One thing that has always impressed me about great men and women of faith is: their reflex response to various types of adversity or need is to trust that God is going to care and provide for them. From long exercise of their faith in God’s character and the promises of His Word, they automatically anticipate that His help and provision will definitely come to them.
Throughout his five decades of service as a Christian missionary in China, Hudson Taylor exhibited a reflexive faith response when faced with all variety of challenges, including pressing material needs, overwhelming ministry pressures, imminent dangers, the need for ever-increasing numbers of missionaries, and more. To follow are two examples of his automatically manifesting such faith in the Lord.
During the latter months of 1859, at age twenty-seven, Taylor needed to assume the leadership of the missionary hospital and dispensary in Ningpo, China. It was a huge task, with care being given daily to fifty or more inpatients, about half of whom were recovering opium addicts. In addition, a large number of outpatients—more than six hundred by year’s end—came to the dispensary for treatment.
The expenses to keep the medical ministry operating were enormous, and he constantly needed to look in faith to God to provide the need. One morning, after he had been overseeing the work for a few weeks, the hospital’s cook anxiously informed him, “The very last bag of rice has been opened and is disappearing rapidly.”
“Then the Lord’s time for helping us must be close at hand,” the missionary responded reassuringly.
Before the bag of rice was consumed, Taylor received a letter and a check for fifty British pounds (equaling 250 American dollars, worth twenty or thirty times that amount today) from a faithful supporter back in England. Part of the letter read: “The enclosed check is for any immediate needs which you might have. Would you be so kind as to write fully, after praying over the matter, if there are ways in which you can profitably use more?”
Great was the rejoicing of the missionary and his little band of faithful Christian workers when he relayed this news to them. They were not bashful about sharing the joyous news with the hospital’s unconverted patients as a testimony of the power and love of the one true God.
Many years later, in the summer of 1886, Hudson Taylor was accompanied by fellow missionary Montagu Beauchamp in making an extended ministry itineration on mules. During the journey they faced not a little hardship and deprivation. One morning Beauchamp overheard Taylor singing, “We thank thee, Lord, for this our food.”
The younger missionary could not help but ask, “Where on earth is the food?”
“It can’t be far away,” Taylor responded cheerfully. “Our Father knows we are hungry and will send our breakfast soon.” He then added with a smile, “But you will have to wait and say your grace when it comes, while I shall be ready to begin at once!”
As providence would have it, just a couple of minutes later they met a man selling ready-cooked rice and were able to purchase their breakfast.
What are the difficulties and needs we are facing currently? By reminding ourselves of the character and promises of God, let’s seek to exercise strong, steadfast faith that He can and will help us with those matters. With the Lord’s enablement, may we over time come to have an automatic faith response in Him.
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These and dozens of other examples of Taylor’s remarkable reflexive faith in God can be found in two of my books: Hudson Taylor: Gospel Pioneer to China (P&R Publishing); Timeless Stories: God’s Incredible Work in the Lives of Inspiring Christians (Christian Focus Publications). If you’ve appreciated and benefited from this blog, thanks for sharing it with others.
Copyright 2026 by Vance E. Christie
