When Robert Moffat and his companions were traveling in Africa, they came near to a native village on the banks of the river, Orange. They had traveled far and were suffering from thirst, hunger and weariness. They were afraid of the lions which were seen in that area, so they wished to remain in the village overnight. But the natives were rough and unkind and would not allow them to come in and even insisted that they camp some distance off.
They asked for water to drink, but that was denied them. So they had no prospect of anything better than to spend the night hungry and thirsty, though in sight of the village and of the river. Besides this, they were suspicious of the villagers themselves as they were most unfriendly.
But when it began to grow dark, a native woman came to them with a bundle of wood on her head and a bottle of milk in her hand. Without speaking she gave them the milk, laid down the wood, and went back to the village. A second time she came with a pot on her head-a leg of mutton in one hand and water in the other. Sitting down without saying a word, she prepared the fire, and put on the meat to cook. Again and again they asked who she was, but she remained silent until the work was done. Then again they entreated her to give a reason for such kindness to strangers.
Tears rolled down her dark cheeks as she replied, “I love Him whose servant you are, and feel it is my duty to give you a cup of cold water in His name. My heart is full. I cannot speak my joy to see you in this out-of-the-world place.”
That poor woman was a solitary light burning in that dark corner of the world. Sometime before she had been in the school of a missionary where she had learned to love the Lord Jesus as her Saviour. She now had a copy of the Dutch Testament given her by her teacher.
When they asked her how she kept the light of God in her soul, all alone without any Christian help or fellowship, she drew the much-prized Book from her breast saying, “There is the oil which makes my lamp burn! This is the fountain from which I drink!”
ML-11/20/1977