Living Springs in the Wilderness, James Kao

I was born into a traditional Chinese family in Taiwan, and grew up in an atmosphere of idol worshipping. I worshipped those idols with my family without ever realizing whom I worshipped or what kind of relationship there was between those “gods” and me. For a while I lived in superstition. I constantly feared and worried about what would happen in the future.

When I was in high school, I gradually started to think about the meaning of human life. I tried different things, looking for satisfaction and happiness. I was quite puzzled that the things I tried were interesting in the beginning, but the attraction soon faded away. Many times I asked myself, “What are men looking for?” “How can men find true satisfaction?” During that time, I was like a man seeking for living water in the wilderness. I tried everywhere, but I could not find the true satisfaction.

During my journey in seeking for reality I went to a Christian meeting with a friend. I could not fully understand the message that evening, but there was a satisfaction deep inside. It seemed that there was a true answer to my years of seeking.

Eventually, I not only received the Lord, but also began to meet with the local church. I started to draw near to the Lord and to enjoy Him. Then I found out that man's feeling of emptiness comes from the yearning in his spirit. Through reading Witness Lee's messages, I came to know that God not only solved the problem of sin, He comes into man to solve the problem of thirst by being man's satisfaction. I was thirsty because I didn't have God as my satisfaction (John 7:38-39). Now I see He is the Spirit, available just like the living water. I can drink of this exhaustless spring if I open my spirit. Praise the Lord! He has given the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45b). This is the testimony of how I was blessed by the Lord, and I believe this is the experience shared by many believers of Christ. He is not only for worship but also for man to enjoy, eat, and drink (John 6:57; 7:37).