Farmer of Hearts - How Not to Miss God’s Voice

Yesterday, we experienced the essence of God and how it revealed some enlightening truths to us. These revelations help us better understand why God has such high expectations of us and assist us in responding to His various invitations with the right mindset and actions. One thing we must always remember is that no matter how high the expectations, no matter how difficult the path, the nature of...

Yesterday, in our reflection, we inferred three key points from the nature of God. For ease of reference, we will call these three key points as the Three Revelations of God's Nature. The first revelation: Out of love for us, God is willing to do all things and become all things. This revelation reminds us that God is willing to bestow grace upon us unceasingly and boundlessly. The second revelati...

In the reflection of the past week on the encounter between the rich young man and Jesus, one particularly thought-provoking point emerged. What Jesus asked of the rich young man is also what He asks of each of us Christians who long for eternal life. Jesus said to the rich young man, "Go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, takin...

"Who do you say that I am?" This is a simple question that Jesus asked His disciples, and it is also a question that is constantly asked to each of us who follow Him today. This question reveals God's profound desire for a deep and unique relationship with each one of us. In the past, present, and future, there is no one else in the world who can take the place that each of us holds in the heart o...

On the sixteenth day of retreat, you might have a question: why does it seem like we haven't yet touched upon the main topic, which focuses on "finding God in all things"? In fact, while this theme is important, it is not our ultimate goal. I hope that over the past fifteen days, you have realized that the ultimate objective of this retreat is to establish a true and intimate relationship with God...

Yesterday we mentioned that God interacts with us in different roles and images in order to meet our unique needs. What evidence do we have in the Scripture that this is the nature of God? Let’s look for some clues from one of the greatest apostles in the Bible! In the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 19 to 23, he says, “ For though I am free with respect to all, I have m...

Yesterday, we mentioned the importance of seeking and recognizing the role and image of God in our lives. One thing we need to bear in mind is that at different stages of our life, faith, and spiritual growth, God communicates and interacts with us in different roles and images, and this is entirely normal. Moreover, even the same image may be presented differently in different individuals. This v...

As we build our relationships with God, we need to fully understand God's actual role in our lives. Mutual understanding of our respective roles and positions can help and guide us in establishing an appropriate way of interacting—how to treat, respect, accept, trust, understand and cooperate with each other. These principles of human interaction also apply to our relationship with God. On this ba...

The encounter between the rich young man and Jesus did not lead to a better outcome for him. Apart from the fact that he was unwilling to let go of his possessions, the core issue was that he didn't truly trust Jesus, the "Good Teacher" he had sought. Ironically, the person he longed for turned out to be someone he didn't trust! But why couldn't this trust be established? The reason might be that...

At this stage of the retreat, especially after the reflection on the tenth day, I hope you can sense that in choosing Jesus as the love of our lives and in responding to and living out God's call, there is a clear disparity between our willing hearts and our practical actions. We must never rely solely on subjective feelings to determine whether we have established an intimate relationship with Go...

In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 17 to 22, it is written: “As he (Jesus) was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You s...

How absurd it is for us Christians to find ourselves becoming God's greatest adversaries. There seems to be no conflict between choosing what you desire, and choosing what God desires. But the heart of the matter is this: what we think is good is often very different from what God thinks is good. In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 19 to 21, Jesus said: “ “Do not store up for yourselves tr...

Did the song "Need You Every Minute" that we used to reflect on and connect with our relationship with God yesterday give you a special, fresh, and warm feeling? I hope yesterday's experience allowed you to savour the realization that our personal relationship with God can be much like that between the best of friends or lovers—very human, affectionate, and sweet. This is especially true when both...

A week ago, at the beginning of the retreat, I asked everyone a question: Do you desire to find God in all things? I wonder what your answer was. If you have been following this retreat, I believe your answer is yes. But when you think about the theme of this retreat, "Finding God in All Things," what comes to your mind? How does it make you feel? I'm sure you would agree that if you could find yo...

In the first five days of the retreat, we mentioned that if we are not aware of our need for God, it is difficult for us to have the motivation and desire to establish a relationship with Him , especially since God is not someone we can see or touch. This awareness and awakening can be achieved through several ways. The first is to choose a simple lifestyle and avoid living a luxurious or material...

Sometimes, we feel ignored or excluded by others not because they intentionally alienate us, but rather due to a mistaken impression they have about us. This misconception is often based on a flawed understanding of our preferences, likes, dislikes, or needs. Such misconceptions can easily lead to mismatch in expectations, giving rise to unnecessary misunderstandings. Similarly, the image of God i...

Like many of us, you may have had the following experience: You knew that in your circle of friends, an event that you valued very much and looked forward to was coming up, but in the end, you found out you were not invited. The feeling of not being valued, being excluded, being given the cold shoulder, or even being shut out is very painful. The feeling of being rejected and excluded can have a l...

“A friend in need is a friend indeed” does not only apply to human relationships, but it is also reflected in our relationship with God. God is faithful and His love for us never changes. Yet we only acknowledge God’s faithfulness when we are in need. Whenever we encounter adversity, such as setbacks at work or school, challenges in family and marriage, financial crisis, serious illness of ourselv...

The theme of "Finding God in All Things" for this year's retreat actually poses an important question to us: "Do we need God?" Or conversely, it is God asking us, "Do you need me?" This is a question worth pondering. In the process of growing up, we are taught to be "independent", to take care of our own needs, and this "handle it yourself" mentality becomes deeply ingrained. "Don't bother others"...

In the past two years, amid the upheaval of wars and social unrest, the world appears unfamiliar and hostile compared to our previous experiences. People are growing more anxious and restless. We may wonder: Why is God so elusive? Has He turned His gaze away from us? Is He indifferent to the widespread suffering in the world? Is God's omnipresence a mere fiction or a thing of the past? This year's...

According to the Gospel of John, the first question Jesus asked when He began His ministry was "What are you looking for?" (John 1:38) . After Jesus died and resurrected, He said to Mary of Magdala, who was looking for Him in the tomb, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" (John 20:15) These two questions of Jesus echo in history and in our lives. Indeed, life is a "journey of se...

Today, we, together with the universal church, remember with a heavy heart how our Lord Jesus Christ willingly walked a path of betrayal and extreme humiliation, and was nailed to the cross for us. It was the will of the Father, and the Son willingly obeyed, all because of love! Because of love, the Son took on the form of a slave (cf. Philippians 2:7) and dwelt among us, and never enjoyed the hon...

We need to acknowledge that we are easily deceived, especially by ourselves. For example, we are easily deceived by our own "outward behaviour." As we were growing up, for different reasons and motivations, we learned to do some "window dressing" to gain people's recognition and praise, while making ourselves feel better and feeling like we have fulfilled our duties. As Christians, we may also be...

Some of you may feel a little uneasy when following this retreat, and may think that you are not as bad as described in the contents of the retreat. "I am not that stubborn, not that proud, not that shameless, not treating God that poorly..." Please do not be mistaken. The purpose of this retreat is not to belittle or look down on anyone, nor is it to teach or make anyone feel uncomfortable. Howev...

"Feeling thirsty" is a state of being "unsatisfied", a state of "waiting", and a "signal" to us to take action to quench our thirst. No matter how difficult the action may be, it is something within our control, something we can take initiative and act on to relieve our “thirst”. For example, if our desire is to increase our savings , we can work hard to earn money or cut expenses so that we can h...