This story is about a young girl in Japan who had been in a special hospital for two years because she had the awful disease called tuberculosis. She had lost so much weight that she could hardly move in bed. One day a group of gospel workers was visiting the hospital and gave this young girl a Christian tract. She was not able to hold it, so a nurse propped it up on a stand above her head and turned the pages, one by one, so she could read it.
As she read and reread that simple gospel message, it took hold in her heart. Asking the nurse to help her by standing by to hear her, she prayed for forgiveness of her sins, and she received the wonderful gift of salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of sinners.
As many do when they are first saved, this girl wanted to share the happiness the Lord Jesus had given her. One day she read in the newspaper of a man in prison who was going to be put to death for the terrible crime of murder. She decided she must write to him and tell him about Jesus. It took her three days, and with much effort, she finally was able to get a letter finished. Along with the letter, she sent the tract that had meant so much to her.
When Mr. Iwata, the prisoner, received her letter and read it, he was angry. Then later as he re-read the letter, he began to understand how much writing this little one-page letter had really meant to the young girl who had mailed it to him. His hard heart began to soften as he realized that this nearly helpless, young girl would care enough for him to write a letter at such a cost of her strength.
He began to read the tract and read it over and over. It wasn’t very long until the truth of Jesus offering forgiveness of sins reached his heart, and he believed it! Jesus was now his Saviour too. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:77Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (Romans 4:7)).
Later, Mr. Iwata was taken to another prison more than a thousand miles away, where he was placed in “death row.” He was soon going to lose his life as punishment for the life he had taken.
One day he was singing a gospel hymn that he had learned from Christian workers who held services in the prison. As his lonely prison cell echoed with his singing the praises of God, he heard a voice call through the peep hole to the next cell. It was a man who had also found Jesus as his Saviour. What a joy when the two men were able to share together their faith in Jesus!
The two prisoners began to pray and work for the salvation of the other men in death row. The prison warden gave them permission to share their salvation stories with other prisoners when they were all together at mealtime.
In the two years that Mr. Iwata was in death row, 41 other prisoners were won to Christ. The whole atmosphere of death row had changed to Christian joy and peace. As the guards made their rounds along the cells, they could hear gospel hymns coming from the cells.
As the time came for Mr. Iwata to die for his crime, he was permitted his last request. He very much wanted to be taken to see the young girl who had written him the letter and enclosed the gospel tract. Standing beside her bed, he told her the story of what the letter and tract had done for him and his friends through the saving power of Jesus Christ. Tears streamed down the girl’s face as she heard the story of what God had done.
Before leaving her, Mr. Iwata laid his hand upon her head and prayed a prayer of faith for her healing. He then returned to the prison and soon lost his life, but he went to his Saviour in heaven whom he knew, trusted and loved. Within weeks, the young girl was completely healed of her illness by the power of God, and she walked out of the hospital and returned to a normal life.
What a wonderful work of God this was! It all started because one helpless, young girl who could not do much, did what little she could. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:2222But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)). Those of you boys and girls who belong to the Lord Jesus, you may not think you can do much for your Saviour, but even little things God can turn into wonderful results for His glory. Ask Him to show you something you can do for Him. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:1616Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)).
ML-03/22/2015