Daily Devotion

“In regard to useful objects, it does not seem necessary to wait till a large collection of materials be made before they be begun. The conviction of their utility being once firmly fixed in the mind, let them be attempted in dependence on divine providence, and on the co-operation of those men to whom they approve themselves. If they be essentially connected with the improvement and happiness of but a small portion of mankind, they will ultimately prosper, however unpromising in their first stages.”

William Milne · A Retrospect of the First Ten Years of the Protestant Mission to China (1820), Section XIV

Scripture

John 9:4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me; but night is coming when no one can work.

Reflection

Milne wrote these words about the beginning of the Ultra-Ganges Mission Library, which started with only about ten small European volumes and a very few Chinese books. Useful work, he argued, need not wait until everything is ready; once convinced of its value, begin it in dependence on God. Milne died in Malacca in 1822, only thirty-seven years old. He did not wait for "the right conditions," yet he left those who followed the foundations of the Anglo-Chinese College, a Chinese periodical, and a library. Jesus said, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day." Perfectionism is often the enemy of obedience. We often use "the conditions are not ripe" as an excuse to delay our mission; we need not wait until we are old and gray to make up for regrets. Start today with the little that is in our hands, and light the path ahead.