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Listen to God’s voice when we live for Him
When tired, I often chat with a senior co-worker who always encourages me: “The ministry that exhausts you is sometimes your lifeline.” Later, I deeply felt that responsibility might bring pressure, and many times I wanted to run away and give up, but it helps to remember Jesus Christ and stay on the Godly path when making decisions.
God’s trials for us are unpredictable, and only He controls the intensity of the fire. The hardest part for Christians is to keep serving faithfully amidst God’s fierce trials. Whether sharing the grace experienced with relatives and friends, testifying about God’s grace on the pulpit, or sharing with college students in fellowship, I often find myself in another period of training.
God has a unique purpose for each person, and faith doesn’t have a Standard Operating Procedure, that we can follow in life. However, this is precisely God’s deepest love and most careful arrangement. Everyone faces different challenges, and even similar situations might yield different outcomes. For every unpredictable next step and every uncertain tomorrow, they help us hold tighter to God. God’s intention is for us to look up to Him, rely on Him, and praise Him in the furnace of life, learning to hear His voice. When the sound of praise in our hearts is louder than the sound of complaint, our relationship with God grows closer. Joseph, having gone through life orchestrated by God, left us with a touching and profound statement: “God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). This perspective not only made him deeply believe in all of God’s arrangements but also helped him endure days of misunderstanding and forgive all the harm done to him.
On a trip back to Taipei, I shared reflections on servitude with a co-worker. Our conversation focused on “experiencing hardship but still discerning God’s will, and amid difficult efforts, finding it hard to explain to others.” This is often the true reflection of service. After we complete a course in trials, God leads us into the next test, teaching us to face every difficulty with a voice of praise. Christians do not become holy through a single battle but through repeated battles hand in hand with God, becoming warriors aligned with God’s will and singing songs of praise.
Adversity is a place where we meet God anew. God often turns off one light after another on our path, plunging us into darkness, so that when we look up in the dark, we can focus on the bright heavenly star. In the past, being in difficult situations, it was inevitable for me to have misunderstandings about God’s arrangements. As I grew older and became a humble vessel used by God, taking up responsibilities also meant carrying the cross. Many tears have been shed in prayer. I thank God that through continuous training, I can gradually understand God’s will, view my circumstances with God’s perspective, reflect with a father’s heart on every decision as God’s child, and slowly feel every action of God on me, all with His absolute intent.
I hope that as we bear responsibilities and carry our cross, we may fix our eyes solely on Jesus Christ. Along the long road of servitude, only complete trust and reliance on God, making Him the focus of our journey, can fulfill every intention of God and fill our path of service with sounds of praise to God.
“and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)
May the warmth like the Lord’s light become the strength of those we meet.
We warmly welcome you to our upcoming Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation. You can also join us for the Fall ESSC via online streaming. Here’s the ESSC schedule:
Thursday, September 26, 2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.
Please find our church location below:
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
Google Maps
In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org