The Missionary Warrior . . .

Steams in the Desert is widely known and widely read. Written by Lettie Cowman, better known as Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, her devotion book has changed many lives, including mine. As a new believer, an older Christian gave me a copy and it has encouraged me down through the years.

As familiar as Mrs. Cowman’s name is, what about Mr. Cowman? Is his name familiar? Where does he fit in?

In her September 8 devotion in Volume 1, Lettie Cowman tells us:

“It costs to carry the message. ‘Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone,’ were the words spoken by the Holy Spirit to a humble servant of His who had, after a day of heavy toil, gone aside into a quiet room to spend a night in prayer. What followed that trysting time with his Master during the brief hours of that night? What had happened that so completely changed his life thereafter? He had met Someone! To the one known throughout missionary circles as “the Missionary Warrior”–Charles E. Cowman–had come a revelation of God’s will that every home in an entire nation was to receive a portion of the sacred Scriptures, that a personal invitation was to be given to everyone living within that nation. That the time for such a crusade was now. When God says ‘today’ He does not mean ‘tomorrow.’

“The challenge was accepted and in the name of the God of the impossible, action began–for action ever follows vision. During the following five years the greatest gospel distribution crusade since Pentecost was launched when 10,320,000 homes in the mikado’s empire were visited personally and given portions of the precious old Book we so love. Thousands destroyed their idols and accepted the invitation of the One who said, ‘Come unto Me.’”

Mr. Cowman was the founder and president of the Oriental Missionary Society. His story is the history of a great missionary enterprise. So closely were his personality and the cause of missions linked, that it is impossible to separate them. His work was his very life.

Lettie Cowman wrote her husband’s biography in 1946, titled: Charles E. Cowman: Missionary Warrior . I haven’t read this book yet but I believe it will be an interesting story.

If you’ve never been introduced to Streams in the Desert I encourage you to purchase a copy and discover the pearls of treasures inside. In my young days of following Jesus, this book sowed bountiful riches in my mind that have played a huge role in handling the disappointments of life. There now are several books, written by friends of Lettie, who took her papers and combined them to continue her legacy of words.

Below is a picture of a buck I saw on my way in to work last week. There was a doe behind him, whose ears are barely visible over his rump. His antlers are visible, and the sun shining on half of the trees in the back is refreshing. He was quite a distance away, yet I love the effect of the snap.