he could have reminded Dr. Hardey his pay was due or he could have written home to ask his father to lend him some money. But when he got to China, he would have no such support — he could look to God alone.

 Often, when we turn to God our dependence is only a partial one. We live with a constant supply of insurance policies backing up our faith. Like Hudson Taylor’s half-crown, we’re holding on to something. Something we trust. Something we rely upon. Therefore, God is not our only source of help. He is just one of many solutions.

Leonard Ravenhill said, “The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it.” I would venture to say the same is true of prayer and faith.  We don’t pray because we don’t need to pray. We don’t have faith in God because we haven’t had to trust Him — to fully trust Him.

If we want to see the power of God, we must rely on His help alone. This takes faith and faith carries with it a risk. Hudson Taylor risked having nothing to eat and nothing to pay his landlady. What if God hadn’t come through?

“Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame…” (Psalm xxv.3, BSB)

God came through for Hudson Taylor and He will come through for us. He is faithful, he is unchanging, he is reliable. We are asked to place our confidence in Him.

Hudson Taylor showed us that being fully reliant upon God is a choice. Any need can become an opportunity to go to our King for help, any problem a chance to see Him proven faithful! 

“Perhaps God brings us to the end of our resources so we can discover the vastness of His.” – Neil T. Anderson

In Christ

Quiana

*Facts of this story were taken from God’s Adventurer, by Phyllis Thompson.