But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Matthew 9:36-38 Born in Connecticut in 1718, David Brainerd was orphaned as a teenager. A local pastor took him into his home, and when he was twenty-one, Brainerd went to Yale as a student. He had been convinced that he could gain Gods favor on his own, but he came under conviction during a revival and realized that salvation was only of Gods grace. When Brainerd finished his education, he determined to be become a missionary to the American Indians. He declined the call to pastor a large and wealthy church in New York to live in poverty among the Indians. He started works in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, traveling long miles and often sleeping outside in bad weather. Brainerd said, “I care not where I go or how I live or what I endure so that I may save souls. When I sleep, I dream of them; when I awake, they are first in my thoughts.” Never strong in body, Brainerd contracted pulmonary consumption and died in the home of Jonathan Edwards at the age of twenty-nine. Though he did not see many converts during his lifetime, his story became a challenge that was used to call many to enter missionary work. It is impossible for us to truly love God as we should without demonstrating a love for others. People we meet will spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell—and God has commanded us to tell them of the only hope of Heaven through salvation in Jesus Christ. There is no greater demonstration of Gods love than sharing it with others. Your love for God is nowhere better seen than in your love for the lost. By Paul Chappell
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 13:35:16 +0000
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