Pilgrim of the Heavenly Way | Daniel Smith
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The missionary biography has become a standard, classic genre of Christian literature. Those considering becoming missionaries are considered great fools unless they have digested several of these (for how else will they study the task ahead of them?), and those believers who have no intent of being missionaries nonetheless still love to read about the great conquests of Christ elsewhere in the world. For either kind of reader, there is no shortage of great books. One can easily find the biographies and journals of well-known missionaries like Hudson Taylor or John G. Paton, books that continue to shape and prepare Christians to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ.
With that in mind, we would like to recommend to you this short, neglected autobiography of a largely unknown man with the unremarkable name of Dan Smith (1907-1988). Dan Smith was a bashful, Scottish shipyard-worker who eventually ministered in England, China, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada, the United States, several nations in Africa, and even the Caribbean. Such a story sounds borderline epic, and Smith’s does not disappoint. And yet he tells of conversions, revivals, and great works of God with such simplicity that you almost forget the glory of what’s happening—almost. Here we have the classic example of God taking a nobody and winning great praise for Himself, showing His own power in our weakness. As you read, you will also be amazed at the remarkable provisions God makes for Dan throughout his life.
Another notable trait of this autobiography is the inclusion of an appendix, written by one of Smith’s sons, giving his own view of life as a missionary’s child. There is also a final “word of exhortation” from Granted Ministries Press, which serves as a sober reminder to servants of Christ that one duty should not be used to destroy another.
As usual, the reader who stands to gain the most from such a book is the Christian thinking of going into mission work. Smith paints a gritty, down-to-earth picture of mission work, even in the midst of its great triumphs, so the potential missionary is sure to get an honest view of his future. Those thinking of ministering in Southeast Asia would especially do well to consult this book, as that is where Smith spent most of his ministry.
Sample Pages: Contents | Pages 63-74
DANIEL SMITH was a very average boy born to ordinary Scottish parents in 1907. But at the age of eighteen this shy descendant of the Scottish Covenanters was converted to Christ. Despite naturally being of little account, and certainly not possessing any innate talent for the task, the Lord Jesus Christ fitted him for service and gave him the great honor of taking the Gospel of God all around the world. As a missionary in the northeast portion of China’s Yunnan province during the time surrounding the Communist takeover of that region, he took part in a mighty saving work of God among the Nosu tribes. Later he worked in Sri Lanka and India before ministering for some years in the West, and finally exercising an itinerant ministry in churches around the world. Though the book is an autobiography, Dan’s emphasis is not so much to tell the reader about himself and his life, but to humbly relate the many things God has done for him and through him, and in so doing to stimulate our faith, confidence, and maturity in Christ.
"It is a delight to see this autobiography of Dan Smith being reprinted for a new generation of readers. From beginning to end, its pages exude the fragrance of authentic New Testament Christianity. There are miraculous healings, direct divine leadings, and supernatural deliverances from death. The God of Dan Smith was a living God. Yet, at the same time, humility, sanity, and lack of sensationalism characterize everything that is written. The man whom God used in special ways among the Nosu tribesmen of China was a painfully shy youth who knew quite well his own weakness in the midst of God’s power. I highly recommend this book.”
—CHARLES LEITER, pastor and author, Justification and Regeneration
Read Bill McLeod's Recommendation
“It is a very powerful and moving story indeed, and I predict it will be a blessing to thousands...I knew almost nothing of this man of God, and have been richly blessed by reading this book.”
—BILL MCLEOD, Canadian Revival Fellowship
- Author:
- Daniel Smith
- Publisher:
- Granted Ministries Press
- ISBN:
- 9780981732169
- Pages:
- 206
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Size:
- 8.50 x 5.50 x 0.63 inches