TOSHIKO lived in far away Japan. All her family worshiped at the Shinto shrine. Six days a week Toshiko went to school and on Sunday she helped her busy mother at home. She didn’t know what it was to worship God for she had never heard of the name of Jesus.
One Sunday afternoon when her work was done she went out for a walk, and passing along a street she saw a number of children’s clogs, or shoes, outside a door. In Japan many people wear shoes in the street and take them off before going indoors, just as men and boys take their hats off here.
Toshiko wondered what was going on, so she too took off her clogs and went in.
It was a Sunday school, and a hymn was being sung. Then she heard a story about a blind man who had his eyes opened by a word from a wonderful man named Jesus. This so interested her that she wanted to hear more, so she came Sunday after Sunday. At last she learned really to believe “the true and living God,” as she said, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, though as yet she was not quite sure that He had saved her.
Now she wanted all her family to hear the good news too, and she begged her father to go and hear the gospel preached. For a long time he would not go, but Toshiko went on praying that he and all the family might become Christians. At last her father yielded and went, and then it was not long before he was saved.
Toshiko’s brother and sister also went with her to Sunday school. A missionary and a Japanese Christian lady visited the busy mother and talked to her about Jesus. At last came the glad day when father, mother, and children all publicly confessed that they belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was after this that Toshiko really became sure that the Lord Jesus had saved her, and could rejoice in Him as her own Saviour.
However, she still had one trouble. Her grandmother still remained a Shinto worshiper, and did not at all like the rest of the family giving up the religion of their ancestors. But Toshiko went on praying the more earnestly now that she knew her own sins were forgiven. Soon grandma gave in and came to Christ too. After that Toshiko began to pray for her classmates, and God answered her prayers, for some of them were saved also.
Are you as anxious as little Toshiko was to know the Lord Jesus and to bring others to Him?
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20).
ML-12/10/1972