Hudson Taylor... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
John 19:30

The parents of Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), the well-known missionary in China, were believers. From their example, he noticed early in life how helpful prayer and the Bible are.
His parents' exemplary life impressed him, and he endeavoured to be as good a Christian as they were. But he didn't succeed. Later he admitted that he couldn't. All his efforts failed and he finally considered himself a hopeless case and could expect no good after his death. So shouldn't he rather enjoy his earthly life to the full? He found friends who encouraged him in this attitude.
One day Hudson was looking for something interesting to read in his father's library. In a box of leaflets, he found a gospel tract. "There will be a story at the start and a sermon or a moral at the end," he thought. "I'll read the beginning and leave the end for those who like that sort of thing."
As he read, Hudson came across the expression: "The finished work of Christ". That reminded him of the words Jesus cried out on the cross: "It is finished!" What was finished? He gave the answer himself: "A complete and perfect atonement for sins. The entire debt was paid by Jesus Christ, our Substitute."
Hudson went on thinking: "If the work was finished completely and all the debt was paid, what else have I to do? And he knelt down to accept the work of redemption through faith and thank His Saviour."
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 18