Twice as Much

We often think that to obtain twice as much is a good thing.

• A double burger has twice as much meat.
• BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) is a common marketing tool.

In Taiwan, there are certain days that are special because of being “double.”

• Double Ten Day: October 10th is Taiwan’s national day.
• Double Nine Day: September 9th is the Double Yang Festival. People climb mountains and visit ancestral graves. It is not a public holiday.
• Double Eight Day: August 8th is used to celebrate Father’s Day.

Because we have our Canadian cultural background and are now living cross-culturally, we sometimes find ourselves celebrating special days two times. For example:

• Father’s Day (Canadian and Taiwanese)
• Thanksgiving Day (Canadian and American)

The Bible mentions some important instances when getting double was important:

• Jacob gave a double blessing to the sons of Joseph.
• Elisha requested a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.
• Isaiah 61 promises double honor and everlasting joy after the humiliation of being exiled.
• Paul wanted to visit the Corinthian church so that he could provide double the encouragement and double the edification.

We are blessed by  all the “doubles” in our lives.

Praise and Prayer

Solitude is a good opportunity to deepen one’s relationship with God. But isolation is frequently detrimental to that same relationship. The Bible has more than 100 commands that teach believers how to relate to one another, encouraging each other to live by faith. Please pray for some believers who lack adequate relational support as they live out the Christian life. Please pray for God to heal brokenness if that is the root cause.