Beautiful

August 1, 2026

On one of my run routes, there is a corn field. When I was running that course today, I

was surprised to see the whole field filled with fully grown corn and I thought to myself,

“When did all of these grow so fast?” Then, I started seeing all the flowers and plants that

were scattered all over the side of the trail. They were of different colors: white, yellow,

purple, and so forth. They were spread out so randomly, but as I was passing by them

they seemed to be in harmony with one another, and the whole scenery was so beautiful

that I forgot that I was struggling in my running (I was fatigued by that point).

I really enjoyed the Vacation Bible School this week. It was a blessing to see the kids

come and learn more about the goodness of God, and for the youth and adults to get

together to offer their ministry for this wonderful cause. We took a group picture with

everyone on Thursday night. We all come from different backgrounds, and yet, everyone

gathered together looked so beautiful. There is just something special about being in

God’s dominion.

The wisest man that ever lived once said, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11. What God creates is beautiful, and there is great joy in it. I pray that

when we look around and witness all of God’s creation, may we continue to worship Him

and praise Him.

Remember

July 25, 2026

“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.” Genesis 19:29

Lot was not the most righteous man in the world, but he wasn’t such a bad guy either. He seemed to be a just man. (If you have time, try reading the whole chapter.) When the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, Lot invited them in for the night and showed them hospitality.

When night came, the men of the city came to violate Lot’s two guests. What was Lot’s response? He refused. He did all he could to protect his guests. He knew that was the right thing to do. Lot was even willing to give up his daughters in order to protect the guests that he had brought in. Eventually, the angels blinded the men.

The angels warned Lot to tell his family and run away from the city as soon as possible, for it was time for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot took it seriously and escaped from the city before it was too late. Lot and his daughters were spared. (You can read about his wife in the chapter.)

How was Lot saved, though? Yes, he listened to the angels. But how was that possible? The verse above tells us that it was because God remembered Abraham. Isn’t that so powerful? From this, we can learn two things: First, remember that someone is always praying for you. So, don’t be discouraged or fall into despair. Second, remember to pray for others all the time. What Abraham did for Lot is something we can do for others by praying for them. Intercessory prayer should be included in every prayer we make, and your prayers will change someone’s life forever.

SING

JULY 18, 2026

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

I know that many of you like to listen to music. I like listening to music as well. When Hyemi is cooking, doing the dishes, or doing household chores, she likes to turn on this smartphone music app. She likes to listen to certain genres like Christian choir music or classical music. And this app plays music randomly online, so we don’t know what music will come on. While Hyemi is working, I am at the desk working, and I can hear the music loud and clear as it plays. Suddenly, I find myself humming to the music whenever a familiar song comes out. I am sure you have similar experiences as well.

You may be singing along to the music in the air, or just singing while driving, or even shaking your body in rhythm to the music. I see my girls doing that all the time. You can see them feeling the music and dance. That is pretty adorable. Music is powerful. And it is a great way for us to express our feelings and thoughts. The Bible encourages us to express ourselves in music towards God.

Paul teaches us that we get really acquainted with the Word of God, and as God’s Word dwells in our hearts, we should sing to the Lord. Paul makes another similar statement in Ephesians 5:19, saying, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Paul himself practiced what he said. Acts 16:25 says: “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Music is a big part of our everyday life. It can be used in many ways, but let us use music and our singing to praise God!