Looking Back Jehoshua 2022

This week marks the last Sunday of 2022. We want to give thanks to God as we look back on Jehoshua 2022 because God’s grace is countless despite all external difficulties.

In hindsight, when I received from God the theme of this year, I thought of not preaching on Psalm 22 realizing that it would be a difficult year. I was hoping for grace from God. After the sermon on “Jehoshua 2022” on January 2, the monthly prayer meeting held four days later was our last physical gathering. Dreading to not meeting brothers and sisters and wondering how to overcome in the Lord this year, I wept. Soon the fifth wave of the pandemic hit us, infecting co-workers one by one. Only co-workers on duty could come back to church. It lasted for more than a month, but thank God all these were over by God’s grace and peace. As soon as the physical gatherings resumed, brothers and sisters even queued up to come back to church. They were so devoted that I was really grateful to Him for giving us peace amid the severe pandemic.

In the middle of this year, three co-workers were found to have cancer, requiring surgery. One of them was Miriam, a devoted and reliable financial co-worker serving for 20 years, one was my disciple Meelin, and the other one was Ruby, my right-hand man. They underwent operations almost at the same time and the warfare was great. Thank God for letting them recover quickly. They look healthier than before and are totally reborn, quite a new person. Six months later, they resumed their positions. Thankfully, it was a blessing, not a calamity. Miriam used to work till she dropped and never complained at work. After the illness, her values have changed and she is more blessed. Meelin has also got a closer relationship with her husband and daughter due to the illness and the wall between them was torn down. Ruby has experienced the healing miracle with her close family members and she cherishes people around her more.

Our God is the One who turns curses into blessings. From social movement to the pandemic, Hong Kong’s situation has gone worse. Churches in Hong Kong and Taiwan have lost more than 30% of their congregation. However, I believe God is taking care of us and will change all these. Thank God that our church has grown a lot over these three years. We continue to move forward steadily under God’s leading. Though the external circumstances are tough, God’s grace is countless and we will surely approach 2023 triumphantly.