“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in
him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by
the stream…and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8d
Trees were not plentiful in Israel and most grew by sources of water like an
oasis or a stream. Jeremiah’s simile indicates a person with confidence in the
Lord is like a deep-rooted tree by the stream that bears fruit faithfully year
after year in all kinds of weather.
The most remarkable report I’ve heard from China is about a Christian lady in
prison during the “anti-spiritual pollution campaign” in the mid-eighties. She
spent her time in prison hand carving scripture verses in miniature lettering
with a sharpened end of a toothbrush on the walls and even on the frame of the
cot in her cell. Years later she actually met another person who subsequently
spent time in the same cell and came to Christ through reading those verses over
and over.
One year when visiting Christians in the north of China, I asked the
whereabouts of Aunty Mei Bo. This short octogenarian medical doctor, I was told,
was away on a missions outreach in spiritually needy Tibet. The next summer she
was home and very anxious to hear of our group experience in Tibet—the rooftop
of the world—since she was planning another mission trip there soon. She
concluded, “Jesus is saying, ‘Hurry up and get the job done so I can come back
again!’”
Aunty Mei Bo often stored Bibles from foreign couriers in her home where she
lived alone. One day the Public Security Police raided her home and confiscated
all the Christian materials they found. Later in the day she found a
JESUS video they had missed. So off to the police station she headed with
the video.
The young lady at the desk looked askance in her direction. “I want to talk
to the Chief of Police!” Mei Bo demanded firmly. “Today his men were at my house
and they did not see this,” she said waving the video tape in the air. The
receptionist ushered Mei Bo into the police chief’s office. He acted oblivious
to her arrival yet grunted a question of intent.
“Sir,” Mei Bo began slowly. “Earlier today your men raided my house and took
all the Bibles I had stored there. I understand that they were just doing their
job. But after they left, I noticed that they missed this video tape. I need to
know from you if this is acceptable material or not. Would you and your staff
check it for me?”
“Very well, come back in two weeks,” he muttered dismissing her with a wave
of the hand. Mei Bo almost skipped out the door with overflowing joy as she
headed toward home. “Thank you Lord! How else could I get the Beijing chief of
police with his staff to watch the JESUS video?”
Aunty Mei Bo led many to the Lord all through her long life and spent her
time in discipling them. She never failed to bear fruit.
RESPONSE: I want to be a tree that bears fruit without fail, regardless of
age and weather conditions.
PRAYER: Lord, may my deep rootedness in You cause me to never fail to
produce lasting fruit.
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