A Voice from the Past for the Present From the Diary of DR. REUBEN A . TORREY
“ When do you expect the money?” “ This afternoon.” “ Shall I call Monday?” “Yes.” I had no idea where the money was to come from. I went to my Bible study class at four o’clock. At the close a Christian brother stepped up and handed me a check for $25.00, just the sum I needed. It was, I think, the first money ever handed to me there. I was over come. I told him the story, and he said that the money was some that he had never expected to get; it had been owed him for years, and coming as it did, he gave it to me. The next week I thought I would ask the Lord for $100.00 by the following Saturday, in order to pay some debts. Thursday, another Christian friend stopped me on the street and asked me if I were not hard up. Of course I had to say, “ Yes.” “ Well,” he said, “I want to give you $ 100 . 00 .” As he had already given $100.00 to the work, which was four times his gift in other years, another $100.00 from that source was entirely un expected. Then more money came. I asked my self, “ Shall I spend it all, or save for the future?” I thought, “ God can pro vide for the future.” I went to the bank and cashed out all that I had, except about two dollars, to pay my debts. Within ten minutes from the time I did it, the treasurer of a Mission Society said he had $244.00 for me. This money was soon gone. One day I had just seven cents in my pocket. At the time I was riding on the street car. A young lady got on who had a bad coin which the conductor would not take. Should I give practically all I had? I knew not where the next money for my own family was to come from, but I dropped the money into the box, and before I needed more, I had it. At another time I had only five cents of my own, though I had some twenty dollars set apart for the Lord. I went to help another evangelist in a meeting. I gave my last five cents to the con ductor. I paid another brother’s fare out of the Lord’s money, as he was one of the Lord’s poor. The next day we went without meat for dinner, though we had plenty to eat; but as I went over the river, I asked God for $10.00 to meet the neces sary expenses of the family. I went in an office to see about an advertisement. After the business was transacted, an official asked me to step into his office a moment, and he gave me a check for $20.00. These experiences are noticeable, as they were unknown by me until I
stepped right out to trust the Lord, and at that time these persons did not know of the stand I had taken. It soon became evident that the Lord wanted me to give up my salary, which had been paid with great irregularity. By His grace I did this January 1, 1889. I proposed to take the whole Mission work—rent, gas, everything—as a faith work. So on January 1 we began with no pledges for the future. The money came, but singularly enough not from the old and expected sources. As March drew to a close, the rent for the month was in part due. Gas bills would soon be due, and no money. There had been sources where money seemed sure, money that had really been con tributed for us, and I had my eye on them rather than on the Lord Jesus and so our embarrassment arose. I determined to close up Monday, April 1st, if money was not in hand. Saturday, March 30th, came, the last business day. As I went to my Bible study class, the elevator boy handed me a note which a friend had left, and in it was his check of $160.00 for the mis sion. The next week I was personally in straits—rent due, and no money to pay the rent. (Hereafter I shall lay by in store day by day to meet that, as it seems like running in debt to have your house a month and no provision for the rent.) I looked for something—to sell. It occurred to me that a friend owed me enough. I dropped in and mentioned the fact, as he was well-to-do. Yes, he could pay on Monday, so I waited. Monday came and I called, but he had forgotten me and paid out the money elsewhere. “ Must I have it?” I was not willing to press him, so I said, “ Never mind.” I had no one to go to but the Lord. I needed about $40.00 in all ($12.50 for my rent). I went to the Lord Monday night, and Tuesday morning I was confident that the money would come. When I reached my office, some one said, “ There is a letter on your desk.” “ There is that money,” I thought, but as I took it up, I saw it was from a friend for whose very sick child I had prayed. I did not think of any money being in that en velope. I opened it and found that the child was wonderfully improved, and in the letter was a draft for $45.60. I hesitated to take it under the circum stances, but afterward when I met this friend he' said that he had received the draft as an extra, and that his wife had said Tuesday morning, “ I believe Broth er Torrey needs that,” and so they had sent it. I did need it, but I did not expect it from these dear friends whom I had seldom met.
Dr. Torrey, the first Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
These very personal and practical notes from an old diary, written before Dr. Torrey’s outstanding service at the Moody Bible Institute, the Los Angeles Bible Institute, and around the world, reveal very strikingly how the Lord de veloped the faith of this great man of God, and prepared him for the mar velous ministry which followed. Minneapolis, Minn., April 18, 1889 It has been a long time since I kept a diary, but the Heavenly Father has of late shown me so many evidences of His love and care that it seems as if I ought to keep a record of His many kindnesses to me. Last fall it became evident to me, while reading The Life of Trust by George Mueller, that it is wrong to run in debt (Rom. 13:8), and that if we trusted God and took our stand upon His plain Word, He would see to it that our needs were met. At the time I was still owing $600.00 for money borrowed in connection with my European trip, and in addition $100.00 for rent and $100.00 for groceries. I resolved to go no further in debt and to pay up the old debts as fast as possible. I had very little money on hand, but was sure the Lord would provide. At the time I needed to put in my winter wood that it might dry. It ought to have been put in that week. I asked the Lord for the money by Saturday. Day after day passed and no money came. When Saturday came, I spoke to the Lord about it very particularly, but to no one else. During the day a man called, say ing that he heard I wanted to buy some wood. I told him, “Yes,” but that I never bought till I had the money to pay.
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