Fuel To Burn - Mary Peckham

1932–2010

As she grew up on Lewis, one of the small islands in the group of Scottish Hebrides Islands, morning worship was a part of Mary Peckham’s life. Families on the island would gather together in homes to read the Bible and pray. When children got to school, they prayed again and learned more Bible stories. After school, there was usually a psalm to memorize.

In 1949, the people of Mary’s village found themselves discouraged after the horrors of World War II. But they were so steeped in the Scriptures, they were ready when revival swept through Hebrides. As Mary put it, “When the Spirit of God fell on our island, there was fuel there to burn.”

Scottish preacher Duncan Campbell led the revival, traveling from village to village calling people to turn from sin and get saved. Thousands came to faith.

At the time of the revival, Mary lived on the Scottish mainland. Gaelic singing was now her passion; she had left her interest in God back home. When she heard about the revival in her village, at first she stayed away. Why should she care if the people of Lewis were even more religious than when she left? When her parents became ill, however, she returned to her home.

Mary attended a revival meeting with her parents reluctantly at first, but she found herself returning the next night. And the next. She saw old schoolmates who were changed, and those changes were attractive to Mary. She was “being drawn irresistibly to God.” After months of prayer and struggle, she gave in to God. The Scriptures she had learned in her youth now helped her to break through her struggles. She went on to become a missionary in Africa.

Knowing God’s Word is valuable when you’re struggling with something. It helped the people of the island of Lewis when they were discouraged, and that knowledge of Scripture was the fuel for a revival. It guided Mary when she struggled with her faith. Are you willing to commit time to getting to know God’s Word better, so when you struggle, you’ll have it as fuel to help you get through?

They delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.

Psalm 1:2