Living Water in Far Away Lands

"Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." -- Proverbs 25:25 ESV

 

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isaiah 55:1). Isaiah 55:1 is an invitation to come into the presence of our almighty God. It is an invitation to the weak and desperate to find rest and to find life – but not just any kind of life; it is abundant life (John 10:10). Our Father is the Great Shepherd who takes us beside the still water and restores our soul.

There is something special about water. It refreshes; it restores; it brings life. Jesus Himself offered living water to the Samaritan woman, and that same living water is offered to us (John 4:10). As I read through the Word one morning, Proverbs 25:25 stuck out to me. It says, "Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." The good news – the Gospel – that we brought to Japan was like a refreshing glass of water that stirred something up in the hearts of the Japanese people. Likewise, the stories we bring back from Japan will be refreshing streams of water that will awaken and revitalize the people back here in our homes.

Going to Japan, one of the things our team wanted to see was tears – tears of joy, laughter, pain, etc. We saw tears. One story in particular strikes me the most. One of the Japanese Christian girls named Jane (name changed for privacy) invited us to go to a Christian concert with her. While at the concert, Jane broke into tears as she was able worship unrepressed with other Christian students. See, Jane is persecuted at home. She is not allowed to go to church or even come to Christian events. Yet in the midst of her persecution, she has become even thirstier for more of God. St. Augustine once said, "You have placed salt on my lips that I might thirst for you, O Lord." Sometimes it is the tears of pain we experience that places salt on our lips and makes us even hungrier and thirstier for a divine touch from God. The Christians students in Japan are often repressed and persecuted by their parents, but this has only made them stronger and more passionate for the sake of Christ.

In addition to Jane's story of tears, one of the most powerful moments I experienced was being able to talk at the weekly Campus Crusade meeting called the Immanuel Meeting. As I stood in the front of the mixed Japanese and American crowd, I talked about how our brokenness, when brought before God, is like a sweet aroma that he cannot refuse. As I spoke, I myself began to tear up. When I sat down after the message, I broke into tears. For a brief moment, I felt some of the pain that God felt on behalf of the Japanese people. Those tears made me hungrier for more. They caused me to fall in love with Japan. I didn't fall in love with Japan for its culture, food, or technology – those were all a bonus. I fell in love with Japan because of the people. I fell in love with Japan because, in that moment, I caught a glimpse of God's heart for Japan, and I wanted to be a part of that vision to see Japan won for Christ.

Yet in the midst of all the hoopla of Japan being less than 1% Christian, I was awakened to a chilling reminder coming back to the U.S. As we got off the plane at San Francisco, we were no longer greeted by happy, courteous Japanese people. We were greeted by rushing mobs of people who were in a hurry – rude, uninterested, unaware. There was a spiritual darkness I felt in San Francisco that I had hardly even experienced while I was in Japan. Then it really hit me, America is just as much in need of the Good News as is Japan. The good news from a far away country is like a refreshing glass of cold water. We brought the good news to Japan; now we're bringing it back home.

My prayer is that as we return home bringing our good news and stories, those stories would only make us even thirstier in seeking God's presence and making His presence known to our generation. God alone can satisfy not only the Japanese's needs but our own need for love and significance.