Honouring God

Eric Liddell was an exceptional Scottish athlete who was born in China, to Scottish missionary parents.  He was capped seven times as an international Rugby Union player as well. In the 1924 Paris Olympics, he entered the 100 metre race. When he learned it was to be run on a Sunday he refused to do it, and instead ran in the 400m, which was on a weekday. Although the 100m was the race which he favoured, and his best chance of winning, yet he refused because he felt it would not honour God. Before the 400m race, an American masseuse put a scrap of paper into his hand, with the message: “They that honour Me them will I honour.” (1 Samuel 2:30) Liddell won the 400m Gold that day and further won the 200m Gold. He once said about his athletics, “I believe that God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. When I run I feel His pleasure.”

Chariots of Fire was the Oscar winning movie that featured Liddell’s epic race, which made his name famous. There were two sons in the Taylor family in England. The older one set out to make a name for the family, and turned towards Parliament and prestige. But Hudson Taylor, the younger choose to give his life to Christ, so he turned his face toward China and obscurity. Hudson Taylor is known and honoured on every continent as a faithful missionary, and as the founder of the China Inland Mission. But when you look in the encyclopaedia to see what the other son has done, you find these words, “The brother of Hudson Taylor.” “They that honour Me, them will I honour.”

Henry L. Stanley found Livingstone in Africa and lived with him for some time. Here is his testimony: “I went to Africa as prejudiced as the biggest atheist in London. But there came for me a long time of reflection. I saw the solitary old man there and asked myself, ‘How on earth does he stay here – has he cracked up, or what? What is it that inspires him?’ For months after we met I found myself wondering at the old man carrying out all that was said in the Bible – ‘Leave all things and follow Me.’ But little by little his sympathy for others became contagious; my sympathy was aroused; seeing his piety, his gentleness, his zeal, his earnestness, and how he went about his business. I was converted by him, although he had not tried to do it. “They that honour Me, them will I honour.”

Michael Faraday, the brilliant scientist, famous for his discoveries on Electromagnetism, among other things. A crowded gathering of distinguished scientists were enthralled, as he gave a masterly lecture and demonstration of the powers of magnetism. At the close of his talk, the crowd rose to their feet and applauded enthusiastically for several minutes, and returned to their seats. Then the Prince of Wales – afterwards King Edward V11 – rose to propose a motion of congratulations. The crowd rose to their feet again with renewed thunders of applause. But much to everyone’s surprise Faraday did not reappear. You see, Faraday was an elder of a small church of twenty members, and that night was their prayer meeting, which Faraday would not dream of missing. 124 years after his death, the Bank of England commemorated his life by putting his portrait on the back of the then £20 note. “They that honour Me them will I honour.” 

- Pastor David Goudy