Sometimes God puts people in our path on purpose. Take the story of Daniel Rowland (1711-1790). He was ordained at age twenty into ministry in the Church of England and served a country church in Wales. Although he preached his heart out, his congregation shrunk in size. They were attracted to a minister’s message in a neighboring town. Finally, in disgrace, he went to hear a well-known Welsh evangelist Griffin Jones who was preaching not far from his home. Griffin observed Daniel in the crowd, looking restless and troubled. Griffin pointed to him with compassion and said, “Oh for a word to reach your heart.” It was a bold move on Griffin’s part, but Daniel was deeply moved and came to faith in Christ.
For the next four years, Daniel preached with new zeal a fire and brimstone message. He believed the way into people’s hearts was a thorough conviction of sin. So much so that he became known as the “angry cleric.” Again, feeling restless, he sought the advice of the same preacher in the neighboring town, Philip Pugh, who had earlier thinned his congregation. Philip said, “If you go on preaching the law in this manner you will kill half of the people in the country, for you throw out curses of the law and preach in such a terrific manner, that no one can stand before you…Preach the gospel to the people and apply the balm of Gilead, the blood of Christ to their spiritual wounds.” Philip’s counsel took hold. Daniel’s preaching had indeed wounded yet failed to heal. There was much law in his sermons but little grace. He began to preach God’s gracious remedy for sin in Jesus Christ and continued this good news message for the remaining fifty years of his ministry.
Daniel wrote there were four lessons he labored to learn over the course of his life and were a frequent matter of prayer (levity refers to an inappropriate lack of seriousness). We join in asking God to help us learn these four lessons: