Daughter of joy (1) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.
Jeremiah 31:3

Daughter of joy (1)
Yoneko, whose Japanese name means "daughter of joy", enjoyed a happy childhood. As an adolescent, however, her security was destroyed through the sudden death of her mother. Yoneko could find no answer to her questions about the sense of life. She fell into despair and wanted to end it all. Her first attempt at suicide failed, and after an arm and her legs had been amputated, Yoneko became more desperate than ever. She secretly planned a second attempt.

In hospital she was visited regularly by some young Christians who had heard of her despair. Although Yoneko welcomed them, she remained opposed to the Christian faith, but her visitors never gave up. One day Akitoshi, one of the group, brought with him the recording of a sermon on the encounter between the risen Christ with two of His disciples (Luke 24:13-30).

Yoneko had had a bad day and was again contemplating suicide, but she listened to the sermon. She said: "I was moved by the preacher's words. He said that Christ had died on the cross and rose again so that I could fully trust Him. It made no difference that I had lost both legs, one arm and two fingers of my remaining hand: He loved me. He came to earth, died at the cross and rose again to redeem the likes of me. And he had met the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and talked to them, so that I could be sure that He had overcome death. Despite all that I had experienced, He loved me and wanted to draw me to Himself and stay with me.

(to be concluded tomorrow)

Today's reading: Exodus 37:17-29 · Luke 17:20-29