A BIRTH and A DEATH

The process of births and deaths is a continuous one. Many are born every day, and many die too. What counts is what happens between our birth and our death. How we use our time, talents, and our opportunities for the glory of God, and for the blessing of all around us, is what matters most. The purpose of life is not to live for ourselves. Never it was, and never it will be. This is true.

On this day, 9th August, the Church History records a birth and a death of two men, born almost at the same time, but separated by a vast ocean. On 09 August in 1788, American Baptist missionary, Adoniram Judson is born in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. Heeding to the call of God, he went to Burma, as a missionary. Adoniram translated the Bible into Burmese and wrote the first Burmese-English dictionary.

On the same day, on 9th August in 1883, Robert Moffat, the pioneer Scottish missionary to Southern Africa died. He, in his lifetime, has influence and inspired many a Christian, one among them is David Livingstone, who himself is greatly used by the LORD. Robert Moffat also happens to be the father-in-law of Livingstone. His oldest daughter Mary, married David Livingstone.

Robert Moffat opened mission stations in the interior, translated the Bible into the language of the Bechuanas, and wrote two missionary books on South Africa: Missionary Labours and Scenes in South Africa and Rivers of Water in a Dry Place, and the first translator of the Bible into Setswana.

How about us? How are we serving our LORD and Master? Why do we seek Him? Life is fleeting. Life on earth is not permanent. However, what we do on this earth counts. So, let us make it truly count for the glory of God, who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light – 1 Peter 2:9-10.