Faith & Life

Since You Have Received Everything

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Co 4:7 There is nothing I possess that has not been given to me by God. He has provided everything I need to reach the kingdom of heaven. And yet, at times, I have spoken and behaved as though I had received nothing at all. Along the journey of faith, I sometimes regarded trials and hardships as needless burdens, failing to recognize them as gifts of love, carefully wrapped in the covering of suffering. But our Heavenly Father and Mother work solely for the purpose of our…

Mun So-yeong from Mexico City, Mexico

A Call From a Prisoner’s Mother

I work in the police department, handling inquiries related to detainees. One day, I received a call from the mother of an inmate. “My son has the right to receive medical treatment. Please take care of him,” she pleaded. She was frustrated, saying her son was in need of care but wasn’t being treated. She insisted she wouldn’t hang up until proper action was taken. Her words gave me much to think about. To be honest, I hadn’t paid much attention to the rights of prisoners, who had committed crimes and were awaiting punishment. But despite society’s coldness and rejection, there was someone who refused to give up on them. With a heart full of compassion, this mother was doing…

Karena Azile Bartee from The Bronx, NY, U.S.

Although Daniel Learned That He Would Be Thrown Into the Lions’ Den

During the reign of King Darius over Babylon, the king’s favored servant Daniel became the target of jealous officials. Driven by envy, they conspired to establish a royal decree: that anyone who prayed to any god or man other than the king over the next thirty days would be cast into the lions’ den. Unaware of their true motive, the king sealed the decree with his signet. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Da 6:10 Daniel fully understood the consequences…

Gahng Sun-bong from Jinju, Korea

A Mother’s Pause

My grandmother recently underwent hip surgery, and my mom left home for a month to care for her. Naturally, I was concerned about my grandmother’s recovery, but I found myself worrying just as much about my mom. Was she eating well? Was she sleeping comfortably? I called often, checking in on both of them whenever I could. With her gone, another weight fell on my shoulders: cleaning, laundry, and preparing meals for my dad all became my responsibility. These were tasks I wasn’t used to, and everything took twice as long with my inexperienced hands. A few days later, my mom returned home briefly after asking my aunt to stay with my grandmother. I called her on my way back…

Shim Cha-hee from Gwangju, Korea

The Power of Greetings

When my eldest child was 15 months old, we moved into the apartment where we now live. He is fourteen this year, and our second child—born after we settled here—is now nine. After coming to know the truth and beginning to attend Zion, I often wondered how I might reflect God’s glory in my daily life. I decided to start with something simple: greeting our neighbors warmly and sincerely. So, my children and I began offering cheerful greetings to residents we encountered in the elevator. Over the years, this small practice began to bear fruit. People would remark, “Your children aren’t like most these days,” and some even began greeting us first. Not long ago, an elderly neighbor, touched by…

Park Jeong-hwa from Incheon, Korea

The Attitude of a Protagonist of Prophecy

I used to admire the young adults who, in accordance with biblical prophecy, devoted themselves to the gospel on the world stage. When I finally reached that stage of life and was given the opportunity to join them, my heart swelled with excitement. A protagonist of prophecy! Could any title be more blessed? A protagonist, by nature, shines in the spotlight. I was certain that if I gave my utmost, I too could shine like a star on the stage of prophecy, led by God’s hand. Yet as time passed, I often found myself weighed down by doubt. Compared with such a title, I felt inadequate—someone who had never traveled abroad and who lacked fluency in foreign languages. I began…

Park Chae-un from Incheon, Korea

Do Not Turn Aside Neither to the Left Nor to the Right

Parking is difficult. I’ve often stepped out of the car, thinking I had parked perfectly, only to find it sitting crooked within the lines. For a long time, I couldn’t understand why. Then one day, I discovered something simple yet eye-opening: if I looked straight ahead once the car was mostly aligned within the lines, it would naturally fall into place. Up until then, I had focused solely on checking the left and right boundaries. But when I fixed my gaze forward and adjusted the wheel, parking became easier—and more accurate. It reminded me of the moments when my faith had wavered and I had lost my spiritual balance. So be careful to do what the Lord your God has…

Choi In-gyu from Ulsan, Korea

Like Morning Coffee That Awakens the Day

Mornings in our home begin with the New Songs. Just as a fragrant cup of coffee clears the morning haze, the beautiful melodies of the New Songs uplift my soul and awaken my spirit in the early hours. These days, my husband hums the New Songs as he gets ready for work. It seems that even in the midst of a busy morning, the New Songs give him a moment of calm much like the comfort of a warm cup of coffee. The New Songs have filled the empty spaces in my life. It is my friend that helps me live each day with gratitude, even amid the challenges of this world. It is a spiritual alarm that reminds me…

Kim Eun-hee from Gwangju, Korea

The Words I Long to Hear From Mother

Though it feels like I only just enlisted, several months have already passed. The fiery zeal and firm resolve I once held—to complete the gospel mission during my service—gradually faded with time. Even as I knew I needed to act, my faith often fell short of lifting my weary body. One day, the thought struck me: If I let time slip away like this, I’ll finish my service with nothing to show for it. That moment jolted me awake. From then on, I returned to the Truth Books and the Bible, determined to restore my faltering faith. One particularly grueling day, we spent hours working on drainage construction under the sweltering sun. By the time the work ended, fatigue pressed…

Jo Sahng-cheol from Yeoju, Korea

A Bold Pitch at the Brink

In 1942, during the U.S. professional baseball season, a pitcher introduced an unconventional new pitch known as the “Eephus ball.” Unlike the typical fastball, the Eephus was remarkably slow, traveling only about 80 to 90 km/h (50 to 56 mph), roughly half the speed of a standard pitch. It followed a high, looping arc before dropping sharply toward the batter. This unusual trajectory and reduced speed threw many hitters off, making it difficult to time their swings effectively. The pitcher behind the Eephus ball was Rip Sewell. A successful professional player at the time, Sewell suffered a devastating foot injury in an accident, leaving him barely able to walk, much less throw fastballs. With his career hanging in the balance,…

Keeping Your Feet From Doing As You Please on My Holy Day

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isa 58:13–14 The Sabbath is a day of blessing—a sacred time to worship God in reverence and to grant rest to our weary souls. It…

Kim Shin-hyeong from Gwangju, Korea

Over All, Put on Love

In Zion, the grace and love of God abound. Yet at times, I find myself face-to-face with the sinful nature hidden deep within my soul—unable to overlook a brother or sister’s small mistake, quick to point out their faults instead of offering understanding. In those moments, I feel a deep sorrow, thinking, “I must have committed a grievous sin in heaven.” One day, I came across a Bible verse that opened my eyes and brought quiet conviction: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over…

Yu Jeong-su from Incheon, Korea

Inspiration, the Stirring of the Soul

“Eureka!” This was the cry of Archimedes, the ancient Greek mathematician and physicist, when he discovered a way to determine whether a king’s crown was made of pure gold. The idea struck him while bathing, as he observed water overflowing in proportion to the volume of his body—an insight that led to the discovery of what we now call the principle of buoyancy, now known as Archimedes’ principle. When a new idea takes hold and leads to a breakthrough, we say we’ve been “inspired.” Inspiration is often defined as “a brilliant thought or stimulus that sparks creativity or action.” People draw inspiration from their surroundings, transforming it into art, invention, or meaningful change. The Chinese characters for “inspiration (靈感)” mean…

Kim Min-seong from Suwon, Korea

Beautiful Words

There are moments when a single word can shape the entire mood of a situation. A sharp remark, spoken in irritation, can escalate conflict, while a gentle, considerate word can defuse tension and restore peace. The choice of words and the direction a conversation takes often rests entirely in our hands. If a fleeting decision can produce such different outcomes, what kind of speech should be found in a believer who follows God? A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word! Pr 15:23 In the friction of human relationships, controlling our words is not always easy. Pride can flare, and we may feel the urge to win or prove a point. Yet the…

Son Chae-eun from Daegu, Korea

The Path to Heaven

It was not long after I had begun driving. Since it was my first time taking the route from work to home on my own, my mom brought her car to my workplace and led the way, driving ahead of me on the commute home. After we arrived safely and I stepped out of the car, she said to me: “Why were you driving so close behind me? What if you had hit me?” “I was afraid another car might slip in between us,” I replied. Quite literally, I had been anxious about losing sight of her. I followed her car closely, almost as if I were chasing it. “Oh, even if a car had come between us, I would’ve…

Lee Su-bin from Gangneung, Korea

Helping a Baby Bird

My husband, daughter, and I were returning home when we noticed a small group of children—likely upper elementary schoolers—gather near the front gate of our apartment building. They stood in a circle, peering down at something on the ground. “Is it dead? What do we do?” Their anxious voices made it impossible to simply walk past, so I stepped closer and asked what was going on. “A bird fell from the tree,” one of them replied. “We don’t know what to do.” Lying where the child pointed was a baby bird, motionless and curled up as if lifeless. Unsure of what to do, my husband, the children, and I decided to call emergency services. But the response was disappointing; 119…

Seo Jin-hee from Busan, Korea

How to Practice the New Command

At first, I did not fully understand the meaning of the new command God gave us: “Love one another.” The reason was simple; I found it impossible to gauge the measure of love one should have for another. During a study meeting, I came to realize that the command includes a premise: “As I have loved you.” Only then did I begin to comprehend the depth of love God spoke of. Yet even with that understanding, I couldn’t help but wonder: Can I truly put this into practice? We cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 1 Th 2:8 The members…

Jahng Min-gyeong from Seongnam, Korea

Safe Driving

Before taking the written exam for my driver’s license, I attended a mandatory safety course. As I studied the array of road signs and the long list of traffic laws every driver must follow, I couldn’t help but wonder, “How could anyone memorize all this and apply it while actually driving?” But when the instructor began to speak about yielding on the road, my attention sharpened. At the heart of safe driving were two essential principles: consideration and yielding. Whether changing lanes, making unprotected left or right turns, or navigating narrow alleyways and roundabouts, the key to arriving safely at one’s destination lay in observing road conditions, proceeding with caution, and being mindful of fellow drivers. In many ways, we…

Park Min-ji from Seoul, Korea

Because God Loved You

After coming to understand the truth, one question lingered in my mind and refused to leave: “Out of all the people in the world, why did God choose me?” I wasn’t particularly wise, nor had I earnestly sought God. It felt humbling—almost undeserved—to have received such a precious blessing. The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Dt 7:7–8 My heart stirs at these words: that I was not…

Jeong Hee-jong from Munich, Bavaria, Germany

A Faith Check

To welcome the new year, I climbed a mountain with a Zion sister for the first time in a while. Though recent snowfall had left patches of snow along the trail, I assumed it wouldn’t be much of a problem and began the hike without hesitation. But it wasn’t long before regret set in. The packed snow had turned to ice, making the path no different from a sheet of glass. While I slipped and fell repeatedly after only a few steps, my companion climbed steadily, never once losing his footing, even without any special gear. The difference lay in his shoes. The soles of his boots were sturdy and well-suited for the terrain. Mine were not. Though they caused…

Kim Ga-gyeong from Gwangju, Korea