“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, NIV).
Greetings to you all in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Time really flies. It feels
like yesterday when I prepared the New Year’s Eve Covenant Service for the
families last year. And now it is already February! However, has anything
changed in your life so far?
Not really! As we look
around the world, we are still dealing with COVID 19. However, that is not all.
The political and ideological divisions over the ever changing half-truths in
our nation threw us into the pit of sharp pain in the darkness of uncertainty
and fear. I mean, our burdens by the unseen enemies are getting heavier and we
are mourning deeply everyday being isolated from each other.
In the midst of all those
spiritual calamities, does anyone see hope?
I looked into the story of
the Bible, the book of Hope, and found the most unfortunate person. His name is
Job, a man of integrity. However, he suddenly lost everything-his family, his
wealth, and his health without any reasons. When he grieved over his
misfortune, his best friends, three of them, came over and challenged him with
their bitter spiritual judgments. It was like hitting the open wounds before
healing. He cried out to them,
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me,
I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10, NIV).
“I will come forth as gold!”
Did it really happen to him? Sure enough, it happened! He came out as pure as
gold later on! Everything was restored-his family, wealth, and health, even his
relationship with his friends. However, he had to go through the door of much
pain to see his human reality before it happened.
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you!”
(Job 42:5, NIV).
Why was it so painful?
Because he had to admit the fact that he had held the half-truths firmly before
he began his real relationship with God in person as he was able to see him
clearly. Then what did he do? He repented, of course!
“Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes”
(Job 42:5, NIV).
Brothers and sisters in
Christ, where are you now as we enter into the month of February? Are you
surrendering yourself to God and repenting in dust and ashes because you saw
your reality of sin and death as you go through this pandemic?; or are you able
to see God with your own eyes and begin your personal relationship with the
Lord as you go through this pandemic?; or are you still holding onto the half-truths
at such a time as this?
If we surrender ourselves
and repent in dust and ashes, the time is not far from us, the time when we
come out as pure as gold like Job! Do we see that hope?
Join me in this amazing
divine comedy with the hope that God has showed us!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kyochul
