Get to Know God through Calamity: William Carey

What happened on the night of March 11, 1812 brought about a crisis in William Carey’s ministry…and in his faith. Carey, serving in Serampore, India, woke early the next morning to the news that the Mission print shop was now just a burned out shell. Fire had engulfed the building housing the print shop and had destroyed most of the building, along with much equipment, the newly-received blank paper, and many years’ worth of work.

Lost were nearly all his Indian Scripture versions; all his Kanarese New Testament; two whole, large Old Testament books in Sanskrit; many pages of his Bengali Dictionary; all his Telugu Grammar…and every vestige of his well-advanced Dictionary of Sanskrit and its Indian Cognates (the magnum opus of his linguistic life—an overwhelming disaster). (William Carey, S. Pearce Carey, London: The Wakeman Trust, 3rd rev. ed., 1993, p. 285)

This represents an almost devastating loss at any time, but especially in the days before digital back-up copies, online storage, and downloadable fonts. But the clearing smoke revealed some divine mercies. In the providence of God Carey and his coworkers had recently moved the printing presses into another part of the building, which did not catch fire until after the presses were rescued. Also, some of the equipment used for casting type survived the flames. They could soon begin the job of reprinting. A friend of Carey’s “braced him with words that he oft afterwards repeated: ‘However vexing it may be, a road the second time traveled is usually taken with more confidence and ease than at the first.’ He resolved that his grammars, dictionaries, and translations should gain by the disaster” (Carey, p. 283).

The greatest blessing Carey found was within his heart rather than from the scorched debris. Though Carey’s grief was great, the Lord powerfully reminded him of the Scripture, Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). Carey admitted that he had “contemplated the Mission with, perhaps, too much self-congratulation,” leading him to conclude that “The Lord has laid me low, that I may look more simply to Him” (Carey, p. 286, original emphasis). When he preached the following Sunday, that Scripture was his text.

So what are we to make of this catastrophe and Carey’s response? Someone might wonder, “Why would God destroy His own work?” Answer—He didn’t. But doesn’t God want people to hear the Gospel? Yes, but He wants far more. He wants His people’s glad submission and complete trust. At a Sunday School class fellowship a few years ago I testified of the Lord’s goodness in redirecting me. I had wanted to serve Him in a particular capacity, but He had other plans which I hadn’t understood at the time. An older gentleman in the class stood up and said, “We naturally want to do some great work for God, but we have to remember: we are the work.

That doesn’t mean we should slacken in our service for Him. But if He puts us in a situation where we can’t do what we think we should for Him, and we gladly submit, He is glorified by our obedience of faith. God intends to work in us as well as work through us.

Our being still under God’s chastening hand doesn’t hinder His work in the world. Hearing of the tragedy that had befallen Carey’s work and how he and his people had responded, Christians in India and Britain answered with overwhelming donations so that the printing ministry was up and running again in two months. William Carey became famous where, before the fire, he wasn’t even known. God doesn’t need everything to always run smoothly according to our standards for Him to accomplish His work. Sometimes His work is best accomplished when He humbles us in the dust and ashes. However God chooses to deal with us, we can afford to be still and know that He is God.

Get to Know God through Calamity: William Carey