A Inner Struggle
As the Civil War erupted, Dwight entered into a struggle of his own. He now felt the call to leave business in order to dedicate himself to full-time ministry. Years later, he would speak of this time and other times when he felt God was calling him to do more: ‘Whenever God has been calling me to higher service, there has always been a conflict with my will. I have fought against it, but God’s will has been done instead of mine. When I came to Jesus Christ, I had a terrible battle to surrender my will, and to take God’s will. ‘When I gave up business, I had another battle for three months; I fought against it. It was a terrible battle. But oh! how many times I have thanked God that I gave up my will and took God’s will.’
A Quiet Transition
When the battle was won and Dwight had decided to go into full-time mission work, he did so quickly and quietly. He gave notice at work and informed his landlady that he would be moving out. He began living as meagerly as possible to make his savings go as far as possible, keeping his sparse living conditions secret so that no one might pity him. When Farwell learned that Dwight slept on some chairs he had pushed together at the local YMCA, where he was also doing some janitorial work, he vowed his friend would never want for support again as long as he was able to provide it.
A Heart’s Desire
Dwight feared that his extremism and lack of income might have repelled Emma Revell, but they did just the opposite. She “promised to cast her lot with his,” which warmed his heart greatly, as he had gradually fallen for Emma and hoped to make her his wife one day. Stepping out as he did was all the more remarkable for the twenty-four-year-old Dwight, because in doing so, he sought no ordination or pulpit other than the ministry he had already established in The Sands. In fact, in all his years of ministry, he would never be ordained. He was not looking for a full-time position in a church that could pay his bills. TO BE CONTINUED…
Tale Tuesday 077
Date: 27th February, 2024
Title: : Dwight L. Moody – The Greatest Layman (Part 9)
Source: The Azusa Street Revival
Author: Roberts Liardon
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