Precious

Dear Friend, 
Happy Friday!

Do you want to be precious in the sight of God?  I love the word, “precious.”  Each one of us has something we hold precious, whether it’s tangible or intangible.

A few months ago, I was reading a chapter from 1 Peter.  I’m pretty sure that I read 1 Peter at least once a year, but it was my first time that the verse below was highlighted to me, as Rhema words.
“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:3-4)”

It is the words to wives, but I believe a gentle and quiet spirit of both men and women is very precious in the sight of God.  I took the Words to my heart and literally highlighted the verses with my pen.  Then, a few days later, when I took a class of Sister Margaret Seaward, she said, “Do you know a gentle and quiet spirit is precious to the Lord?”  And I felt the Lord repeating the Words from 1 Peter to me.

Sister Margaret used to share a story of her mother, Letta, and she said her mother was very gentle, while she herself had anger problem and the Lord dealt with it.  I believe not only her, but many of us, has the Lord been patiently dealing with, to mold us in His likeness.  Earlier this year, a book, “Margaret in Singapore” was published.  Connie Seaward Ong, her youngest daughter wrote the book, as a sequel to “Letta in China.”  The book, “Letta in China” is one of my favorites and I have a special feeling for it as well as Margaret in Singapore.  The two generations were sent to the countries far away from their home, America, and interestingly, the Lord sent me to these two countries where I received His abundant blessings.  Indeed, the memories of His blessings in these two countries are so precious to me.

In Margaret in Singapore, I especially like the story of Letta and I would like to share part of it:
“One morning as Marge rushed around the kitchen getting breakfast ready for the children, Letta sat there watching her. Marge was in her normal “go, go, go” mode.  She never gave herself a chance to rest and was usually very hard on herself.  On this particular morning, Letta turned to Marge and said, “Marge, the Holy Spirit doesn’t drive us, He leads us.  You need to really pray and ask the Lord whether this is of the Lord or if this is of the devil and your flesh; because the Holy Spirit will not drive you.  He leads you gently and He doesn’t drive you.”  Marge stopped and put down the cup that was in her hand.  It all sounded so simple and yet it was so profound.  She knew immediately that what her mother had to say was right.  She loved the way her mother knew exactly what was wrong in a situation and knew how to speak into the situation with tact and love.”

Friend, does this speak to you?  I still remember what the late pastor of my Seoul church said, “The Holy Spirit is a Gentleman.  He never comes into you, unless you want to receive Him and invite Him.”  And he went on to say that unlike the Holy Spirit, the devil just barges in.  And he used to encourage the congregation to be filled with the Holy Spirit and have a gentle and meek countenance as a result.  One day, a colleague who also went to my Seoul church had a wedding ceremony in my church and that pastor officiated the wedding.  Then, another colleague who was an unbeliever and was invited to the wedding, said to me, “Your pastor looks like an angel.”  I never realized that, perhaps as I often saw him.  But, certainly, he had the likeness of our Father and our Lord, Jesus so that this unbelieving colleague noticed his countenance is not of this world, but of Heaven.

We see how gentle Jesus is.  He warned and rebuked the lukewarm church, the church of Laodiceans, yet He said, 
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)”
He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.  He wouldn’t push the door and barge in.  He gently stands and knocks at the door.

Friend, 
Our Lord, Jesus is the express image of our Father (Hebrews 1:1~3a).   And we know how pleased our Father was with His Son.  Easier said than done to remain gentle and quiet in our daily life, especially when someone pushes our buttons or when we hear bad news.  Yet we take the yoke of Jesus on us and learn from Him.
It’s my prayer that you and I adorn the hidden person of the heart with the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit and we become precious in our Father’s sight.

Have a bliss!
Yunee

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28~30)