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God Can be Trusted
The story of God's faithfulness in the life of Elizabeth Goldsmith. Brought up by missionary parents in China, and losing her mother during five years separation by the war, Elizabeth Goldsmith's childhood years gave her many opportunities to begin to see God's faithfulness in action.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 14, 2023
I have to say, the stories that I've read in this book and other "old missionary memoirs and biographies" this year are unbelievable. Yet, I believe the stories are true. This woman grew up in China. I was most interested with this part because it was during the war. Her mother died in the midst while they were in a school in Shanghai. They did not see their father for a long time. Her father remarried and that seemed to actually work out well The hardship in China, losing a parents, financial woes is beyond belief to someone like me who complains when power is out for 22 hours in tropical Chattanooga. Ha ha
Most of this book is about the author's life with her husband when they initially served the Lord in Indonesia in the 1960s. She is honest about their failures (ie. the Communist threat teaching that offended some elders in the church who were part of the Communist party). She makes a point that they wanted to live like the people, that is, no car, very simple house. The people of Karoland grew to love and appreciate them. They did not want to appear anything like the Dutch who had ruled this area for maybe 100 years. The whole idea of missionaries, how to "do missions" was changing at this time. Still a ways to go with change, but it started.
One story that I remember is when the water pumps broke. They had no water and it was the dry season. She was about to go to Medan with their baby and God brought a huge storm. They were filling up everything, barrels, saucepans. They had enough water until the pumps were fixed. And the rain was very isolated to their town and a bit of the surrounding area.
One quote from page 179: "I remember the Vice Principal of my Bible college telling us, "God doesn't expect you to burn out but to burn on. Yet there are times when he asks us to give every ounce of our strength to an opportunity which may never come again. Paul describes his great ambition as "Now as always Christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. Alec Motyer in his book The Riches of Christ comments on this verse? "How these words "now as always" need to eat their way into heart and mind and conscience alike! For all of us each passing moment is a unique thing, unlike anything else, unrepeatable. It is now, now, now, that we must show how great Christ is. Never again will we have the chance to live for Him through this moment; never again will we have the chance to please Him in this circumstance; never again will He be gladdened by the trust In him which we have shown in the face of this test"
Most of this book is about the author's life with her husband when they initially served the Lord in Indonesia in the 1960s. She is honest about their failures (ie. the Communist threat teaching that offended some elders in the church who were part of the Communist party). She makes a point that they wanted to live like the people, that is, no car, very simple house. The people of Karoland grew to love and appreciate them. They did not want to appear anything like the Dutch who had ruled this area for maybe 100 years. The whole idea of missionaries, how to "do missions" was changing at this time. Still a ways to go with change, but it started.
One story that I remember is when the water pumps broke. They had no water and it was the dry season. She was about to go to Medan with their baby and God brought a huge storm. They were filling up everything, barrels, saucepans. They had enough water until the pumps were fixed. And the rain was very isolated to their town and a bit of the surrounding area.
One quote from page 179: "I remember the Vice Principal of my Bible college telling us, "God doesn't expect you to burn out but to burn on. Yet there are times when he asks us to give every ounce of our strength to an opportunity which may never come again. Paul describes his great ambition as "Now as always Christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. Alec Motyer in his book The Riches of Christ comments on this verse? "How these words "now as always" need to eat their way into heart and mind and conscience alike! For all of us each passing moment is a unique thing, unlike anything else, unrepeatable. It is now, now, now, that we must show how great Christ is. Never again will we have the chance to live for Him through this moment; never again will we have the chance to please Him in this circumstance; never again will He be gladdened by the trust In him which we have shown in the face of this test"
March 25, 2021
Peaceful read about a young missionary and her husband in Malyasia in 1960.
April 19, 2013
I was at a conference with Elizabeth and Martin few months ago. She was talking about her mission in the East and how people became Christians after reading this. How God can be trusted? How the love of God change people's lives? I did not know how much I missed on this topic being in a Christian family. I took so much for granted. While I was read this book, little by little it reminded me of God in my life. His Grace took such a great part in my life and I hadn't noticed. Felt ashamed of myself, I decided to live a fuller Christian life and try to do my best to shine God's Glory everywhere!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews