Since the day David Lee was born, he was faced with challenges to overcome. He was born prematurely, weighing 1.8 kilograms, and had retionpathy and cerebral palsy. But at the young age of 13, he has already written 120 poems, and in 2016, published his first collection of poems called, ‘The Child Who Walks in Wisdom.’ At Sanctification Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Lee recited some of the poems that he had written since he was just 8 years old.

Every poem that was recited at the event was greeted with a loud applause. Lee’s poems, which explored various themes such as the Bible, nature, and family, made listeners cry, and at other times, laugh. The poet who chose to hope in God despite a hopeless physical condition brought hope to those who were listening to his words.

“I prayed about what I would become,” Lee said. “Through poetry, I had dreams. I wanted to become a driver who could drive ambulances and help people who have disabilities like me, or to become a doctor. But through prayer and meditating on the the Word, I decided to live the life of a preacher of the gospel who can heal the body and the soul.”

Lee currently lives in Gyeonggi province in South Korea with his parents and two younger sisters. His father, Rev. Geun Soo Lee, decided to homeschool rather than send his children to public school. David Lee read 10 chapters of the Bible each day, and was able to read the entire Bible dozens of times. He also has incredible command of history. At the poetry recital on Sunday, one member of the audience asked him what happened in the U.S. in 1961, and Lee was able to explain in detail the events that occurred from 1961 to 1963, much to the surprise of those who attended.

“Just as it says in Numbers 6, … it is the responsibility of the parents to show what it looks like to love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength, and we must raise our children as equals before the Word,” said Rev. Lee. “I am a father, but I must honestly confess that I also have done wrong.”

“I was challenged by David, who gained the wisdom to understand the history of the world through the Scriptures,” said one attendee of the event.

This article has been translated. For the original in Korean, visit kr.christianitydaily.com.