William Carey, often called the father of modern missions, faced a ministry disappointment of overwhelming proportions. Carey began his missionary career to India in 1793. He labored in that country for 40 continuous years, never once returning to his native England. Carey was a prodigious translator, translating portions of Scripture into over a dozen Indian languages.
One afternoon after 20 years of plodding labor in that country, a fire raged through his printing plant and warehouse. All of his printing equipment was destroyed, but most tragically, many of his precious manuscripts were completely consumed by the fire. Of course, Carey had no computer back-up files or photocopies. Twenty years of nonstop labor were gone within a few hours.
How would he respond to this crushing devastation? Carey wrote to his pastor-friend, Andrew Murray, in England:
The ground must be laboured over again, but we are not discouraged. We have all been supported under the affliction, and preserved from discouragement. To me the consideration of the divine sovereignty and wisdom has been very supporting. I endeavored to improve this our affliction last Lord's day, from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” I principally dwelt upon two ideas:
- God has a sovereign right to dispose of us as he pleases.
- We ought to acquiesce in all that God does with us and to us.
