Many years ago, an old man in China known as “Old Li” came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his own Savior. Soon after he was saved from being an idol worshipper, he heard a talk on the verse “Covetousness which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)) which really impressed him. (Do you know what “covetousness” is? It is having a strong desire for money or for someone else’s things.)
As he listened carefully, he was very concerned to think that, though he had given up idolatry, he might be tricked into the same sin by letting covetousness have a place in his heart. To avoid this sin, he decided he would keep no money of his own, and he would own no property. He gave his house and little farm to a nephew, and he started giving his time mostly to preaching the good news of salvation. He lived mostly by receiving simple food and a place to stay from those he served. He was even enabled to open a refuge to help needy people, which made him a blessing
to many.
After some years, however, some wrong teaching regarding the Bible reached the place where the dear old man was working. Some parts of the Bible were looked upon by evil teachers as though they were only made-up stories that were useful for teaching good things. Old Li was told that in the story in 1 Kings 17 where Elijah was miraculously fed during a famine, it was not ravens that fed the prophet, but Arabs who shared their food with him. They said that it was crazy to think that birds would act that way!
This wrong teaching didn’t make sense to the old man with his simple faith. The Lord was going to use Old Li himself to prove this teaching was wrong and to give an example, by his own life, to the truth of the story in the Bible.
A time came in his refuge work when he reached the end of his money. There were no patients coming in for treatment, and all his food was gone as well. At first, Li’s cousin, who was not a Christian, but a priest of the village’s idolatrous temple, helped him. The cousin brought him supplies of bread and millet. Every time Li would receive these gifts of food, he would softly say, “Tien-Fu-to-en-tien” — “my Father’s grace.”
Eventually, his cousin got offended by these words. “I supply the food,” he said, “and if I did not bring it, you would starve.”
“But it is my Father who puts it into your heart to care for me,” returned the old Christian.
“Well, we’ll see what will happen when I bring no more food.”
For two weeks the cousin did not visit Li.
Li had no food or the money to buy food with, but he did have faith in God. In his simple faith, he went into his room and prayed to his Father, God. As he knelt in prayer, he heard an unusual noise and cawing and flapping of wings outside over the patio of the house. He got up and went to see what was happening. A number of vultures and ravens, common in that part of China, were flying above him in great commotion, and, as he looked up, a large piece of pork fell at his feet.
Thankfully the old man picked up the unexpected food, saying, “My Father’s kindness!” Looking around, he saw a large piece of bread that had been dropped by another bird. So Old Li was given food by these feathered messengers of God, just as Elijah was (1 Kings 17).
Children, do you read and love the Bible? It is wonderful to know that the Bible is true, exactly as it is written, no matter what other people might think about it. “Every word of God is pure,” says Proverbs 30:55Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5). If it weren’t true, it wouldn’t be pure. A blind person who never goes outside the house might tell you there isn’t a sun, but if you have eyes, you know there is a sun. And, if you know the Lord Jesus, you can “see” Him with the eyes of faith. Just because someone else doesn’t see Him doesn’t mean He isn’t real. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you have been given the gift of faith by God Himself (see Ephesians 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). Faith shows us things we can’t see with our natural eyes just as clearly as if we could see them. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:11Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)). The Lord Jesus said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever [believes] on Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:4646I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:46)). If you believe on the Lord Jesus, you have been saved from the darkness that is in this world. How wonderful it is to be able to “see” the things that will last forever, and most of all to know the Lord Jesus, the very Son of God!
Messages of God’s Love 4/2/2023