Enlightenment
We share big and small enlightenments we have in our daily lives, walking with God.
Please Let Me Always Have Hope in God
After I graduated from university, I worked as an administrative assistant at the school immediately. At first, I was grateful to God for allowing me to accomplish the workplace mission at the school where I had been working for the campus mission until then. As time went by, however, I lost my commitment to the gospel mission. As the new semester began, things got tougher. I was not familiar with the administrative work, but while dealing with freshmen all at once and carrying out professors’ instructions, I lost track of time. I thought, ‘Do I have to work so hard like this?’ Wanting to be comforted by someone, I pulled out my cell phone and our church app caught my…
Lee Jin-gyeong from Suwon, Korea
The Best Medicine
“I just want to sleep for a day, no more or no less.” I go to work early in the morning and work all day. After work, I go to church and participate in the young adult group gathering. So, I often get exhausted when I return home. When I spent even day-offs with things, I felt like my body was so heavy that I wanted to sleep all day long. Last Sunday, I left home early in the morning because of the IWBA education. I was still tired, but my eyes opened wide as I heard the professor read the following verses before education. “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not…
Seo Mi-ju from Incheon, Korea
If the Words of God Remain in Me
I prayed to God many times to allow me to bear good fruit of the gospel, but it was hard to bear fruit. I was wondering why, and then a verse came into view. “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Jn 15:7 The secret of receiving whatever I want is having the words of God in me. On the contrary, if there is no word of God in me, I cannot get what I want. Heavenly Mother always gives us sound instructions and godly teachings so that we can go back to the kingdom of heaven. However, I have been lazy in engraving God’s words…
Kim Mi-hui from Geoje, Korea
Do Not Be Afraid of Them, for I Am With You
When I received the truth in the Church of God, I was so happy and joyful, and being confident that this is the true church which people must go to, in order to receive salvation. I wanted to become a great prophet and preach to many people—to whomever I meet. But I was often intimidated because of my age and what I would look like. Everybody always mistook me for being an elementary student because of my petite body and baby-face look. I was also slow-witted and didn’t speak well. So I wondered, ‘Will people listen to me and be convinced in what I say?’ While I was in distress because of this matter, one of my branches, who led…
Sharina Aya Z. Gorospe from Quezon City, Philippines
Until All of the Prophecies Are Fulfilled
It has almost been a year since I started preaching overseas. When my heart was going to be weakened due to the hot weather lasting throughout the year, a great language barrier, and unpalatable food, I became spiritually renewed by the following verses: “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Mt 26:52–54 Jesus was able to avoid the situation at that time, but He silently…
Kim Min-gyeong from Cheongju, Korea
Spiritual Vitamin
This happened when I was on my gospel mision in Spain. A deaconess came from Korea to preach the gospel for a month. I was worried that she would not be accustomed to unfamiliar circumstances as she was not good at speaking Spanish. Unlike my expectation, however, she preached the word of God until late at night, always wearing a smile and showing no signs of fatigue. I wondered how the deaconess could be so eager to preach without rest, and I asked her how. Then she opened the Bible and showed me this verse. “. . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and…
Kim Jin-hui from Seongnam, Korea
Test Me and Know My Anxious Thoughts
While my faith was growing little by little, I got tested. I thought that “test” was only for a person with weak faith. So I earnestly prayed to God that the hard times would pass by quickly. However, the answer to my prayer was getting delayed. While I was bearing the time of loneliness and desperation, my hope for heaven grew even bigger. After much time, I realized that the test I had at that time was God’s plan to grow my faith. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23–24 If there was any…
Kim Su-yeong from Gunpo, Korea
Things That Should Not Be Overlooked
“You will not have to fight in this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Ch 20:17 Jehoshaphat heard that the Moabites and Ammonites were coming to make war on him. He proclaimed a fast for all Judah and sought help from God. Listening to his prayer, God let them gain a victory even without fighting in the battle and granted peace. While doing things in Zion, I focused only on how to do it and often forgot to pray to God. Reading these words,…
Jang Dong-geon from Seoul, Korea
The Reason I Can Do Everything
I don’t have any specialty. So when I am given something to do, I start to worry first. Fortunately, there is a verse that puts down my worries. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” Php 4:13 Since God gives me strength, I come to have confidence that I can do everything. Heavenly Father and Mother, thank You for granting me all the strength and cheering on me while always being my side!
Kim Bo-rah from Busan, Korea
Saving a Happy Tree
Our Zion has a tree named “happy tree.” Whenever we look at that tree with big green leaves and small bell-like flowers, though not many, we feel happy just like its name. But when summer was about to start, the happy tree, which was almost touching the ceiling, started showing strange symptoms. Its leaves started hardening as if they were withering, and they didn’t look fresh like before at all. At first, we thought it needed more water and gave it more. However, it still looked the same. Worrying that too much water would rot the root, we stopped watering it. Thankfully, there was a sister who knew much about plants, so we asked her for a piece of advice.…
Gahng Shin-hae from Seongnam, Korea
Heaven’s Teacher of the Law
Jesus said, “If you love Me, feed My sheep.” There are a variety of spiritual foods, but I’ve always wondered what food is proper for each of sheep. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Mt 13:52 The words settled my worries at once. The heaven’s teacher of the law should be able to give spiritual food from the Old and New Testaments to whoever he meets at the proper time. He should do it like the owner of a house is well aware of his house and can…
Yu Yeong-mi from Ansan, Korea
We Are More than Conquerors through Love
In life, there are times when you may face unexpected difficulties. Sometimes I overcome them, thinking of God, but sometimes I get so discouraged that I just want to plop down on the ground. I was exhausted in body and mind, thinking, ‘Why doesn’t the situation get any better?’ At that moment, God gave me comfort and courage through the words in the Bible. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him…
Peter Antonio Azucena Valencia from Cordoba, Argentina
The Voice of Father and Mother
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are still imposing travel restrictions. However, we also hear gracious fragrances of Zion that the pandemic has provided an opportunity for our members to study Heavenly Father’s Truth Books. In order to teach us the way of salvation, Heavenly Father came to this dark and gloomy world, which confuses the truth with falsehood. Every Truth Book that Father wrote for 37 years, staying up all night, contains His earnest love for His children; Father wanted all of us to correctly distinguish the truth from falsehood and receive salvation. There is a Bible verse I got reminded of while studying Heavenly Father’s Truth Books. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will…
Sushan Khati from Gokarneshwor, Nepal