말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

Happy New Year to our Woori Youth! 

2020 was a very trying year for all of us. Especially to those in school, online Zoom classes became the norm that no one could have imagined in years past. I’m sure your parents, teachers, and God are proud of the way each and every one of you persevered and overcame the pandemic laced difficulties of getting an education! 

Hope you all had some time to reflect on 2020. Good or bad, it was a year created by God, about God, and for God. Just as all the years in the past. The Israelites overcame wars, famine, death, slavery, and were exiled for many, many years throughout history. Compared to what they endured, I think that we have had it pretty easy!  God’s will is hard to decipher, but in time, His will is to help us and make us stronger in our faith in Him. 

This brings us to 2021! I encourage and challenge you all this year. Although we need to pray and ask Him for His mercy and grace in bringing an end to this pandemic, more importantly, I want to challenge you guys in asking God what you can do for Him this year. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our petition prayers to God, and I’m super guilty of this, we forget to offer ourselves in accomplishing His will on earth. John F. Kennedy gave a speech and he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." So, this year, ask not what your God can do for you, but what you can do for THE GOD! 

Matthew 6:31 & 33 “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Our God already knows what we need, so don’t worry about how to get it, but have the utmost confidence that He will give to us according to His good and perfect Will. I’m not asking you to stop petitioning God, but at the same time, ask Him how you can help in bringing His will on earth to completion. How to become an “instrument” in accomplishing His will.

1 John 5:14-15: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

As we learned from Genesis last week, we are not rulers or owners of this world. We are caretakers of God’s creation. This year, let’s all try and choose to grow closer to Him and to ascertain what He wants from us, not what we want from Him. I hope you are all having a great start to the new year. No matter the circumstance, don’t forget to thank God for all that you were given, all that you have, and all that you will receive! Have a fantastic Sunday and enjoy the snow!