"Ding-dong, a special meditation has arrived."
Recommended by Park Young-sun, Jeong Chang-gyun, and Kim On-yu
A book every parent and youth in the Korean church must read!

“My father is the most honest person I have ever met.
“For over 10 years, I’ve been making coffee for my mom every morning before work, and for over 20 years, I’ve been writing down my morning meditations and sending them to my family and friends.”

There are many "daughter-fools" in the world, but is there another father who has sent his daughters a devotional every morning for 20 years? The author, a successful physician with patients from all over the country, claims he has never once encouraged his daughters to study.
Instead, he was so passionate about knowing God that his daughters wondered, “Why are you studying theology books so diligently when you’re a doctor?”
When my daughters had vacations, I invited several seminary professors and pastors to my home to give them private lessons in church history and systematic theology. I also read books with them and studied the Shorter Catechism and the Larger Catechism.
The author, who says that children don't need to study much about the world, but do need to know who God is, hopes that they will live a life of "only the Bible" throughout their lives. This morning, he sends a message of meditation.


He introduces himself as an ordinary country doctor and elder, but his acquaintances say that it is difficult to find anyone so sincere, and that is why he has become a public enemy.
This book tells the story of a father who was a strong pillar of support for his two daughters, a generous embrace to whom they could always return, and who passed on a faith that was strengthened through the trials and errors he faced first.
It's not just a personal family matter.
As a doctor, he is cool and precise, but as an elder who follows the 'warm reformed faith', he is humble and upright, and as a father who loves his daughter, he is affectionate and cheerful.
You will be able to feel the love of God the Father through the records of the meditations of a father who taught what needed to be taught and loved enough to love.
Young people will be well-prepared to be children and future parents, and parents will gain the wisdom to show their children the right path.

My name is Choi Bo-in.
It means 'I can see heaven'.
My parents told me the meaning of my name from a young age.
"See! Live a life where you always look toward heaven, and show heaven to others." When I was young, I simply thought that heaven was a beautiful place, and that my parents wanted me to live a beautiful and happy life.
(…) But as time passed and I became an adult, I came to understand the deep feelings my parents had behind my name.
My name was perhaps a bit burdensome, as it contained the most important core for a believer to live on this earth.
(…) I must pray that the eyes of my heart may be opened to live a life that looks toward heaven, and that the Holy Spirit may intervene deeply in my life.
Although I feel like I've been given a difficult task that I can never fully complete, I will do my best as a covenant people bound by a promise to God.

--- From the "Introductory Note"

But at least you must know what kind of person God is.
We must realize how vain life is and how sinful we are.
That is why your father taught you the Shorter Catechism, the Larger Catechism, and the Heidelberg Catechism.
If you do not know God and cannot see eternity, and only study hard to accumulate knowledge and material possessions, that knowledge and material possessions will only become tinder that burns your soul.
The more you have, the faster and longer you can ride.
The foolish rich man did so, and the rich young official did so.
(…) knowing God, knowing my own misery, and knowing the cross of Christ is everything.
Always remember that this is true wisdom and true wealth.

--- From "It's better not to study than to become arrogant from studying hard"

Dad, I think there are many paradoxical aspects to God.
Because God often works on this earth through the failures of the saints rather than their successes.
My father preached the gospel to my grandfather with near-perfect logic, but he ended up getting kicked out of the house, and my grandfather came to church every weekend through his youngest daughter-in-law's repeated failed cooking.
The 'faith demonstrated through life' that my father thinks of is not about showing success and glory, but rather about failing and failing again, yet serving and clinging to it nonetheless.
Even if you failed last week, I think it's love that you come back with another batch of ingredients and say, "Dad, I'm going to try this dish today."
Your mother did it and you should do it too.
Since I'm already good at cooking, I wonder if I'll ever fail? If so, it's a bit disappointing.
--- From "How did my grandfather, who was a staunch Christian, get baptized?"

They say that faith does not simply begin with some emotion or passion.
We can often confess, “I believe” or “I want to believe,” but for that confession to have power, we must first have a correct understanding of who God is, what He has done, what He means, and what He will accomplish in the future.
And to know that, you have to study theology and doctrine.
In my father's view, it is impossible to live life with faith based solely on emotions and will without knowing this.
They say knowing the truth is the starting point of faith.
Only when emotions and will follow can true faith grow and you live an unshakable life.

--- From "Difference and Difference": Why My Doctor Dad Reads Theology Books Diligently

One day, after a heavy hearted phone call with my parents, I found myself reflecting again on the story of Noah's Ark.
Noah begins to build an ark on the top of a mountain after receiving God's word, and the animals that were finally called by God begin to climb up to the top of the mountain where the ark is.
Among them were very small and slow snails.
(…) But the snail did not give up no matter how difficult the situation was, and was eventually able to reach the ark.
I don't think the snail had any special powers that allowed it to survive that period.
Instead, the snail seemed to have a firm belief that “I too have been invited to the ark” and a firm belief that “the door of the ark will not close until I enter.”

When we feel a sense of crisis in our lives, if we trust in God, who governs our lives and ultimately leads us to good, I think we too can find strength in gratitude when facing life's crises.

--- From "It's Okay Even If It's Late, God Is Waiting"

If you love, respect, and choose someone, I hope you have the courage to embrace even their shortcomings.
If you serve your husband, embracing his shortcomings, just as your mother did, you will one day become a father who will give his life for you and your children, become an elder in the church, and grow into a more respected member of society.
Dad believes in you.
I trust your wisdom and judgment, and I trust the person you choose.
Marriage won't be an easy road, but I'm sure you'll do well.
I believe that you will grow up to be a person who loves, obeys, respects, and encourages your husband, and who warmly embraces your in-laws, just as you learned from your mother.
But if life ever gets too hard or difficult, you can always come back.
Daddy's house is always open to you, and the room you come back to will always be the same.
So go ahead and live your life without any burden.
Dad will always support you and pray for you.
I love you, my daughter.
I hope you are happy.

--- From "Marriage is a binding of choice and responsibility"

My dear, beautiful daughters, what I want to tell you as you go out into the world to live is to leave your events, wicked people, and wealth to God.
(…) Whether you study, work, help people, or whatever you do in the future, leave everything to the Lord.
The phrase “whatever you do” means ‘everything’.
The world will not know your hard work.
When things go well, someone else takes the credit, and when things go wrong, they try to shift the blame to you.
So, don't be obsessed with the results, but leave everything to God.
God judges with justice and remembers honest toil.

--- From “Even when you are wronged, overcome evil with good”

How should Christians develop themselves? In economics, it's crucial to distinguish between consumption and investment.
(…) Dad recommends that you use about half of your monthly income, after deducting the minimum living expenses, for self-development or investment.
Before you get a stable job or later when you retire, you have no choice but to live on a deficit.
So, when we make money, we must create a surplus and invest that surplus.
Otherwise, we will not be able to avoid poverty in old age.

--- From "Self-development must be distinguished from consumption and investment"

Living by the Ten Commandments is like living a life where a million flowers bloom, and we dream of an ideal life where we live out the Ten Commandments perfectly, but reality is far from the ideal.
It's almost impossible for Dad to bloom a million roses.
But we don't have to worry.
The success or failure of life does not depend on what great achievements I have made.
And how purely and sinlessly I have lived cannot be the standard that determines the success or failure of our lives.
Rather, the success or failure of life depends on whether God is with you or not.

--- From "What if I can't live the way my dad taught me?"