"You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil on
yourselves, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine." - Micah 6:15
Oswald Smith was born in 1899 in Erneston, Ontario, Canada. He came to Christ
when he was seven and he attended Toronto Bible College and McCormick
Theological Seminary. In 1916, he became the pastor of Dale Presbyterian Church
in Toronto. In 1920, Oswald had the desire to become a missionary. As he stood
before the missionary board, he silently prayed over and over again: "Lord, I
want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me." When the
interview was over, the board turned Oswald Smith down. Oswald was crushe. He
did not meet their qualifications. He had failed the test. But God was working
in Oswald Smith's life. He planted another idea in Oswald's heart. If he could
not go as a missionary, he would build a church that could send out
missionaries. The small church combined with a Christian and Missionary Alliance
Congregation. By 1928, Oswald Smith's congregation, The People's Church in
Toronto, Canada, was sending out more missionaries than any other church at that
time. Oswald Smith brought God into the situation, and God transformed his
disappointment into a ministry.
Disappointment and discouragement will come into every life. The question is: Do
you look to the Lord when you are disappointed? Today in prayer, turn to the
Lord and give Him your disappointments and discouragements and He will give you
comfort and a work.
"Faith is often strengthened right at the place of disappointment." - Rodney
McBride
God's Word: "They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not
disappointed." - Psalm 22:5
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2001, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN THE MINOR
PROPHETS kennedy@devotional.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.