Page 12 - Good News February 2013 paper

so, he said, but the priest refused from obeying the impulse to relieve their distress at
to come without a payment of 18 the cost of all I possessed.
pence. The man did not possess It will scarcely seem strange that I was unable to say relieve them, seeing I was comparatively well off.
that much. His family was much to comfort these poor people. I needed But in parting with that coin I was giving him my all.
starving. comfort myself. I began to tell them, however, that What I had been trying to tell him was indeed true -
Immediately, it occurred to me they must not be cast down. Though their circum- God really was a Father, and might be trusted. The
that all the money I had in the stances were very distressing, there was a kind and joy all came back to my heart!
world was the solitary half crown, loving Father in heaven. I well remember how that night, as I went home to
and that it was in one coin. Something within me said, “You hypocrite, telling my lodgings, my heart was as light as my pocket.
Morever, while the bowl of cereal these people about a kind and loving Father in The lonely, deserted streets resounded with a hymn
I usually took for supper was heaven, and not prepared yourself to trust Him of praise which I could not restrain.
awaiting me, and there was without half a crown!” When I took my supper of cereal before retiring, I
sufficient in the house for I was nearly choked. How gladly would I have would not have exchanged it for a prince's feast. I
breakfast, I certainly had nothing compromised with conscience if I had had a florin reminded the Lord as I knelt at my bedside of His
for dinner on the coming day. and a sixpence! I would have given the florin own Word, that he who giveth to the poor lendeth to
“Ah,” thought I, “if only I had two thankfully and kept the rest. But I was not yet the Lord. I asked Him not to let my loan be a long
shillings and a sixpence instead prepared to trust in God alone, without the sixpence. one, or I should have no dinner the next day. And
of this half crown, how gladly To talk was impossible under these circumstances. with peace within and peace without, I spent a
would I give these poor people Yet, strange to say, I thought I should have no happy, restful night.
one shilling of it!” But to part with difficulty in praying. I seemed to think that all I The next morning before I could consume my plate
the half crown was far from my should have to do would be to kneel down and of porridge, the postman’s knock was heard at the
thoughts. I little dreamed that the engage in prayer, then relief would come to them and door. I was not in the habit of receiving letters on
real truth of the matter simply myself together. Monday, as my parents and most of my friends
was that I could trust in God while “You asked me to come and pray with your wife,” I refrained from posting on Saturday. So I was
I had one-and-sixpence, but not said to the man. “Let us pray.” And I knelt down. But somewhat surprised when the landlady came in
without any money at all in my scarcely had I opened my lips with “Our Father who holding a parcel.
pocket. art in heaven” than conscience said within, “Dare I looked at the address, but could not make out the
The poor man led me up a you mock God? Dare you kneel down and call Him handwriting. It was either a strange hand or a
miserable flight of stairs into a Father with that half crown in your pocket?” feigned one. The postmark was blurred. Where it
wretched room. And oh, what a Such a time of conflict came upon me then as I have came from I could not tell. On opening a letter within
sight! Four or five poor children never experienced before or since. How I got the parcel, I found nothing written within. But inside
stood about, their sunken cheeks through that form of prayer I know not. And whether a sheet of blank paper was folded a pair of kid
and temples all telling un- the words uttered were connected or disconnected I gloves. As I opened them in astonishment, half a
mistakably the story of slow cannot tell. But I arose from my knees in great sovereign ($1.20 or 10 shillings) fell to the ground.
starvation. And lying on a distress of mind. “Praise the Lord!” I exclaimed. “Four hundred
wretched pallet was a poor The poor father turned to me and said, “You see what percent for 12 hours’ investment! That is good
exhausted mother with a tiny a terrible state we are in, sir. If you can help us, for interest! How glad the merchants of Hull would be if
infant. God's sake, do!” they could lend their money at such a rate!”
“Ah!” thought I, “if I had two Just then the Word flashed into my mind, “Give to I cannot tell you how often my mind has come back
shillings and a sixpence instead him that asketh of thee,” and “in the word of a king to this incident. Nor can I measure the help it has
of half a crown, how gladly there is power.” I put my hand into my pocket, and been to me in circumstances of difficulty. If we are
should they have one-and- slowly drawing forth the half crown, gave it to the faithful to God in little things, we shall gain
sixpence of it!” But still a man. experience and strength that will be helpful to us in
wretched unbelief prevented me I told him that it might seem a small matter for me to the more serious trials of life.

“The path of following the Lord Jesus
Christ is not an easy one. Along the way
lies suffering and hardship, but nothing
we experience will ever compare to the
suffering Jesus endured for us on the
cross.
I have a problem with the ‘prosperity’
teaching prevalent today, which tells us
if we follow the Lord we’ll be safe and
comfortable.
This is completely contrary to Scripture
as well as to our experiences in China.
In addition to serving years in prison,
I’ve been arrested about thirty different
times for the sake of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. To follow God is a call not
only to live for Him, but to die for Him
also.”
- The Heavenly Man - Brother Yun