In 1947 Mr. Chang was a gospel preacher and he lived in a little village in China. The communists were then trying to take complete control of China from the Nationalist soldiers.
One day some Nationalist soldiers, retreating from the Communists, asked Mr. Chang if they could sleep in the room that he used to preach the gospel. Mr. Chang allowed the soldiers to sleep there, even though he knew what the Communists would do to him if they found out about it.
Several days later Communist soldiers arrived. They soon found out that Mr. Chang had put up Nationalist soldiers for the night. They arrested him and put him in prison. Poor Mr. Chang! He knew what the punishment would be — he would be killed for what he had done.
The day before Mr. Chang’s trial his wife and several other Chinese Christians were in the gospel hall praying for him. A chicken from the neighborhood wandered into the hall cackling loudly and laid an egg right on the floor. The chicken made such a racket with its cackling that it disturbed the prayer meeting. Mrs. Chang got up and caught the chicken. She wrote a short note about the egg and tied it to the chicken’s leg along with some money to pay for the egg. Then she took the chicken outside and let it go.
About an hour later the lady who owned the village inn came down the street, bringing a man with her. Following them came a crowd of curious villagers. Arriving at the door of the little hall, the lady said to the man. “This is where the Christians are.” Then she turned and left.
The man said he was the Communist judge who had come to judge Mr. Chang’s trial the next day. He asked Mrs. Chang some questions: “Did you write this note that was tied to the chicken’s leg? And did you include money with the note?”
“Yes,” answered Mrs. Chang to both questions.
“Well,” said the judge, “that chicken belongs to the lady who owns the inn where I’m staying.” Then he asked her several more questions about her honesty and why would she pay for an egg when it had been laid on her own property?
Mrs. Chang told him about her Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of how He not only saves us from our sins, but He gives us a new life that wants to please Him in all things.
The Communist judge was impressed. “There will be no trial for your husband,” he stated. “I will have him released from jail, and we will forget the whole incident about the soldiers.”
How wonderful are the ways of God! The prayers of those Chinese Christians were answered in a way they did not expect. There is a wonderful verse in the Bible that says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psalms 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15).
Let’s not forget the last part of that verse, “and thou shalt glorify Me.” How often we take God’s loving care for granted and forget to thank Him. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus, into this world to save sinners such as we. As believers we know that He took our place and died for us on that awful cross. Now He is risen, gone back to heaven, and He wants us to trust Him as our Saviour and to thank Him for all He has done. We now have a new life that will want to please Him in all things.
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled [restored] us to Himself by Jesus Christ.... We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17,18, 2017Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18)
20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20).
ML-06/04/1989