Category: Devotional Thoughts

Watchman Nee (1903-1972) was born into a Christian family in China. He committed his life to Christ at the age of seventeen. Nee lived a life of radical service and suffering for Jesus. In the early years of his ministry, he spent one-third of his income on personal needs, one-third helping others, and one-third on spiritual books. Nee authored modern-day classics such as The Normal Christian Life and Sit, Walk, Stand.

The post-WWII communist government arrested Nee on false charges in 1952. He embraced his wife for the last time before being carried away to jail. Nee was given a fifteen year sentence, but the government never released him. He died in prison in 1972.

Nee had little contact with the outside world while in prison. Regardless, his ministry still bears fruit to this day. At the time of his arrest, Nee’s ministry had produced approximately four hundred churches in China. Over thirty churches had also been planted in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Many of these churches/ministries have continue to multiply.

According to a family member, a small note was found under Nee’s pillow in prison:

“Christ is the Son of God. He died to atone for men’s sin, and after three days rose again. This is the most important fact in the universe. I die believing in Christ.”

It is easy for most of us to believe in and celebrate Easter–it is simply part of the culture in places like the Philippines and the USA. I wonder how many of us would continue to proclaim His resurrection if the cost were so high.

Visit www.watchmannee.org for more information about his life and ministry.

NOTE: I know there are some concerns with Nee’s theology, which has been criticized for (among other things) being too mystical.  But most of the theological problems in Nee’s ministry/churches were caused by Witness Lee, his disciple. Lee carried on the ministry, but veered away from the truth.

Look at the birds of the air . . .
–Matthew 6:26

Years ago I heard kind of a modern-day parable. It goes like this:

A certain man lived in a town that was flooding. The water level rose above the streets, making cars useless. The man was sitting on his porch and praying when a raft came by. “Hop on in, we’ll save you,” said the people in the raft. “No, the man replied. “I have prayed and God promised that He would save me.”

The waters kept rising, flooding the first floor of the man’s house. He went up to the second floor and continued to pray. A boat stopped by. “Come on in, we’ll save you,” said the boat’s passengers. “No, the man replied. I have prayed and God promised that He would save me.”

The waters continued to rise, forcing the man to climb upon is roof. A helicopter eventually hovered over his roof. They dropped down a rope and begged him to grab it. “Let us help you or you’ll die,” they pleaded. “No, the man replied. I have prayed and God promised that He would save me.”

The man drowned.
He was disappointed as he stood before God. “Lord,” he said, “you promised you would save me. Why didn’t you?”

“I sent a raft, a boat, and a helicopter,” God replied, “what else did you want me to do?”

Sometimes we fail to recognize God’s intervention and activity. We pray, but then we demand that God answer us according to our own plans and ideas (which can be quite grandiose). If God’s answer seems too ordinary or obvious, we conclude that it isn’t of Him.

We need to understand that God often answers prayers in very simple ways:

He is more likely to send a friend than an angel.

He is more likely to send wise advice than heavenly visions.

He is more likely to send a job opportunity than an envelope full of money.

Jesus performed numerous miracles, yet He also encouraged His followers to see God’s activity in “insignificant” things. He drew their attention to birds and flowers, noting that God sustains these humble forms of life.

Faith is trusting God to do great, marvelous, and unexplainable things. True faith, however, also sees God at work in the mundane.