The 20th Day of the 40-Day Journey: True Hope

Friedrich Nietzsche has a famous quote: “Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torment of man.”  Do you agree?  I would say, it depends on what you are hoping for.  False hope brings humiliation and disappointment and prolongs the torment.  True hope should not.  But is there a true hope?

Yes!  In his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul tells us that there is a hope that does not disappoint us or put us to shame.

Romans 5

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

This hope that does not bring us disappointment or shame is the hope of the glory of God (v2b).  No matter how weak, ungodly, or aimless we were or are, God’s divine character will be instilled in us (8:17, 18, 21, 30).

How can we be sure that this hope is true?

First, God’s grace initiated it (v1-3).  We gain this hope not by our achievements but through Jesus Christ.  It is God who has been striving to reach us and give us the gift.  The hope through Jesus Christ comes to us through the grace of God.

Second, believers’ lives prove it (v3,4).  We no longer have to fear suffering; instead, we can boast in the trials and tribulations that afflict us in this present evil age.  In the storms of life, we are made stronger, transformed by God, and gain proven character.  Without dark nights, there would be no bright morning dawn.  Without the suffering on Good Friday, there would be no glorious Easter Sunday.  Against all odds, suffering produces in us more hope, because even though we are still imperfect, God will complete what He has started in us until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6).

Finally, Christ’s love confirms it (v5-8).  In times of torment and despair, the Spirit of God speaks to us and reminds us of Christ’s death and God’s unyielding love for us.  We find the authentication of our hope in the love of God.  As God’s children who are secure in the love of God, we dare to hope even in the midst of sufferings!

Let’s pray,

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace in Christ so that we can rejoice in our true hope of a glorious future, even in the midst of our present sufferings.  Always remind us of the love You have shown us in Christ so that we can have the firm assurance of this hope.  In Jesus’ name, Amen! 

The 19th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Enter God’s Rest

Worship is such a central experience in the life of God’s people.  When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He gave Moses the mission to bring the Israelites out of Egypt for the purpose of worshipping God (Ex 3:12).  Unfortunately, we know that their worship experience in the wilderness was not a success.  The entire generation, including Moses, wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, died in the wilderness, and was never able to enter God’s Promised Land.

Worship matters.  The way we worship matters.  How should we worship God?  Let’s learn from Psalm 95.

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.

3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 


4 In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. 5 The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 


7 for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.

Today, if only you would hear His voice, 


8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, 
9 where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; 
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”

From this beloved Psalm, we learn that when God’s people gather to worship, we rejoice in the Lord with shouts and songs (v1,2), recount God’s greatness and goodness because He creates and cares (v3-5,7a), revere God in humility (v6), and respond to God in faith and obedience (v7b-11).

Of all the Rs, are you surprised that “responding” is so important in worship?  In fact, when we hear God’s voice, our response should be faith and obedience, so that we may enter God’s rest.  The life of Israelites serves as our antithesis.

In Meribah and Massah, the Isaelites tested and tried God again by demanding God to prove Himself by demonstrating His power and faithfulness.  They asked God to give them water.  Asking is not a problem.  Jesus wants us to ask in faith (Matt. 7:7-12).  The problem is the attitude of their heart.  They didn’t ask in faith.  They asked in unbelief and irreverence.

Their rebellious action at Meribah and Massah occurred even after they saw God’s many signs and wonders.  God had just liberated them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt by ten miracles (Ex 5-12:42), rescued them from Pharaoh’s pursuit by opening a dry path through the raging Red Sea (Ex 14), transformed the bitter water to become sweet at Marah (Ex 15:22-27), and gave them both manna and meat (Ex 16). 

They heard the word of God but didn’t believe, trust, and obey.  Their hearts hardened a little bit more each time they rebelled, until they reached the point of no return at Kadesh-Barnea near the Promised Land.  There, they once again rejected God’s promise, were rejected by God, and never entered the Promised Land (Numb 13:26-14:23).

With unbelief and disobedience, the entire generation failed to worship God properly and, as a consequence, failed to enter God’s rest – the Promised Land.

God is still speaking and calling.  Today, God calls us to His rest, the rest in Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

Are you experiencing the rest of Christ?  When you hear the word of God, may your heart be soft.  Come to Jesus, trust in God’s goodness, and obey the Spirit’s leading in every aspect of your life.  Today!

Let’s pray:

Lord, thank You for the promise of rest in Christ.  Forgive me that my heart has been hard.  Help me to hear Your gentle voice and hasten to do what You desire for me.  I cannot claim that I am better than the Israelites in Marah and Meribah.  I want to give You control of my thoughts, emotions, words, and actions.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The 18th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Our Rock

As Jesus’ followers, the journey of life and path of discipleship have been anything but easy and smooth.  We worry, and are at times weary, overwhelmed, and even worn out.  We fear, fail, and struggle with our flaws.  We are thirsty along the way.  We look everywhere to find a way to quench our thirst, but in the end, we find ourselves even more wanting.

How can we quench our thirst in this weary journey?

The Israelites, who were called out of slavery in Egypt and journeyed through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land flowing milk and honey, asked the same question.

Exodus 17

Water From the Rock

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

The journey in the wilderness that began with God’s calling out of Egypt and ended with the eventual arrival at the Promised Land was long and arduous for the Israelites.  There was the threat of Pharaoh’s army, the barrier of the raging Red Sea, the issue of water quality, and the problem of food shortages.  But God proved that He was faithful to them and provided what they needed in each of the challenges.

But they found themselves confronting the same challenge again.  No water in an arid desert land under scorching heat!  They were getting impatient with both Moses and God.  They quarreled (that’s what Meribah means): “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (v3)  We know that God provided before.  But why doesn’t He just open a stream before we even get thirsty?  Who knows if He will provide or not this time?  Is He really able to quench our thirst?

They were testing (Massah) God’s faithfulness, love, and power.

God’s response to such unbelief and irreverence was full of grace.  He led them to a rock.  And the rock provided them with the water that quenched their thirst.

We, like the Israelites in the wilderness, are in between our first call out of slavery with Christ and our final destination of heavenly glory.  We have a lot of needs and challenges, no matter how strong we appear.

What are you facing in your journey of life today?  Are you longing for love, security, and significance?  Are you thirsting for power, possessions, or recognition as a substitute for your secure status in Christ as God’s child?  Are you doubting God’s faithfulness, love, and power?

Come to the Rock!

In fact, the Rock that gave water to the Israelites at Massah and Meribah accompanied the Israelites throughout their journey.  That Rock is Christ (1 Cor 10:4)!

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks this water (physical water) will be thirsty again, but those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Come to the Rock for the living water of eternal life! 

Take a few minutes to ask God to show you why your current thirst has not been quenched, if you have been seeking satisfaction in the wrong places.  Pray for the Spirit to bring you back to Christ, the Rock!

The 15th Day of the 40-Day Journey: New Beginning

Are new beginnings possible?  Can people be transformed?  Can a community (be it a family or a church) be renewed?

That was the kind of question that Nicodemus asked Jesus one night.

John 3:1-17  

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.”

4 “How can anyone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Even with all his accomplishments as an esteemed Jewish official and teacher of the Law, Nicodemus knew that he was missing something powerful in life that Jesus could offer.  Jesus said that Nicodemus needed to a new birth (v3)!

“How can anyone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus found Jesus’ answer incredible.

How can people change after a lifetime of addictions, convictions, inclinations, or even genetic dispositions?  Is there any hope of renewal and transformation for a community that been damage by our bad and ugly self-centeredness? 

Jesus’ answer was “Yes.”  But “flesh gives birth to flesh” (6a), so no amount of scrupulous pharisaic obedience to the Law, commands, and regulations will do.  Neither will all of our self-help, self-polishing, self-improvement, or self-determination.  Being “born again/above” is being “born of the Spirit.”  Only the Spirit of God makes this spiritual birth happen (v5-8).  We cannot control the process, just as a baby cannot control the process of his or her own birth.  This is the life of child-like faith.

Are new beginnings possible? Yes, the Spirit of God brings new beginnings and transformation into the lives of believers and believing communities.  Our response can only be to give up control and to trust and obey the work of the Spirit. We can give up control and rest in the care of the Spirit because the love of God triumphs over all fears (v16; 1 Jn 4:18).

The power of the Spirit works in mysterious yet exciting ways far beyond our imagination (v8a).  As you pray, ask the Spirit to show you His ongoing activities in your life and in the lives of others in your community around you and offer your thanksgiving.  If you have a hard time detecting the work of the Spirit, ask the Spirit to grant you spiritual sensitivity so you can be more attentive to His guidance.  Ask the Spirit to show you where in your life you need to hand control over Him.  Then trust and obey His leading for today.

And expect the Spirit at work as you prepare to worship the Lord this Sunday!

The 14th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Only by Faith

As the children of God and the followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to “live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27).  This is indeed a high calling toward an exciting life of “stardom” (Phil 2:15b).  One of dangers of living with this goal in mind is that many of us gradually tend to focus on our outward behaviors and to measure our relationship with God according our accomplishments.

But the Bible teaches us a markedly different way of relating to God and of being His children.  This way is to believe in what God says and trust in God’s goodness.  This is the way of faith.  Abraham is the primary example of faith, as Paul presents in Romans 4:

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, the forefather of us Jews, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  4 Now to anyone who works, their wages are not credited to them as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to anyone who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”  He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

God promised to make Abraham great, to give him countless descendants, and to make him a blessing to the whole world (Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-5).  Abraham believed God’s promise (Gen 12:4a; 15:6).  Beyond that, Abraham didn't do anything special for God.  He didn’t have to keep God’s law, since the law came 400 years later.  He was not even circumcised (Gen 17).

Yet, God considered Abraham righteous.  It means that Abraham had a right standing before God or a right relationship with God.  He was considered righteous (justified) simply because of his faith (v3 & Gen 15:6).

To be religious, to be spiritual, to have a right relationship with God, is to believe in God’s promises and to trust in God’s goodness in this journey of ours called life.

What are God’s promises to us? 

We are promised an abundant life when we accept Jesus (Jn 10:10).

We are promised forgiveness if we confess our sins (1Jn 1:7-9).

We are promised a life of peace, joy, love … if we are guided by the Spirit (Gal 5:16-23).

We are promised _____________ (so many more examples in Scripture)

How can we trust in God’s goodness rather than relying on our own accomplishments?

Only those who are secure in love can live a trusting life.  We need to remain in the love of Christ (Jn 15:9).  To do so, we need to know God’s promises from His Word and to hear from God afresh until we are 100% sure of our identity as a child of the gracious heavenly Father  (no longer living as an orphan, not relating to God as though we were employees of a demanding boss).

Those who are trusting God will give up control and follow and obey God’s commands.  And this is the way of faith.

Take a minute to pray to God, ask Him to reveal His love clearly to you, and obey His leading for today.

The 13th Day of the 40-Day Journey: True Help

The journey of a sojourner is not easy.  The sojourner needs help often, but sometimes not all the help is truly helpful.  Some help may be merely a distraction, while other times, the “help” could pose danger to the life of the sojourner.

When Abram and his wife Sarai set foot on their journey to God’s promised greatness and blessings (Gen 12:1-4a; Rom 4:1-5, 13-17), they needed much help.  Not all the help was truly helpful.  They sought help from foreign kings for security, and the kings almost broke their family (Gen 12:10-20; 20).  Their own efforts (self-help) to bring about an offspring for Abram actually brought unceasing headaches and heartbreaks to Abram and his descendents (Gen 16, 21).

During later Old Testament times, faithful pilgrims to Jerusalem needed help on their journey.  Along the way, there were threats of bandits and robbers, of the extreme desert conditions, and of the dangerous rocky paths.  Where could they find help as they traveled on their journey?

Psalm 121
A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? 
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip — He who watches over you will not slumber; 
4 indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— He will watch over your life; 
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. 


On the hills along the pilgrimage, there were probably many sites of idol worship set up by other mountain dwellers and travelers.  Yet the faithful pilgrims chose to acknowledge only the LORD (v1), because He is “the Maker of heaven and earth” whose protection could provide them true safety day and night and, in fact, throughout all of life (v2-8).  The LORD is the only One who gives and sustains life.  Only help from Him, not from any idols in the hills, could ensure that they would reach their destination. 

Where does your help come from?  Does your help and sense of security come from things other than God, things such as your position in life, your possessions, or your profession, all of which could be considered idols when they take the place of God?  Or do you perhaps overly trust in your own abilities or personality?  Those are not your true help. They can only lead you astray and cannot ensure that you reach the destination that God has planned for you in your life.

So let’s keep our eyes upon the LORD, not upon any idols, so we can complete the journey of life successfully.

How do we keep our eyes only upon the LORD?  In this 40-day journey, let’s start with the simple spiritual exercise of ABC:

Admit our sin of idol worship after asking the Holy Spirit to identify all the idols we depend on in our lives;

Believe in God’s power and goodness;

Commit to do one thing that pleases God.  It could be to reconcile with someone, to get ride of a bad habit, to participate in worship regularly, to pray regularly, to start a Bible reading plan, to encourage one person each week through a phone call, to join a Bible study group, to initiate a new ministry, …

May the Lord make your 40-day journey a fresh beginning of a blessed life-long spiritual journey with the Lord!

Let’s pray,

Dear Lord, even though there are many idols from which I am tempted to seek protection and help, please keep me at Your side so that I may always and only be devoted to You throughout my life’s journey, and especially during this 40-day journey with You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The 12th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Becoming Great

Do you notice that many best sellers are the books that teach people how to be great, at least in some way? Great people are influential leaders.  People value their opinions and look them up as role models.  Who wouldn’t want to be great?

But many people have failed because they try to pursuit their greatness in their own way.

Adam and Eve tried once.  To become great, they decided to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  They received punishment instead (Gen 3)

Humans after the flood tried again.  They decided to build the tower of Babel.  Instead of success, their languages were confused, and they were scattered “over the face of the whole earth.” (Gen 11:10)

But one day, God called Abram (later changed name to Abraham), an obscure herdsman with no obvious talents and whose wife was barren.  God promised him greatness.

Genesis 12:1-4a

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; 
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; 
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him

As far as we know, this was first promise of greatness that God gave to a person.  Abram didn’t seek out greatness, but God sought him out.  It was purely God’s will and God’s grace. 

Abram apparently responded immediately.  “So Abram went, as the LORD had told him” (v4a).  He had to leave many of those he loved behind, and he didn’t know where he was heading (v1).  To trust and obey, putting faith into action, is the way to obtain greatness.

True greatness reflects God’s will and God’s way. 

Abraham never saw the greatness God promised him by the time he died.  His descendents, the Israelites, had to learn the way of greatness generation after generation.  Whenever they tried to gain greatness on their own terms, they failed, until they lost their land and their nation and were reduced to become a people in exile.  How could “all the people on earth” be blessed through them? (v3)

Then Jesus came.  A descendant of Abraham, as well as the Son of God, He followed God’s will and God’s way.  He trusted and obeyed God.  He walked the Via Dolorosa – the Way of Suffering – and died on the cross.  He rose again three days later.  He reigns with the Father on His heavenly throne.  He is the greatest human ever lived!

And the greatness of Abraham eventually came to the whole world through Jesus Christ.  It is God’s will that we can experience true greatness through Him:

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Imagine how much influence a godly life can be on the world!  If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you should have a life of greatness already, a life of influence and blessing to those around you.

How much do you treasure your new life in Christ?  If you find yourself seeking greatness outside your identity in Jesus Christ, you are not on the right track, and you are heading to a defeat.  So turn around and reconnect to Jesus as a branch to the Vine.  Start to trust and obey God’s will for your life, daily.  The fruit of true greatness will flow from your life.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, I thank You for giving me everything I need in order to live a godly life, as You have graciously promised.  Forgive me for my attempts to pursue greatness apart from You.  Please lead me continually, and fill me with Yourself, so that I may trust You and obey You, and You can use my life to influence and bless others for the sake of Your kingdom.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The 9th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Identity Crisis

Are you competent to do the tasks that are assigned to you?  Do those around you consider you to be a capable person?    How do you demonstrate it? 

How could you prove that you are a child of God?

That’s the heart of the temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness.  “If you are the Son of God…” that was how the devil started his temptation of Jesus (Matt 4:1-11):

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

 “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus knew his mission and the power that would come with his mission (Matt 3:11-12).  Jesus also knew his identity.  Right before the wilderness, in his baptism, the Spirit of God and the voice of God from heaven confirmed to him that he was the Son of God.  Jesus knew that he was loved by God and that God found pleasure in him (Matt 3:16-17).  Jesus should also know that he would have the glory of the name of all names – the ultimate glory of Lord’s name (Phil 2:9-11).

But was Jesus sure of his identity?  Or was he satisfied with it?  The tempter offered Jesus an opportunity to prove himself with power, fame, and wealth - a chance to play God.  Would Jesus prove himself?  Would Jesus define his identity apart from God?

That was also the heart of the temptation that Adam and Eve faced.  They also had a wholesome mission and were endowed with power (Gen 1:28).  And they could come before God anytime without any hindrance, fear, or pretention.  Yet when the serpent offered them the chance to play God, they felt the identity crisis.

The central issue is not that we should be convinced of our identity all the time.  It is OK if we have doubts about who we are sometimes – it’s part of being human, and it’s a reality in our Christian journey.  The central issue is how we deal with the identity crisis.

Adam and Eve failed the temptation, because they chose to define themselves apart from God.  And sin and death came into the world (Rom 5:12-14).  Spiritually dead, they actually lost their true identity.  Humanity has been in search of it ever since.

Jesus, on the contrary, rejected the offer, refused to prove himself by his own means, and chose to define himself in God.  He did so by the Holy Spirit that dwelt in him (3:16), by the intimate communion with God through prayer (v2), and by relying on the unyielding truth conveyed by the word of God (v4,7,10).  Humanity saw the dawn of God’s grace and mercy!  It is now possible for humans to receive a true identity – identity in Christ, as a child of God.

How do you define yourself?  Do you define yourself as a child of God, or by possessing power, fame, or wealth, as you try to prove who you are through your work, ministry, popularity,…?

Let’s pray,

Dear Lord, I struggle often as to how to define myself.  The temptation to gain identity through my accomplishments is huge, even though I know that it is costing too much of my life, and it would be vain and meaningless in the end.  Please keep me close to You all the time, remind me often of my priceless status as Your child redeemed by Jesus Christ.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The 8th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Grace Triumphs!

A beautiful coastal city bustles with life.  One day, a day which began just like every other day, suddenly, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake shook up the whole city, and a wall of water 30 feet high roared in from the sea and washed away everything in its path.  The entire city was destroyed in a moment.  With the added nuclear threat, will Sendai ever be rebuilt?  What kind of creativity, determination, sweat, pain, and perseverance will it take to restore Sendai’s past glory?  No one knows the answer, but we all know by now that it takes much, much more to restore than to destroy.

Humanity as a species had an earthquake and a tsunami far back in the Garden of Eden, where the first human pair was enjoying an intimate relationship with God, with each other, and with the creation.  One day, facing the temptation from the serpent, they sinned against God by disobeying God’s command (Gen 3:1-7).  The destruction was massive!  They lost the Garden.  They lost the innocent relationship with each other.  But most importantly, they lost the intimate relationship with God.  They were driven out of the Garden and separated from God (Gen 3).  This separation means that they died, first spiritually and eventually physically.  Yet the destruction resulting from their sin was way beyond their comprehension in scope and depth.  It brought sin and death to this world and to all humanity for generations to come.  The paradise lost, not only for Adam and Eve, but also for us.  That’s what Paul talks about in Romans 5:12-14:

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

Adam passed on this life of sin and death to all humanity.  His sin destroyed the hope of the world.  Should humans ever hope to return to the Garden?  Paul says “yes” emphatically:

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It was indeed costly to God to undo the damage the first sinful act caused.  It cost the life of the Son of God.  Yet, grace triumphs!  Christ is indeed superior!  Christ’s work removed the stains of not only Adam’s one sin but also all our sin.  We now, by faith, have a life of righteousness (16b,17b,19b).  Christ’s work reversed the condemnation and the curse of death.  We now have eternal life (21b).  This is a glorious life of knowing God in Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

Maybe sin has wreaked havoc in your life or in the life of someone you love.  Maybe you sink into deep regret for your past sins.  Don’t lose hope for restoration and transformation.  Come to Jesus!  Christ, who raises the dead to eternal life, is your hope!

Let’s pray,

Dear God, Your grace abounds!  What a glorious hope we have in Jesus Christ – sin is no longer our master but the Spirit directs us; we are no longer separated from You but can come into Your presence, walk beside You, listen to You, love You, and enjoy You forever!  Help us proclaim this good news to all, especially those who are suffering in Japan!  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The 7th Day of the 40-Day Journey: The Pursuit of Happiness

For those of us who live in the US, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, one of the most famous phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence, reminds us proudly of our “inalienable rights” as humans.  So, we live to pursue happiness in many ways and with perseverance, even though many times we fail miserably.  But do you know that true happiness for us is to know that we are being pursued by love?

King David knows that.

Psalm 32


Of David. A maskil.

1 Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, 
whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed are those whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 


4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; 
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” 
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to You while You may be found; 
surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 


7 You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 


9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding 
but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.




10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds those who trust in Him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

David was in trouble.  He had committed sin (v5), and so he tried to hide from God (v3a).  The physical and psychological toll of this avoidance was tremendous (v3b).  These were not happy days.

Why did David try to hide from God?  Shame, fear, pride, defeat, loss of face/respect/status, …. As a true descendent of Adam and Eve, David wanted to be in control of his fate even when he was in trouble.

What was amazing was that David eventually realized the source and the meaning of his additional suffering (v4).  The love of God was pursuing him and calling him home, persistently. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? 
Where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)  David had to face his powerlessness and total dependence.  He confessed his sin to God (v5).

The result?  The God David initially tried to hide from became the place where he was delivered and hide from “the rising of the mighty water” and “from trouble” (v6-7).  God caught David with the arms of His unfailing love.  David experienced true happiness of life, a life where sins are forgiven! (v1-2. “Blessed” can also be translated as “Happy”.)

Are you struggling at work, in school, at home, in church, or in your health?  Your struggles may be a loving invitation from the Lord to pursue true happiness.  Come and sit (or kneel if you can) quietly before the Lord to hear His voice of assurance.  Confess whatever sins are hindering your relationship with Him.  Then rejoice in the LORD, be glad, and sing a song of praise from the bottom of your heart (v11), because we have the “gift of righteousness” through Jesus Christ (v11, Romans 5:17).

Let’s pray,

Dear Lord, what a blessing to know that I am pursued by You through the love of Christ!  Remind me to come to You often, to listen to Your voice, to confess my sins, to receive Your forgiveness, and to be renewed by Your spirit!  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

The 6th Day of the 40-Day Journey: Facing Our Temptations

This week’s texts will focus on the sin and temptation.

What is your response to temptation, especially when you know that it is against God’s desire?  Will you be like the first human pair?

Genesis 2:15-17

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will certainly die.”

Genesis 3:1-7

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

This is perhaps the most import text in the Old Testament, or in the whole Bible.  The serpent tempted the woman with not only the desirable fruit, but with the possibility of a divine status.  The first humans succumbed into the temptation and defied God’s command.

Why did they rebel against God’s will?  There have been many interpretations.  One possibility is their pride that replaces God with self.  They have false illusion of self-importance.

The inflated sense of importance actually reveals their deep insecurity and restlessness.  They are not sure if they have the best, even when they have the most important and meaningful career, the most healthy yet delicious food, the most intimate and non-pretentious relationships with God and with each other, and the most comfortable and environmentally-friendly dwelling in the world.  They still want more.  They want to be like God.  They want to be in control like God is.  The result is the hopeless condition of sin throughout all of humanity.

Why?  What really brought them down is doubt, their doubt of God’s goodness!  Indeed, pride due to doubting God’s goodness is the root of all temptation. 

Yet, as the offspring of Adam and Eve, we are all afflicted with temptation.  We all fall to its ego-boost.  We deceive ourselves that we can be in control, just like God.  We can handle our challenges at work, in our home, in our church, in ourselves, even though sometimes all the signs tell us the opposite.  We think losing control is more scary than trusting God.  Trusting God is a hurdle that has hindered many people from taking the initial step of faith.  Unfortunately our actions show that we still have trouble to trust in God’s goodness.

What challenges are you facing today?  Are you tempted to doubt God’s goodness because of what you have or don’t have right now in life?  Are you having trouble trusting God?  Are you at the edge of defying God’s will for your life?

The cycle of temptation and sin can be broken!  Jesus Christ did it in the desert (Matt 4:1-11, our text later of the week), and we have the hope to be victorious (Romans 5:12-19, text for later).  How?  Remain in Christ, like the branch connected to the Vine (John 15:5).  This is a life of total dependence!

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for being the God I can truly trust and to whom I can give up control!  Grant me the grace today to remain the love of Jesus Christ in face of every temptation to defy Your will.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!