Today’s Devotional Blog is written by Ric Sun, a Deeper Still team member and missionary. Thank you Ric for sharing your heart with us today! ““Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” – Psalm 139:11-12 12 months ago I (Ric) sat down at my laptop to write a final newsletter for 2019. Without having a clue what 2020 was in store, I along with my family was filled with so much energy and ready to embark on a new and God-given journey to New Zealand in July. A year later today, after attending countless farewell parties and renewing the leasing for numerous times, we are still here in Dallas. I am sitting at the same place, typing on the same laptop, jumping into one zoom meeting after another and getting used to have people shout at me, “Hey you are on mute!” “You are on mute!” If you have been working from home or hosting meetings since the lockdown in March, you are probably no stranger to this phrase. People have gotten accustomed to hearing it at least once during every Zoom meeting and adopted the new meeting skill to shout and wave at the screen, “Hey you are on mute!” In fact, this quote has been voted as top 10 quotes of 2020 in New Zealand. As we are wrapping up a long hard year of 2020 full of death and suffering, many cannot wait for this year to be over and others especially Christians could hardly make sense of God’s sovereignty amid a series of national crisis including wild fire, racial injustice, election and global pandemic. It can seem like God is distant and silent from all the tragedies and animosities throughout the year. It pains our heart to shout and wave at God, “Hey God, you are on mute!” This “unprecedented” year has reminded me of those dark and chaotic years between the prophecies of Malachi and the coming of the Messiah. These years are called “silent years” because there were no inspired words from God during this time. For 400 years, it seems like God is on mute! Not only did God click the mute button, but also turn off His camera. God went silent. God was nowhere to be found. God seems to have forgotten His people and His promises like what we experienced in 2020. But was God on mute? By no means! Instead, God was doing what He does best to work in the dark that far exceeded the reach of our imagination. Jesus, our long-awaited Messiah arrived at the darkest and the most unexpected time. By the grace of God with His steadfast love and faithfulness, God unmuted Himself to bring His kingdom to earth by sending His Son to die on the cross as ransom to pay the price for our sin and death. Our God is the miracle worker to turn darkness into light and death into life. Hallelujah! And this year was no exception. In the midst of the tragedy and uncertainty, our family was graced and privileged to witness the glory and faithfulness of God shining brightly and powerfully throughout the year. In the end of every year, it is our joyful tradition to reflect the year and recount the blessings of God. So we invite you to join us to recount the unmuted blessings of God’s faithfulness and to celebrate what God has done in 2020 and what God will do in 2021. We would love to hear one of your blessings from the past year in the comments! Father, we thank you that even when you are silent, you are faithful. We thank you that you are our trusted Father. Lord, we ask to be able to see you at work around us and hear your still small voice leading and guiding us in the right way. Nothing is darkness to you, we thank you that you know the way and lead us by Your never failing light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  Ric Sun is a minister of the gospel, and lover of the word. In July 2007, God took hold of his heart through a mission trip in Taiwan where his soul was captured by the immense love of God that has radically and eternally changed his life. In 2010, he married his college sweetheart, Jocelyn and now they have three children, Kyra (2011), Liora (2014), and Zion (2017). Ric and Jocelyn have been a part of the ministry Apartment Life to serve as local missionaries in Houston for two years. He served in Youth Ministry at West Houston Chinese Church from 2011-2016 and Engage and College Ministry at Asian American Baptist Church in Dallas from 2017-2020 while studying in Dallas Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 2019. Ric is passionate about Jesus, Tae Kwon Do (black belt instructor), boba tea (Taiwanese dessert), evangelism, expository preaching, equipping the next generation, involving cross-culture mission and post-aborted ministry. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-30 (Message) |