Perception of Life: God Rules Over Man’s Death

By Lisa, United States One afternoon, I was busy with my work on my computer. Just when I came to the key part of my work, my colleague Zhang, coming back after finishing her business, slumped into the chair beside me and started to delightedly talk with Wang about the process of the business today. Hearing their conversation, I thought: My work is in the critical moment. Why can’t you care about me as you talk? You have finished your business, but I haven’t finished my work yet. However, for the sake of saving face, I was embarrassed to say anything. Then I forced myself to quiet my heart. Unexpectedly, the more they talked, the more excited they were and the louder they spoke. Hearing their laughter and chatter, my heart couldn’t calm down anyhow. Being unable to finish my urgent work, I was full of complaints to them, thinking: Can’t you consider others’ feeling? You concentrate on talking, regardless of whether others are affected by you; Aren’t you too selfish? Angry, I wanted to disturb their talking several times, but I remembered that I was a Christian, and that the Lord teaches us to love others as ourselves, so I should be tolerant and patient. Thus, I silently prayed to the Lord, and asked Him to help me quiet my heart so that my eyes wouldn’t be fixed on them. After prayer, I calmed my heart down a little. Just when I was about to put myself into the work, the shrill voice began again, which upset me once more. I opened my mouth several times to remind Zhang, but when I thought I didn’t have the right to restrict their speaking for this was in a public place, not my personal space, I didn’t say a word. Moreover, I was a believer in God, so I couldn’t let my hot-bloodiness flare up even more. In the intense inner battle, I managed to finish my work with difficulty. I was morose. After getting back my shared house from work, I wanted to go online to fellowship with brothers and sisters about my condition. During our meeting, my roommates either turned on the water tap, or walked up and down, or sat down together to chat, not considering that I was gathering at all. Looking at them, I was very angry and resentful, thinking: It’s really awful to live with you. You are inconsiderate, and without any moral quality; you are too selfish. In the meeting, I couldn’t calm down owing to the noise around me, which made me more annoyed. I thought to myself: What was wrong today? I had a bad day in the company, and when back to my rented house, I was still frustrated. After encountering two bad things in succession, I had to come before the Lord to reflect on myself. At night, thinking back the occurrences of the day and my behaviors, I suddenly realized something: Why did I reveal so many thoughts of looking down on others? Why did I always think people around me were selfish? In my pursuits, I remembered the Lord’s words, “And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). The Lord’s words made me wake up from my confusion. When encountering the unfavorable people, things and matters, I merely thought from my own perspective: I was working or attending a gathering and so I needed a quiet environment, but people around me didn’t consider that. As I made demands of others, did I consider their feelings? When she had a new harvest and development at work, my fellow was happy and wanted to share them with others, but I, in order to not be affected at my work, wanted to restrict her to speaking. After work, my roommates were in their free time, and chatted with each other to relax, but because I thought they interfered with my attending the meeting, I was still impatient and even got to disgust and complain to them. While I complained them of simply considering themselves and not caring about others, I ignored that I was doing the same thing as them. The Lord’s words made me ashamed. I only saw others were wrong, while I didn’t see I was irrational; wasn’t this arrogant? The Lord Jesus asks us to be tolerant and forbearing in all things, and not to treat others based on our hot-bloodedness. However, I not only didn’t do that, but even judged them in my heart. Didn’t this betray the Lord’s teachings? After knowing this, I thanked God for arranging such circumstances to help me have some understanding of myself. I was willing to repent and confess to the Lord. Having understood the Lord’s will, I knew the way to practice the truth. When meeting this kind of environment again, I would first pray to the Lord in my heart, rather than rely on hot-bloodedness in my life. Besides, if someone really interfered with my work, I would calmly talk to him or remind him. When I practiced in this way, everyone started to consider others’ feeling. With an understanding and tolerance in the work environment and living space, I felt peaceful and steady. I knew this was the outcome of the Lord’s words in me. Thank the Lord!

Mount Everest, the top of the world, is seen as the ultimate objective by a number of mountaineers, but in fact, it has been the death of many. What force is it that provokes these people to take up the unusual challenge, even at the cost of sacrificing their lives?

In this superficial society, many women feel distressed about their plain appearance. The author of this article used to feel inferior because of not having good looks. How did she finally regain confidence?

By Xia Yuxin, Italy I was born in a village at the foot of a mountain in China. The mountains and rivers in my hometown are often enshrouded in mist. In the mountains, there are various kinds of flowers and plants, sundry fruits, and multifarious birds and beasts…. The scenery there is so beautiful, as if it is a colorful fairyland. When I was a kid, my friends and I used to shout to the mountains. Immediately, echoes would come back, which sounded like as if there were a group of kids repeatedly shouting in a sharp and loud voice in answer to us on the other side of the mountains. Then, the voice gradually died away into the mountain forests. At this time, my friends and I would look at each other and smile happily. Then I would close my eyes, stretch my arms, and take a deep breath of the fresh air. It was truly refreshing and pleasing! At this very moment, I thought of the beauty of the mountains in all four seasons, which was so enchanting that it always made me reluctant to leave there … In spring, the mountains were dotted with the blossoms of cherries, pears and peaches as well as rape flowers. They were vying to dress themselves in beautiful clothes so as to show the world their unique beauty. The bees were humming their distinctive melody as they flew from the peach blossoms to the pear blossoms, busying themselves at making honey. The beautiful butterflies were dancing trippingly among the flowers to the unique music of the bees. All these within my view—the gorgeous flowers, singing bees, and dancing butterflies—presented an agreeable picture. Seeing this, I could not help clapping for them. That was really wonderful! In summer, the trees were laden with different fruits of all colors, such as litchis, grapes, pears, peaches, and cherries, etc. Humming our local ballads, the adults and children were all busy picking fruit, and their faces beamed with joy. The birds on the branches also danced gaily to the rhythm in celebration of the harvest. In the evening, the villagers, who had been busy all day, came to the riverside to have a rest. The adults were having small talks with each other, and the children were romping about in the bright moonlight. My neighbor Grandpa Wang was skillfully playing the erhu. Enjoying the sweet music, I watched the river which trickled gently around the foot of the mountain. Every now and then, cool breezes fanned my face, and gradually the tiredness of my body was gone. In autumn, hickories scrambled to take off their green outer coverings and exposed the delicious and nutritious nuts. The bright yellow oranges gleamed against the green leaves as if they were waiting for people’s compliment. Due to their good flavor and rich nutrition, both of them became local specialties and also the requisite snacks with which we entertained guests. Hearing my relatives and friends repeatedly praise them, I could not help praising the miraculousness of the mountains. In winter, the mountains seemed exceptionally quiet. The crowing of a cock broke the silence and ushered in a new day. On an early morning, I gently pushed open the windows and was hit by a gust of cold wind, which gave me an involuntary cold shiver. Putting on my thick coat, I sauntered to the riverside. On the river and among the mountains, thick mist billowed unceasingly. Later, with the rise of the sun, the mist gradually dispersed. … Afar on the path into the mountains, the traffic flowed—people were coming to mine coal and copper. Day after day, people had lived in this way, and there was no knowing how many years had passed. In my childhood, I would often ask my friends, “The mountains are so miraculous. Not only do they support us, but the minerals under them bring economic benefits to us. So where do these things in the mountains come from?” Each time I asked them this question, however, they would only shake their heads and give no answer. Then I asked Grandpa Wang, the oldest person in the village, and he just told me, “This is a mystery, and no one can explain properly.” More than a decade later, one day, I finally found the answer in God’s words, “‘And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth: and it was so.’ While God was speaking, all these things came into being following the thoughts of God, and in an instant, an assortment of delicate little life forms were unsteadily poking their heads up through the soil, and before they had even shaken the bits of dirt from their bodies they were eagerly waving to each other in greeting, nodding and smiling to the world. They thanked the Creator for the life that He bestowed upon them, and announced to the world that they were a part of all things, and that they would each devote their lives to showing forth the authority of the Creator. As the words of God were spoken, the land became lush and green, all sorts of herbs that could be enjoyed by man sprang forth and broke from the ground, and the mountains and plains became thickly populated by trees and forests…. This barren world, in which there had not been any trace of life, was rapidly covered by a profusion of grass, herbs and trees and overflowing with greenery…. The fragrance of grass and the aroma of the soil spread through the air, and an array of plants began to breathe in tandem with the circulation of the air, and began the process of growing. At the same time, thanks to the words of God and following the thoughts of God, all the plants began the perpetual life cycles in which they grow, blossom, bear fruit, and multiply. They began to strictly adhere to their respective life courses, and began to perform their respective roles among all things…. They were all born, and lived, because of the words of the Creator. They would receive the unceasing provision and nourishment of the Creator, and would always tenaciously survive in every corner of the land in order to show forth the authority and power of the Creator, and they would always show forth the life force bestowed upon them by the Creator …” Thank God for opening up this mystery to us: It was God who used His word to create all things. As God’s words were spoken, all sorts of plants appeared instantly in every corner of the world, and because of their appearance, this barren world began to be filled with vitality. It is also God who provides for all things, and both the succession of the four seasons and the cycle of the year show forth God’s great power and authority. The rules of all things which God set forth have never changed for thousands of years. All along, God has been supplying us with the things grown in the mountains which we live off. He bestows on us the right quantity at the right time, and provides for our needs according to the season, so that we never lack in anything. God’s words say, “Were God’s considerations better thought out than those of mankind? When you see all that God has done, are you able to feel God’s practical side? God worked in secret. When man had not yet come into this world, before coming into touch with this mankind, God had already created all of this. Everything He did was for the sake of mankind, for the sake of their survival, and for the consideration of mankind’s existence, so that mankind can live happily in this rich and plentiful material world God prepared for them, not having to worry about food or clothes, and not lacking in anything. ” From these words, I have seen God’s love and deep concern for us. It is God who has created all things and it is also God who provides for all things and nurtures all mankind. I will take this answer back to my hometown and share these God’s words with the folks back home, so that they can know the origin of all things and cherish the living environment God bestowed on us. Thanks be to God who has bestowed everything on us!

By Xiaoxiang  Nature wakes in spring. The grasses, quietly, poke their heads up through the earth; the trees put forth tender leaves, swaying in the wind with much grace; various flowers unfold their splendors, vying for attention. What a breathtaking scenery it is! Perhaps, your heart is captivated by those flowers, or even more attracted by a beautiful view somewhere, unwilling to turn away from it. However, I wonder whether you have noticed some plants growing in the corners. Though unremarkable, they possess marvelous effects and help us heal the injuries or cure illnesses. I remember when I was a kid, that one time I was playing with my two brothers under an apricot tree. When we were running and frolicking, we hit a hornet’s nest. The hornets got irritated and poured out to chase after us. My youngest brother ran slowly that he was stung and got several bumps on the head, hurting so bad that he kept screaming and crying. In desperation, I thought of a folk treatment method my grandpa taught us. So I pulled up the Portulaca oleracea on the roadside, shook off the earth from it and took some that were clean to mash them with a stone, and then I hurried to apply them to the bumps on my brother’s head. With its particular effect of eliminating toxicity, the swellings on his head were soon reduced. My brother stopped crying. After we played for a while again, he washed off the Portulaca oleracea and we found the bumps on his head became only tiny red spots. There are still many little plants with miraculous effects like that, such as Popoding, which is also called dandelion. It has the effects of clearing heat-toxin, relieving pain and removing stasis. If we suffer from excessive internal heat and have furuncles or pustules on our bodies, as long as we apply some dandelion to the skin, and also eat some at the same time, the effects will be produced just in a few days. There is also another plant, Edangshi, that is Ebushi, or it is called Herba Centipeda. Growing along roads and in fields, they look inconspicuous and are available everywhere. But they have many effects of treatment, such as healing migraine, rhinitis, nasal polyps, pertussis and so on. There are many little plants like this, and they have their own different medical value for curing many varieties of illnesses. In addition, a great deal of little plants unknown to us are still serving us silently. When we take for granted all the abundance heaven bestows upon us, yet none of us has sought out where these little flowers and plants come from and that why they have such miraculous effects. After I believed in God, I read God’s words, which say, “God created among all things some plants, animals, and various herbs that are specifically meant to heal injuries or treat illness in the human body. What should someone do, for instance, if they are burned, or accidentally scald themselves? Can you just rinse the burn with water? Can you just wrap it up with any old piece of cloth? If you do that, the wound might fill with pus or become infected. If someone gets a fever, for instance, or catches a cold; suffers an injury while working; develops a stomach ailment from eating the wrong thing; or develops certain diseases caused by lifestyle factors or emotional issues, including vascular diseases, psychological conditions, or diseases of the internal organs, then there are corresponding plants that cure their conditions. There are plants that improve blood circulation and remove stagnation, relieve pain, stanch bleeding, provide anesthesia, help heal the skin and return it to a normal condition, and disperse stagnant blood and eliminate toxins from the body—in short, these plants have uses in daily life. People can use them, and they have been prepared by God for the human body in case of need. God allowed man to discover some of them by happenstance, while others were discovered by people whom God chose to do so, or as a result of special phenomena He orchestrated. Following the discovery of these plants, mankind would pass them down, and many people would come to know about them. God’s creation of these plants thus has value and meaning. In summary, these things are all from God, prepared and planted by Him when He created mankind’s living environment. They are essential. Are God’s thought processes more thorough than those of mankind? When you see all that God has done, do you have a sense of God’s practical side? God works in secret. God created all of this when man had not yet come into this world, when He had had no contact with mankind. Everything was done with mankind in mind, for the sake of man’s existence and with thought for their survival, so that mankind may live happily in this rich and plentiful material world that God prepared for them, free from worry about food or clothes, lacking nothing. In such an environment, mankind can continue to reproduce and survive.” Only through God’s words did I realize that these various herbs of service to us humans are all created by God, and that such miraculous effects of them are given by God, rather than created by nature. Pharmacies sell all kinds of medicines, some of which are capsules, and some are pills, but parts of the ingredients within them are exactly extracted from various herbs, such as, Danshen, balloonflower, loquat leaf, angelica, Hogfennel root, pokeberry root, Radix Puerariae, Tufuling, figwort root, and so on. They differ from each other in effects: Some can be used to subdue inflammation; some help relieve a cough; some are very effective in curing the injuries, in relieving muscles and activating collaterals; and some can heal internal bruises and trauma, and so on. Any of such effects, however, is inseparable from all kinds of plants God has created. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and earth and all things, He prepared everything for us mankind. In order that we can continue to exist peacefully, healthily and happily, God makes meticulous plans in all aspects. Not only has He provided us with daily sustenance, but He has prepared various plants that are necessary for curing our illnesses. God has paid a high price for us. Thinking back on the little medicinal plants that I know or I have used, I really see that within these small flowers and grass is hidden God’s care and cherishing of mankind, and that they also bear witness to God’s wonderful deeds of His creation of all things. Only when we come before the Creator and read His words, can we discover more of God’s marvelous deeds and experience His true love of mankind.

Because people are influenced by the idea that “A slim figure is beautiful,” losing weight has become a new fashion trend. In order to lose weight, some people have lost their health and some even have lost their lives. However, why do so many people still throw themselves into losing weight even though they know these harms? What is the root of this?

If you know the test befalling you is actually a blessing and a gift, will you still try to resist it? Do you remember the verse says: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17)? I believe that when we truly know the meaning of this sentence, we will suddenly see the light and be filled with gratitude toward God for each environment He arranges for us.

The dandelion may appear to be a very common plant, but it is both edible and highly valuable medically. In this tiny plant, we can discover God’s selfless love for mankind.