11/14/2021 Give It a Stir ~Rev. Bernie Chung
Recently, by chance I came across the Shou Xing Gong (longevity brand) condensed milk in a Chinese supermarket. The logo on the can of the condensed milk has not changed much from what I can remember back in Hong Kong decades ago. When I drank Ovaltine at that time, I would add some Shou Xing Gong condensed milk with it. It makes me salivate recalling how delicious the drink was.
I remember one time when I had a cup of Ovaltine with Shou Xing Gong condensed milk, I could not drink it right away because it was too hot. I had to wait a while for it to cool down. When I drank it afterwards, it seemed more condensed milk would be needed. However, my mother suggested that I should give the condensed milk at the bottom of the cup a stir first, then taste it again before adding more condensed milk. That was a great suggestion from my mother. The stirred Ovaltine drink was perfect with balanced sweetness. The drink would have been ruined if too much condensed milk were added.
There are many parallels to this in our daily life as well. We often ask for more blessings without realizing how blessed we already are. We often forget and fail to appreciate the blessings that we have. Let’s recall the unexpected provision of God in the past, and recite the beautiful psalms that remind us the magnificent grandeur of God’s creation, his unending love and protection. Can we rekindle the sweet close relationship we once had with God? We should start by reading God’s righteous words and obeying his precepts. We are reminded by Psalm 19:8-10 (NIV), which says: "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.”
Believers with a strong understanding of God’s truth ought not grow lax as their original faith and love of God may retreat and cease if they slack off in the pursuit of spiritual growth. The Apostle Peter once said: "I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body” (2 Peter 1:13). The Apostle Peter was very old and yet he did not forget the Lord and what was entrusted to him. He felt that his time was running out, so he seized every opportunity to inspire and remind his brothers in Christ to carry out the Great Commission. In the same way, let’s not forget the blessings and joys our Savior has given to us past and present. In our lifetime, let’s give a stir to the “cup of blessing” so the “grace” at the bottom would permeate. The sweetness of God’s grace will remind and help us fulfill the unique mission that Jesus Christ has for each of us. Pray for mercy, Amen!