May 10, 2021: The Gift That Gave Back

May 10, 2021 ∙ by hdecena ∙ in Year of the Bible, Pennsylvania Conference

“The Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9, NKJV).

In 2017, I was living and working in Milan, Italy. I had a part-time job in a Chinese multinational company, lived downtown with my sister and did Bible work in my spare time. Life was comfortable and predictable. I was active in church and held a few offices. I enjoyed teaching Sabbath School and giving Bible studies, but I felt the need for a change.

Being a language lover, I enjoyed working with Chinese people and started studying Mandarin. I was so fascinated by my colleagues’ work ethic and their exotic country that I began to look for opportunities to go to China as a missionary. I wanted to help them know God. I wrote my friend (and future husband) and asked if he knew anyone in China. He suggested I try a health center in Malaysia first and arranged for me to go.

During this time, I discovered that our CEO was Christian, and I decided to gift him the book Steps to Christ. One day, I left it in his office. He later came to me and asked who the book was from. I admitted it was from me. He walked into his office and came out with a beautiful painting for me, with Joshua 1:9 engraved on it.

As I prepared to tell my family, friends and boss that I was leaving for Asia, l felt scared, vulnerable and afraid to leave everything behind. But, as I walked past my living room, I looked up and read the promise on my gift and was again assured that God was with me, and He will be with me wherever I go.

Thank You, God, that wherever I go, You are with me. Amen.

Eugenia Baek is a member of the West Chester church in Pennsylvania.

Join the Year of the Bible Journey

To help you dig deeper into God’s Holy Word this year, we’re offering:

Every Day—Read our Words of Life daily devotional book that features favorite Bible verses from members, pastors, students and leaders from across the Columbia Union. You can also read the devotionals on the Columbia Union app, and interact with the verses in our instagram stories.
Every Week—Delivered straight to your email, read our e-newsletter by subscribing to Visitor News Bulletin at columbiaunionvisitor.com/vnb. Keep up with the latest Year of the Bible events, devotionals, videos and more.

Every Month—This calendar, themed “Words of Life,” coincides with the devotional book and videos. It features a biblical topic and verse each month, with additional passages for further exploration, study and ideas on how to apply the concepts in your daily life.