Where is your faith?

“Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26

Last Monday on Memorial Day, our family visited the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was such a beautiful day to visit and we had a great time walking around the campus. We entered this big building called the Bancroft Hall. We were really impressed by the size of the hall and all the decorations on the wall, but this one gigantic banner hanging on the center wall caught my attention. It was a black banner with these words written in white: “DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP”

This quote reminded me of the tragedy that occurred on the morning of April 16 in my home country of Korea. A ferry named ‘Sewol’ sunk in the west coast of the Korean peninsula causing more than 300 deaths in the tragedy. One of the news regarding the tragedy that got all the Koreans so angry was the fact that the captain of the ferry was the first one to abandon the ship leaving everyone else behind. How can the captain be the first one to abandon the ship? The captain should be the last one to leave. But that did not happen on April 16.

We have a captain who is faithful to us. The synoptic gospels tell us about our Captain Jesus. Matthew tells us that Jesus and the disciples got into a boat. Since Jesus was tired He fell asleep, I mean a deep one. While Jesus was sleeping a huge storm came! The disciples came to Jesus and tried to wake Jesus up! Among the 3 gospels I like how Mark wrote what the disciples said to Jesus to wake Him up: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Jesus “arose and rebuked the wind.” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then Jesus said, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). This is what is written in Luke: “Where is your faith?”

The captain of Sewol did not care. He only cared for himself. But our Captain Jesus is different. He cares. He has things in control for us. He is always consistent. It is us that are inconsistent. Let us ask ourselves, “Where is my faith?”

God's face shining upon us

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.” Numbers 6:24,25


It doesn’t take deep theological exegesis to learn about God. Some people think it is very difficult to know about God because you have to study the Word of God carefully. It is true that we must always study God’s Word all the time but it is rather very simple to know about who God is and what He is like. We can learn about Him in our daily life. I am learning about God through my family and I am sure many of you can relate to what I am about to say.


Case 1. Now that my family is back from Korea, I am having such a great time! Hyemi and Sebin are still trying to get used to the central time zone (there is a 14 hour difference from here and Korea). Because of that our daughter Sebin gets up super early in the morning but Hyemi is still very tired. Since I want my wife to get some rest, I take Sebin downstairs so that she can play. Oh boy she has grown. Sebin is now so alert, fast, and active that I cannot take my eyes off of her. She goes all over the place, pulls everything out, whatever she has in her hands goes into her mouth. I have to be facing her all the time to keep her safe. (Well, I also need to make sure she doesn’t touch my stuff!)


Case 2. Sebin is taking a short morning nap. Hyemi is making brunch downstairs while I am in my study room doing work. Suddenly I hear Sebin, but I leave her alone thinking that she’d go back to sleep. But no, she is wide-awake and she is crying. So I rush into our bedroom and I see Sebin standing on the crib with her hands holding onto the bars. She gives me the where-were-you look. When I smile at her she smiles back and lifts her arms with the pick-me-up-now face! I am facing her and she is feeling happy and secure.


Like I said, we don’t have to exegete the Bible to see what the theological implications of “God’s face shining upon us” are. There is a blessing when God faces us. There is happiness, security, and protection when God is facing us today. It doesn’t take special skills for God to make us feel that way. All He needs to do is just have His face shine on us.

Trust in God, not in riches.

“Command to those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17

Let me tell you about my friend. My friend’s mother is running a business. Well, my friend wanted to help her mother with the business. So she got her certified regarding that field of work couple years back and after she finished college she started working together with her mother.

Once in awhile we catch up over the phone. This is how are conversation would start. “Hey _______! Are you making lots of money?” She would reply, “Oh I am so busy with work! So much going on but business is good!”

Then I say, “You better save up all the money for your future!” She replies, “Oh, mom doesn’t pay me. I just live at her house!” Surprised, I tell her, “You better inherit everything from your parents later!” Jokingly she says, “Of course!”

By just listening to that conversation, one might think that my friend is very irresponsible that she is not getting paid, that she is not independent, that she has no life. That is wrong. She is very good at her job. And the business is going really well. The point is that she is working for her mom. She know that whatever belongs to her belongs to her mom and what belongs to her mom belongs to her.

Paul tells Timothy not to look at the riches, but to the One who gives all the riches. Many people seek success by trying to make more money or obtain wealth. But the Bible tells us that it is about establishing a firm, intimate relationship with our Father. It is not about “what,” but about “who.” It is about our relationship with our Father in heaven who gives us all the things we need.

Ellen White quotes from "Christ' Method Alone" by Philip Samaan

I have been reading this book “Christ’s Method Alone” by Dr. Philip Samaan, a professor at Southern Adventist University. In the first chapter of the book there is a section called “Communion with Christ – a Priority.” I was really impressed with the Ellen White quotes used here and I wanted to share those specific quotes mentioned in this part of the book. This will encourage us with our daily devotional time with God, and may we make this our priority!

“Personal effort for others should be preceded by much secret prayer… Before communicating with men, commune with Christ… Let your life be knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 149.

“If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally… Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch.” The Desire of Ages, p. 668.

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, bot be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God… Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ, Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ.” Steps to Christ, p. 70.

“Every worker who follows the example of Christ will be prepared to receive and use the power that God has promised to his church for the ripening of earth’s harvest. Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of his Spirit… As they go forth to the day’s duties, they have the assurance that the unseen agency of the Holy Spirit enables them to be ‘laborers together with God.’” The Acts of the Apostles, p. 56.

“Nothing is more needed in our work than the practical results of communion with God… His peace in the heart will shine forth in the countenance. It will give to the voice a persuasive power. Communion with God will ennoble the character and the life. Men will take knowledge of us, as of the first disciples, that we have been with Jesus. This will impart to the worker a power that nothing else can give. Of this power he must not allow himself to be deprived.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 512.

An idea for your devotional time

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you… Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1,5

I can’t express enough how important daily devotional is. It is the source of power that connects us to God. We are strengthened each time we spend our time with God. But do you have trouble how to have devotional time with God? Or do you have trouble what to start reading with? Let me share with you what my mom told me when I was young. This idea will help you get started with spending time with God and eventually God will show you how to deepen your devotional time and what to read later on. I am not saying that this is the best way. It is something that mom taught me when I was young and it worked.

The book of proverbs is a book of wisdom. When you read this book, I am certain that it will help us gain more wisdom. Wisdom is not just knowledge. It goes much deeper than that. Wisdom leads to us dealing with things of life and our relationship with God as well. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs. If you read one chapter each day, you will read the whole book of proverbs in one month. When you repeat this each month, then you get to read Proverbs twelve times in a year! Talk about wisdom!

Our church was founded on the truth of Daniel and Revelation prophecies. That is where our root is. Yet many of us Adventist Christians have little knowledge of the prophecies and don’t even know the contents of these two books. Guess what! There are 12 chapters in Daniel and 22 chapters in Revelation, which means 34 chapters in total. Just like Proverbs, if you take one chapter each day (you will need to read 2 chapters on certain days), then you will be able to read the prophecies in one month! And if you repeat this each month, then you get to read them twelve times in a year!

What do you think? If you read 2 chapters each day, one from Proverbs and one from Daniel and Revelation, then you get to gain wisdom and deepen our knowledge of our roots all year long! Doesn’t it sound like fun? I hope you enjoy it!