“IT IS CHRISTMAS, and I am alone just now in our flat enjoying the sweetness of God’s love and the sunshine
of His presence.” Mrs. R. referred to her small, three-room apartment located on the second floor of the “new” Enoch Home.ⁿ
Note: The “old” Enoch Home had had to be vacated early in 1923. Mrs. R. forthwith personally undertook the purchase of the house at 3002 Enoch Avenue. She and her co-workers moved in March 31, 1923.
In these simple quarters Mrs. R. and her two coworkers had lived now for not quite seven years, and here she was to carry on her ministry of prayer and teaching for the remainder of her life. Her mother and sister Nettieⁿ and six or seven other members of the Faith Home family made up the remainder of the household.
Note: Mrs. Wing and Mrs. Graham remained here until their deaths on April 19, 1938, and October 2, 1949, respectively. Mrs. Robinson’s other sister, Ada, died in Iowa, December 25, 1939.
The letter quoted from (December 25, 1929) was addressed to a young ministerial couple who were having their first pastoral charge, an old, established Pentecostal assembly. Somewhat awed by and fearful of the responsibilities and problems entailed, they had written to their spiritual adviser for counsel.
“But now, my dear friends, you ask what God gives me about your keeping your present work, or not,” Mrs. R. continued, taking up their request. “Instead of answering that, I must tell you the Lord has answered me that His best will is not to tell you by wisdom. What does God show you? You are young ministers—a door is opened—there is no great, complicated problem. Don’t you believe you can be shown right now, maybe, just His will? Just as you read this, what do you believe God has shown you or is showing? Have you not already seen how God is leading, or have you restrained yourself till I should write? In the latter instance, no doubt, you will find [His will] in a quiet time; He will make His will plain to you.
“My heart is moved to have a little chat with you young ministers launching out to know the guidance of Himself. How He loves to have you learn the secret of guidance and direct obedience to His will early, but the Lord spoke to me that I must close and hasten this, so I will have to omit this . . . But one thing I venture to add hurriedly, don’t fail to believe that I very greatly enjoy and appreciate your letters, and I most tenderly am interested and stirred over your precious accounts of your work. How I would enjoy dropping into a meeting! I cannot answer your letters as I wish, but I have such interest in reading.”
Four months later, Mrs. R. was again writing these ministers about the problems of their parish:
“When your letters come, there are often things in them I am much interested in, and would like to write about, but so far am not given the chance. In my heart I often wish to help you by wisdom and as an elder vineyard worker on problems that confront you in your early work, for I do feel you have a real problem in that so many that profess to be Pentecostal are dropped away perhaps in their first love. Of course, I know God can give you the light. He has put you there with the purpose of helping in just such things, and yet, as you say, you are so young there, you must go carefully. So I am glad to unite my faith with yours, even though I am no help otherwise.”
In an additional paragraph Mrs. R. makes a significant remark, indicating that those who had been instructed by her were to commit these things “to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
“In the years gone by I was used to help the young ministers in such problems as you meet, but of late that has not been my privilege. Now these young ministers are helping others. .. . And so the Lord provides the knowledge you need.”
It should not be inferred from these remarks that Mrs. R. was “on the shelf” or considered herself retired. Rather, at that time her work was primarily one of intercession and dealing with other problems closer to hand, so that she did not have the time to deal with all the calls for help and the problems presented to her for solution. She had to take heed to the ministry she had received of the Lord that she fulfill that. The fact is that at this time, as indicated in a letter in the previous chapter, Mrs. R. was engaged in a heavy program of prayer together with the Mitchells—prayer in behalf of the kingdom of God. This meant praying not only most of each day, but sometimes, praying through till four in the morning.
Consequently, although she was keenly interested in the ministry of her many spiritual children now scattered all over the United States and in foreign countries, she had to content herself with loving interest and prayer for them rather than with the direct handling of their problems. This was, in the natural, hard for her, but she was a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ, bound to do only what He directed. If the Lord would not let her take up a matter and see it through, she did not want to dabble with it. “I have not wanted to meddle as long as I had to be inadequate,” was how she expressed it in one of her letters. (Wise counselor indeed!) Yet her prayers, her faith, and the helpful hints which the Lord did give by her from time to time were invaluable.
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Martha Wing Robinson (1874 - 1936)
Martha held meetings which touched people to return to the work of the service of God. The Robinsons opened a "Faith Home" where people would come for teaching and prayer. Like George Muller they depended on God to provide what was needed for expenses. Thousands came through her home and healings were a regular occurrence. Her husband died in April of 1916, but Martha continued in her ministry. She had a very sharp gift of discernment and regularly told people the secrets of their hearts. She often had directive prophetic words for those under her care. Many young people came to the home for training and went into the mission fields and evangelistic endeavours.Martha Wing Robinson died June 26, 1936. Shortly before she died she stated her life's message "Nothing matters but Christ Jesus." Her whole life was spent in the service of God and for the Glory of His Son Jesus. She had seen many healed, saved, delivered, empowered and sent out. She was truly a mother in Israel. In 1962 Gordon P. Gardiner wrote a book about her life called "Radiant Glory" because that is how she lived her life.