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Satan’s Kairos           “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time” ( Luke 4:13 ).       I would like to meditate on this verse and receive the lessons God gives through it.   (1)     When I meditated on this passage, I first became curious about how other Bible versions translate the phrase “he left him until an opportune time” (Lk. 4:13).   Here are some examples: “He left Jesus for a while, until a suitable time came” (The Living Bible, Korean version).     “He left Jesus, looking for another opportunity” ( Korean Common Translation ).   “He left Jesus until a certain time” ( New Translation ).   “He left Jesus until the right time came” ( New Korean Bible ).   “He left Jesus for a short while, waiting for a better opportunity” ( Easy Bible ).   “He withdrew from Him, waiting for another opportunity” ( Catholic Bible ). ...

The God Who Bestows Great Blessings         “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).     There is likely no one who would refuse the blessings bestowed by God.   Even the Israelites, who received abundant material and spiritual blessings from God, rejoiced greatly after receiving these great blessings.   However, the issue lies in what happens after receiving blessings.   Without a mature character that can discern how to enjoy received blessings properly, one may end up wasting life, selfishly indulging in the blessings given by God, as happened with the Israelites.   So, how can one possess a mature character that knows how to enjoy blessings?   It should come from a heart that is guided by God's commandments rather than being led by the blessings.   Like the Israelites, disregarding God's laws...

God’s Salvation         “The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.   I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.     So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.   And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.   So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt’” (Exodus 3:7-10).     In many instances when we feel overwhelmed by suffering, we may wonder why God does not seem to be helping us, leading to a sense of abandonment.   However, Exodus 3:7, 9 in the Bible declare that our God is indeed certainly aware of our sufferi...

God’s Guidance         “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end” (Psalms 48:14).     In the maze of life, we earnestly seek the guidance of God, the merciful God who leads us.   He is the God who guides us with abundant mercy.   However, we should reflect on whether we acknowledge God's guidance or live our daily lives without recognizing it.   Just as the Israelites, after crossing the Red Sea, made a golden calf while Moses went up to Mount Sinai to meet God, calling the calf the 'God' who led them out of Egypt, we often live lives that deny God's guidance despite receiving it.   Nevertheless, God, in His great mercy, continues to illuminate our path and guides us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who teaches us all the good teachings of Jesus.   Moreover, Jesus, our shepherd, nurtures us, ensuring that we lack nothing and empowering us to run vigorously toward the promised...

God’s Mercy         “So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.   But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.   You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands.   They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.   For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you ...

God’s Wrath         “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.   For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.   For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.   Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.   Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.   They exchanged t...

God’s Love       “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.   …   Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 43:4; 49:15)   “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).     The Bible declares that God loves each one of you.   What does the Bible say about this love of God towards you?     Firstly, the Bible states that God esteems you as precious.   In Isaiah 43:4, God testifies, "Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you ...."   All of you are considered precious in the sight of God.   How did we, as sinners, become esteemed in God's sight?   The reason is that we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. ...

  God’s chosen instrument     [Acts 9:10-19a]     Do you know about the Great Awakening, a spiritual revival movement that greatly influenced 18th-century American society?   It is also known as the First Great Awakening.   This movement provided light and hope in a tumultuous era.   Prominent universities, including Princeton, were established under the influence of this movement.   At the forefront of this movement stood Jonathan Edwards, a pastor and theologian born as the son of a congregational minister.   How was he able to shoulder the responsibilities of his time?   He renewed himself daily by confessing five resolutions.   Throughout his life, he exerted all his strength in living each moment to its fullest potential.   He never missed an opportunity, no matter how small, to adopt the most beneficial course of action.   He would never take something, no matter how profitable, if it would make him...