What do you think when you open the last bag of rice?

One way to know if I trust in God is to observe the first thought that enters my mind when things begin to fall apart. Mostly, for me, it’s panic. There are times when, after the panic subsides, I find some kind of peace knowing that God is my Father and He has promised never to leave me or forsake me, but that’s almost never my first inclination, and it’s the first inclination that reveals my heart. Most days I’m an infant in knowing God and trusting Him doesn’t come easy – after all, how does anyone trust a person they can’t see?

This morning I read a passage from Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret and I saw a different kind of disposition. Dr. Taylor was a missionary to China in the nineteenth century and determined early on that he would trust in no man for his provision, but God alone. In trial after trial he had seen God keep His promises, and he understood what Peter meant when he told the exiled Christians to rejoice in trials because they test the genuineness of faith, which is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:6-7). 

Here’s the context. Dr. Taylor had been asked to manage a large Chinese hospital. The previous director, and the man who built the hospital, had to leave the country suddenly to care for his wife and children, but all the funding came through his private practice. Therefore, once he left, the funding left as well. Not intimidated by the test, Hudson Taylor accepted the position and though he had no means to keep the hospital running, he took the matter to God in prayer. Day after day he and his staff called to their Father, asking Him to provide for their needs. Day after day, they waited. Then:

At length one morning Kuei-hua the cook appeared with serious news for [Dr. Taylor]. The very last bag of rice had been opened, and was disappearing rapidly.

” Then,” replied Hudson Taylor, ” the Lord’s time for helping us must be close at hand.”

The cook opens the last bag of rice and Taylor’s first disposition isn’t panic, it’s trust – God must be coming to help us soon. When I open the last bag of rice, my first thought is usually, God has forgotten me, because, let’s be honest, if He really loved me He would have provided before now. But I’m discovering that my Father isn’t so much interested in keeping me insulated from need, He wants me to know Him and trust His promises, and there isn’t any way I know to learn trust than to open the last bag of rice and let God prove Himself.

4 Responses to “What do you think when you open the last bag of rice?”

1. Adam Miller says:

   December 15, 2009 at 7:08 am

   These are good thoughts for me today, Steve. I am so full on my own efforts, laboring for what isn’t really satisfying and eating what isn’t really bread. When I run out of my rotten provisions then Christ can actually give me food and drink that will astound me.
2. Alex Gordon says:

   April 1, 2010 at 7:47 pm

   кулллл……

   One way to know if I trust in God is to observe the first thought that enters my mind when things begin to fall apart. Mostly, for me, it’s panic…..
3. Kylie Batt says:

   May 3, 2010 at 6:20 am

   Подтверждаю. Всё выше сказанное правда. Можем пообщаться на эту тему. Здесь или в PM….

   One way to know if I trust in God is to observe the first thought that enters my mind when things begin to fall apart. Mostly, for me, it’s panic…..
4. Kylie Batt says:

   May 18, 2010 at 5:09 pm

   Абсолютно с Вами согласен. В этом что-то есть и это отличная идея. Я Вас поддерживаю….

   ……