More From Ayub Simanjuntak

March 23, 2023 by Ayub Simanjuntak (West Java, Indonesia)
Ayub’s wife, Novy, with their sons
Jedidiah and Noah

Life can easily be turned upside down. I read the email from The Upper Room asking me to write a blog related to my previous devotion, but it’s been a year since I submitted the devotion and life has kept going.

But as I pondered, I started to see the faith of apostles such as John and Paul. They were able to follow the vision God had given them, especially Paul who wrote so many books in New Testament and evidently had passion for studying and writing. Paul wrote, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments” (2 Tim. 4:13, NRSVUE).  Even though Paul knew he would be executed soon, he continued to read and write the good news. But studying and making notes about scripture is not always easy—many times I feel slack and lazy with it.

I am raising 7-year-old twins, and I thank God for blessing me much more than I deserve. My sons are still in kindergarten because they have not yet attained the level of knowledge expected for their age. My wife and I had a difficult time teaching them to read and write, and we once took them to a child psychologist to consult about this. It was heartbreaking for us as parents. But the attitude that Paul shows in the verse above is helping us to better appreciate the value of scripture in all circumstances.

When I don’t feel God’s presence or when I feel that I can no longer serve God, I pray and ask the same Spirit that empowered Paul to empower me also to continue living in faith, believing that God will help my children in their study, and being more dependent on the Holy Spirit.


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The Upper Room magazine's mission is to provide a practical way to listen to scripture, connect with believers around the world, and spend time with God each day.

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