Christina 언니( 곽정현)

은혜 받은 말씀: 베드로후서 3장 8절-9절 "사랑하는 자들아 주께는 하루가 천 년 같고 천 년이 하루 같다는 이 한가지를 잊지 말라. 주의 약속은 어떤 이들이 더디다고 생각하는 것 같이 더딘 것이 아니라 오직 주께서는 너희를 대하여 오래 참으사 아무도 멸망하지 아니하고 다 회개하기에 이르기를 원하시느라."

In the beginning, before I truly believed in God, I understood the concept of time based on the knowledge of the world.

However, as I became closer to God and reading the gospel more, I came to a realization that the concept of time should not be understood by the worldly knowledge because God is Alpha and Omega- beginning and the end.

To Him, one day can be thousand years and a thousand years can be one day.

 Through this fact, I came to understand and confess that I am an impatient child.

Just as He has waited patiently for me, I need to be patient.

It doesn't matter if I have to wait 10 years or even 100 years, I just need to believe in the fact that if I wait patiently, He will come to hold my hand.

Also, as I wait, I need to repent for all the wrong things I have done in my life.

 This leads to the next verse in Second Peter 5:6-9.

In verses 6-7, the bible reads for me to be be humble under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt me at the proper time, and to cast away all my anxieties to Him because He cares for me. In order to be able to wait patiently for Him, I need to be humble towards God and cast all my anxieties and concerns of the world to Him. Just as He cares for me, I need to care for Him with a humble heart so that I may be exalted at the proper time. I decided that not only should I sing praises and read the gospel, but to preach His words as well. IF I truly am a humble child of God, I should not be worried about others opinions towards me and rejoice in doing the things He wills me to do.

The last two verses 8-9, in conclusion, came to me more as a warning. To be spirtually sober... I felt I wasn't sober at all for a really long time. Because of this feeling, I may have been a victim to the tempations of the world, other people's opinions, and many other things that make me worry and anxious. From this weakness, being an infant to the gospel, I was vulnerable to the devil, who prowled around me ready to devour my soul. Reading this verse brought fear into my heart because I have felt that there was no one to trust but God. It didn't matter how nice and caring my friends and family were. If I trust everything they say and find comfort in their words, I may be falling into the hands of the devil. Even though I don't want to, I decided I need to block out anything unholy and if I am confused, I need to ask God through prayer to tell me the truth and show me the way to Him... and ONLY Him. I realized the devil works in many different ways to stop me from walking the path to righteousness, and the only way for me to grow and become stronger againts this darkness is to rely on my Father and only seek Him to be my answer.