Our influence - Daily Bread

Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. – James 1:6

Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) was gifted with a brilliant mind. He learned to read at age 3, could translate Greek at 12, and enrolled in Brown University when he was 16. While there he was befriended by Jacob Eames, a man who rejected the miracles of the Bible. When Judson graduated as valedictorian in 1807, he had been so influenced by Eames that he denied his Christian faith.

One night, when Judson was staying at a village inn, he was disturbed by a man moaning in the next room. The following morning he asked the innkeeper about the ailing man. He was told that the man had died and that his name was Jacob Eames.

The startling coincidence of being near his friend at the point of his death stunned Judson. He felt compelled to search his own soul and to seek God’s pardon for denying his faith. From that point on, he began to live for the Lord. God led him to pioneer missionary work in Burma. At the end of his life, Adoniram could look back on a ministry that had planted dozens of churches and influenced thousands to become believers.

What kind of influence are we having on others? Do our lives encourage faith in the Savior, or do we cause others to doubt? – Dennis Fisher

We cannot live our lives alone,
For other lives we touch
Are either strengthened by our own
Or weakened just as much. – Anon.

READ: James 1-1-8

Your life either sheds light or casts a shadow.

The Bible in one year:

• Genesis 10-12
• Matthew 4