Day 12: Through the Valley (Part 2)
Today’s Message
“Through the Valley (Part 2)”
Ezekiel 37:1-14
We would like to thank Pastor Daniel Kwon (KCPC-DC Campus) for his message today.
Yesterday’s Sermon
“Through the Valley (Part 1)”
Psalm 23
Pastor Daniel Kwon, KCPC - DC Campus
The Bible has more truth than anything else, yet we search Google more than read God’s Word for the truth. And what we hear as truth becomes our foundation. If the Word of God is not our foundation, then we have no foundation. A house without a foundation is a condemned house, for it will fall and collapse. And what we thought was our foundation is being shaken today. The foundation of society is falling and has been falling ever since the Fall, when sin entered the world. But God had a plan, to rescue and redeem their world from sin. It is through Jesus, coming and dying on the cross, who saves us from the inside out. Jesus is the answer to all of our problems. And if you’re not sure, then come to Jesus personally, and get to know Him through His Word. If we don’t know who He is, then there is no way we can know who we are.
We get so focused on our problems, fear overtakes us and we forget about who our Lord is. If we know who God is, then we know who we are and whose we are. The Lord is our shepherd. And this is the metaphor that David uses in Psalm 23 to describe the Lord. This metaphor fit David perfectly because he was a shepherd, but for us today, we may not understand this as well. So we can look to the Bible to understand and the Bible tells us who He is: God is our manna, our rock, our refuge, our Father, the anchor for our soul. The Bible tells us that Jesus came down from heaven and taking the form of a servant, so that we can understand who He is. He laid down His own life to save us from condemnation.
As we are living through this time of the pandemic, it may feel like we are walking through the valley, where we feel trapped or surrounded by fears, but we can see in Psalm 23 that this valley of the shadow of death is actually part of the paths of righteousness. And as we walk, we do not have to fear because our shepherd is with us, leading us. We are not walking alone. He is leading us and we do not have to fear. And if we do have fear, we can simply look toward our shepherd. We can “behold His face” as Psalm 11 says as we feel the foundations being shaken and as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Let us look to Jesus as our shepherd, as we His sheep go through the valley, for He is with us.
Community Stories
Celebrating Everyday Heroes
The pandemic has changed the world. But one thing that remains unchanged is the love of Jesus Christ. We celebrate those who continue to share the hope and love Christ with those who are hurting and broken especially during this time.
David Ok, HolyWave
5th Grade Teacher, Juarez Elementary School
Although moving to online learning has not been easy, I have felt very blessed during this time. Overall, my experience has been positive and I know that is not the case for everyone. I am thankful that I have a job that I can do from home. I am thankful that I have been able to spend extra time with my newborn daughter. I have a new appreciation for my colleagues, the principal, and the district that I work for. I have enjoyed the extra engagement from parents as we work even more closely to help students succeed.
The other side of it has been the fact that being online has let me see some of my students’ home lives and some of the things that they struggle with. I know that I am getting a glimpse of a very hectic and difficult time in many peoples’ lives. Although I have not seen anything shocking I can tell when a family is going through a difficult time. I also have been able to see the frustration kids have at not being able to have a normal social experience on a daily basis.
My prayer request is for safety of all teachers who are conducting in-person instruction. Also, for wisdom and patience for teachers who are teaching online.
Danny B, NEXT
Nurse, Keck Medicine of USC Surgical ICU
During the first wave of COVID-19, I had an opportunity to take care of the COVID patients as an ICU nurse. I still remember my first day at the COVID unit—intubated patients with multiple drips, relying on the ventilator to breathe. Armored with PPE (personal protective equipment), I read through the policies and regulations for COVID unit. Soon, the PPE would be the only barrier between me and the novel coronavirus. Fear crept in as I was about to face the pathogen which had taken lives of many healthcare professionals. Will this PPE be enough? What if there is a leak? What if I contract the virus and transmit it to my loved ones? As a train of worries and fears rushed through my mind, I felt a gentle spirit tugging my heart and reminding me about the promise that I made five years ago to God in front of the Jesus’ statue at our main sanctuary—the promise that I would serve the patients just like how He served those who were broken and sick, regardless of how challenging the situation could be. Then I remembered God’s grace that strengthened me to face countless obstacles in my life. Peace was restored in my heart, allowing me to regain focus. Though it was still stressful and overwhelming at times to treat the patients, the Lord never ceased to bless me with His wisdom and strength; He renewed my hope whenever my heart was broken as the battle against this novel pathogen continued. Though my unit is not a COVID unit anymore, the surge in the number of cases urges me to be prepared to enter the battleground again if necessary. With God’s wisdom and protection, I am no longer worried, for God has been gracious. Wherever He places me, I am now prepared to follow His guidance, knowing that He will strengthen me and that my promise to the Lord will never be broken.
“Where is God in This Pandemic?”
Skyla K, e-Jr. High (7th)
My name is Skyla Kim and I am currently a seventh grader in E-Jr.High. I have been going to Teuksae for my entire life. I never really paid attention to the sermons but I started to listen in the past few years. I understood that God was speaking to me through these pastors. This pandemic has led me to wonder “Where is God in all this?” All these things are happening in the world right now which makes everyone feel insecure. As I prayed and read the bible every day, my relationship with God has become stronger. I realized that God is in control and is with us all the time even when we may feel that God is absent. Although this year we are doing Teuksae online, I am thankful that we are still able to worship God together. This year has really helped me understand that God truly is the Way Maker as He is helping us get through this pandemic. A couple prayer requests I have is for everyone to stay safe and healthy during this time of quarantine. I also pray that no matter what situation we are in we can seek God for guidance.
Christina Oh, NEXT
12th Grade Teacher, Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy
2020 has been a year full of changes and transitions, with so many of these being difficult ones. I can’t say that I’m happy with my current season, but it’s certainly been a year of growth and learning. It has been a season of revelation, but not in any kind of glamorous way. Things that God has had in the works for me individually and for my family have come to fruition in ways that I could have never imagined.
On a personal level, I’ve experienced a lot of transitions simply because I started my credential program to become a credentialed teacher. Those close to me will know that I resisted God’s calling to formally pursue becoming a teacher for a number of years now. But after starting the program and going through the classes, I’ve learned so much about what teaching is actually about and why God had called me to this profession. Being a teacher is not just about teaching kids how to solve for x or to analyze Hamlet, but really it’s about being a mentor, a role model, and being an adult figure in a student’s life who will champion them when no one else will.
But at the core of it, to be someone who can do that for these kids, it had to start with me. I have to be a person of character, integrity, strength, and compassion if I want to be able to raise up young people who can carry those traits with them throughout their lives. I think before the program, I didn’t actually know as much about teaching as I thought I did even though I’ve been teaching and tutoring for nearly 10 years. It’s already been humbling, eye-opening, and challenging all at the same time even after only one semester, which no doubt means there’s still more to come.
(Other things to add on: I recognized God’s perfect timing because being able to work and start school was only possible because of the pandemic, and everything being forced online. If it had been a normal year, I would’ve had some pretty difficult decisions to make, but God has provided thus far. When I start student-teaching next semester, things will look different, and I’m struggling to plan accordingly for the next phase in all of this. Please pray for guidance and revelation!)
Prayer Requests:
While I recognize God’s perfect timing in my starting the credential program this year, as with many others during this season, it has been especially difficult financially for my family. That God will continue to provide us and that we will continue to trust in Him through this difficult time.
For the continual restoration of our family. He definitely started the process this season, and we’ve had breakthrough where my younger sister is concerned, but for it to continue.
