THE OBSTINATE
HORSE
When Christian missionaries traveled to the Far East with the China Inland Mission, they recorded all they observed about the people and the land. The stories they wrote chronicled their voyages, challenges, obstacles and victories in God and are compiled them in this book titled The Obstinate Horse and Other Stories from the China Inland Mission.
This collection of 19 short stories is rich with emotion and lessons that we can all apply to our lives today. Each story has a devotional and a prayer at the end, and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations at the start of each story.
Many of the stories in The Obstinate Horse involve animals and because of this, they remind me a little of Aesop’s Fables. But in this case, all the stories are first-hand accounts of missionary work in Chinese caves, towns and the countryside by men and women passionate to reach people with the Gospel.
It is good to remember those Christians of the past who have done wonderful things for God and for other believers. It is important to remember the sacrifices they made for the Kingdom of God.
The Obstinate Horse and Other Stories from the China Inland Mission
In addition to the short stories, there are five small chapters on pioneering missionaries who traveled to/toward China to pave the way for future men and women of God.
For those who are actively involved in missions, this book will help you relate to aspects of missionary work such as isolation, intimidation, and judging missionary work by visible results. Importantly, the book reminds us that Jesus Christ only spent three years as a missionary before the Crucifixion and that even “a little seed sown can bring a great harvest.”
Although the writers recount some difficult experiences, they write with such love and faithfulness that their (and our) focus remains on the task at hand, which they obediently have their eyes fixed on.
PRAYER
Dear Jesus, being a missionary is hard. Rejection and punishment are just some of the things we face when sharing you with others. But rejection and punishment are things you are familiar with, and faced in Gethsemane and Calvary. So, I know I can follow your example in my mission. Give me an understanding heart to love and honor people the way you do, and share the Gospel through the witness of my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The China Inland Mission was founded in 1865 and is still around today, known as OMF International. ‘Pray. Learn. Go.’ is their motto and they continue to support and serve the church in East Asia.