May 22, 2026
— Jessie G. Lutz · Source: "The Legacy of Rudolf Christian Friedrich Lechler," International Bulletin of Missionary Research, January 2007
Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with your grace; your paths drip with abundance.
Missionary Rudolf Lechler spent fifty-two years in China; driven out again and again at first, he gradually took root in the Hakka countryside and left behind a Hakka church. Looking back on such a life, we see God's grace all along the way. In our daily toil, service, or career, we often magnify the difficulties and losses we face, even feeling resentful and complaining. However, those truly upheld by God know how to look beyond the ordinary to see the eternal. They realize that even on seemingly desolate paths and in tears, God silently accompanies and nourishes them. In His plan, giving is not sacrifice, but grace.
Loving Heavenly Father, thank You for guiding me every step of the way in my life with love. Grant me the broad spiritual vision of a missionary, so that I may not see the hardships of my circumstances or the decay of my body, but only the promises of Your Word. May You place in my heart an obedience and gratitude that stay faithful to the end, so that I may willingly pour out my years and sweat in my duties and service. Lord, I believe that in every path I have walked, in every season I have experienced, You will crown the years with grace, causing them to drip with abundant riches. Amen.