Verse of the day 29

On February 19, 1812, 23 year old Adoniram Judson set sail for Calcutta with his bride of seven days. Since his conversion three years prior, Judson had become deeply burdened for international missions. He had been rejected from the American Board for Foreign Missions and had resolved to raise support in London. After spending a time imprisoned by French privateers, he had successfully made his way to London, only to be rejected yet again. Upon his return home, the American Board finally agreed to send him to India. So there he was, setting out on the greatest journey of his life—full of expectations, enthusiasm, and uncertainty.

He didn’t expect that he would become convinced of baptism by immersion during the journey, causing him to be cut off from the support of the board. He didn’t expect to be banned from India upon his arrival, forcing him to go to Burma instead, a country without a single Christian. He didn’t expect to lose his first child at eight months. He didn’t expect to labour six years without a single convert. He didn’t expect to be imprisoned for two years on accusations of being a British spy. And he certainly didn’t expect the deaths of both his first and second wife. He didn’t expect any of those things on that February morning as he set sail from America, all he knew was that he would face each obstacle with faith, courage, and perseverance.

During Judson’s 38 years in Burma, he would write the first Burmese English dictionary, and translate the entire Bible. He would single-handedly be the first piece in a domino effect that would increase the Christian population in Burma from 0 to 210,000 by the time of his death. He had no idea what obstacles lay before him, but he would live his life as an incredible testament to the power of perseverance.