When Whang Pam Oh was a little boy, he became sick with smallpox and lost his eyesight. Due to this blindness, Whang (like many other blind Korean children a hundred years ago) was trained in sorcery and became a successful witch doctor. About that time, the gospel was preached in the place where he lived. Whang listened, believed and accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. After this, having destroyed all of the things he used as a witch doctor, he began to long to be able to read the Bible the Word of God. Though he knew nothing of Braille (a means by which blind people can read, using their fingers to feel raised patterns of dots), he was familiar with a device similar to an abacus (an Oriental counting machine). Whang gathered some used tin cans and cut thousands of small metal squares out of them. He put patterns of dents representing the different letters of the Korean alphabet in each piece. Then, while a friend read slowly to him from the Bible, he threaded them on strings to make up sentences and paragraphs (using wooden squares as end markers). Once he had “written” a few chapters, using this crude system, he began to memorize them.
One day Whang heard that three hundred miles from where he lived, there was a school that taught the Braille system, and he determined to go. A kind person gave him some money for the train fare. However, since he had to leave his wife and children behind, he gave them the money instead. In order to get to the school he began to walk, groping for the way as he went. Again, other kind Christians gave him money for train fare, and again he sent the money home. Finally, more dear Christians, having bought a ticket for him, made sure he got on the train.
It took Whang only one month to master Braille, and then he was ready to head for home. Once again he was provided train fare but this time he did walk the entire three hundred miles! As he went home, he preached the wonderful gospel message and led his brother to the Lord. Whang’s great desire to be able to read the Bible was thus used in blessing not only to himself, but others as well.
Let us ask the Lord to give us a deep desire, like Whang had, to read and think about the wonderful things He has told us in His precious Book, the Bible. In this way we can be like Samuel who, when he was little, heard the Lord speak and “did let none of His words fall to the ground” (1 Sam. 3:19). How important to carefully and attentively read the Bible!
“I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart” (Psa. 119:11).
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psa. 119:105).
Story supplied by J. A. Kaiser