JOHN PATON was a missionary on the island of Aniwa in the New Hebrides. He had been living among the Aniwans for several years and having learned their language, he had begun to tell them about the Son of God who loved them and died to take away their sins and to make them His people. Already some had learned to love the Lord Jesus.
John had also begun to translate part of the Bible into Aniwan so that the natives would be able to read God’s Word in their own language. But, now, he had a problem: The Aniwan language did not include a word which meant “faith.”
Now faith is so important because “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Heb. 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). So day after day John Paton questioned the natives and sought and prayed for a new word to express “faith,” but nobody seemed to understand what he wanted.
One day, as he was sitting on a common wooden chair in the mission house, an Aniwan woman came in. Seeing her John decided to try something new.
With both of his feet on the floor, he asked him, “What am I doing now?”
“Koikae and, Missi (You are sitting, Missi).”
Then he pulled his feet up onto the chair rungs and, leaning back, asked again, “What am I doing now?”
“Fakarongrongo, Missi (You are leaning completely, Missi—you have lifted yourself from every other support).”
“That’s it!” exclaimed John jubilantly. Now, “believing on Jesus” became “fakarongrongo Jesu” (leaning entirely on Jesus).” John’s prayers were answered!
Are you “leaning entirely” on Jesus for salvation? Jesus is the One whom God has provided to bring you to Him by the death of the cross, to wash away your sins by His blood, and to give you eternal life.
ML-08/20/1972