A Profitable Loan

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 15, 1882

A Profitable Loan

A PROFITABLE LOAN.—While Pastor Gossner, the well-known evangelical minister of Northern Germany, was living with Fenneberg, another man of similar apostolic zeal, one day a poor traveler asked the latter to lend him three dollars, that he might be able to continue his journey, as he had expended all his money sooner than he had calculated. Fenneberg at the time possessed only three dollars, but as the poor man asked him in the name of Jesus, and with much importunity, he lent him all he had, even to his last penny. Some time after, when in extreme want, not knowing what to do, or how to help himself, he recollected this fact while at prayer; and with child-like faith and simplicity, said, "O Lord, I have lent three dollars, and thou hast not given them back to me, though thou knowest how urgently I need them. I pray thee return them to me." On that very same day a letter arrived, containing money which Gossner delivered to the good man with these words, "Here, sir, you receive what you advanced." The letter contained two hundred dollars, which were sent him by a rich man, at the solicitation of the poor traveler to whom he had lent his all. Fenneberg was quite overcome with gratitude to God.