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A young girl's testimony, using a hymn, and its effect.
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Dr. M. E. Dodd told this story of some young people who had volunteered as foreign missionaries. One of them was the only daughter of a multimillionaire. She was socially prominent, wealthy and worldly. Her parents were not Christians.
One evening, out of curiosity, the young lady entered a little church building. There she heard the Gospel for the first time. She was converted and later she heard God's call to go as a missionary to China. She told her parents of her decision. Sneeringly they said, “You are mad! This is only a passing whim. We'll put a stop to it!”
This young lady was engaged to a successful businessman. He was not a Christian. She appealed to him to surrender to Christ. He too, laughed at her. He said to himself, “I'll dissuade her from this fanatical idea!”
Sometime later, the parents gave a gala social function to which they invited their socially prominent and worldly friends. The parents told those friends their problem and enlisted their efforts to change the mind of their daughter. That evening, the daughter listened to the discouraging pleas. She stood firm, however. Going to the piano, she began to play and sing H. F. Lyte’s precious hymn:
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
By Thy grace to follow Thee;
I am weak, despised, forsaken,
Thou henceforth my All must be.
Perish every fond ambition -
All I've sought, or hoped, or known!
Yet how rich is my condition -
God and heaven are now my own!
Let the world despise and leave me,
All its hate my Savior knew!
Human hearts and looks deceive me -
Thou art not like them untrue;
Oh! while Thou dost smile upon me
Lord of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Show Thy face, and all is bright.
Man may trouble and distress me,
‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.
Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.
Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
Her fiancé was deeply touched. Going to her, he said, “I didn't know Jesus Christ could mean so much to any person. If He means this to you, pray for me that I, too may be saved and become His devote follower!” Thus her prayer was answered. They were happily married, and both went to China where they labored for God for many years.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:34
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 1 John 2:15-17.