I recently had a chance to revisit Jacob’s story in Genesis 27-28 as part of my attempt to read the Bible in a year. I knew Jacob was not one of my favorite people in the Bible but my dislike for him grew even stronger as I read his story for the umpteenth time. Conniving, deceitful, self-promoting…these are a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Jacob. He not only took Esau’s birthright but tricked Isaac into blessing him instead of his brother. Even when God revealed Himself to Jacob in a mighty way thru a dream, he dared to put a condition on his relationship with God! He declares that God will be his God if He watches over him on his journey and provides for all his needs. And yet in Malachi 1:2-3, God says that “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated. But why??? It doesn’t seem fair! Continue reading
Tag Archives: live by faith
Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name
I’ve been trying to write this post for the past couple of weeks and I find myself at a loss for words every time. Nothing I come up with seems to appropriately convey the magnitude of what I’m trying to express. Perhaps I still don’t have a firm grasp of the concept I’m trying to present. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to put it on paper (online) and I hope it helps to remind us of the awesome God we serve.
Is it perplexing to you that the God of the universe, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, who made the heavens and the earth and all living things, knows you and me by name, knows the number of hairs on our head and is familiar with all of our ways? Continue reading
Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)
Milestones are something most of us look forward to, but when we finally reach them, they can be bittersweet, especially when it comes to our children. We find joy in seeing our children learn, grow and mature but at the same time, we feel sadness as we realize that they’re becoming more and more independent from us. As parents, especially as mothers, we want to keep them under our wings forever if we could.
As the school year begins and many of us are sending off our children on their first day of school, we’re celebrating different milestones; first day in kindergarten, first year in middle school, last year in high school, etc. Beneath the beam of pride is a heart that aches for the days of old. And it’s hard to let go. But we have to remember that we must surrender all to God, even our children. God has impressed upon my heart five truths that make it a little easier to let go of my grasp over His precious gift. Continue reading
Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me
As far as I can remember in my life, I’ve never been one to stand out. I am the younger sister to a firstborn son in a traditional Korean family, so my brother almost always got all the attention. I didn’t stand out for my looks, for my outgoing personality or for any exceptional talent. For a shy kid, I guess it didn’t make much of a difference, it was actually a relief. My nature was further reinforced by the fact that I was raised in the traditions of the Korean culture, where it was considered a virtue for women to be reticent and submissive, and to remain in the background.
I wanted to be heard, be seen and be noticed.
I wanted to matter and make a difference.
As I grew up and started to think for myself and to form my own opinions, I grew a desire to have a voice. I wanted to be heard, be seen and be noticed. I wanted to matter and make a difference. Continue reading