“May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13)
If you think you do not need God, it is because you don’t know God. We are ignorant of the fact that things we like, things we already have, and things we desperately want are all fundamentally from God. We do not know that all the things we truly need are within God Himself. If you are confused, I hope you at least talk to a trustable person before you decide to come to God.
Our God is the God of Love (1 John 4:8), the God of justice (Isaiah 30:18), the God of hope and power (Romans 15:13), the God of creation and life (Genesis 2:7), the Father of confession and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3), the source of joy (Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22), and the giver of every good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). The heart within us that loves ‘good’, love itself, sense of justice, power of creation, beauty, joy and happiness are all sourced from God.
We do not need many theories when it comes to believing in God. Since God is a living God, all we have to do is meet him. God has opened a wide path for us to come up before Him. He earnestly waits for us to come back to Him with both arms open wide. Whoever looks for God will find Him, and the door will be opened to those who knock.
(Luke 11:9-13)
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened
to you. For everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The purpose of my recent sermons and Echo of Love’s were not to write a thesis about the Holy Spirit, but for the upcoming retreat. Now is not the time for theories but the time for us to take one more step towards God. I pray that you will get ready to meet God through the week through prayer and fasting. Even if you are not able to attend this retreat, please pray while you are preparing for next week’s Sunday service.(To be continued..)
Following the shepherd
Pastor Jiwon Choi