당신은 혼자가 아닙니다(YOU’RE NOT ALONE)

💙 당신은 혼자가 아닙니다

 ✝  열왕기상 19:8 - 19:18 

“ 내가 이스라엘 가운데에 칠천 명을 남기리니 다 바알에게 무릎을 꿇지 아니하고 다 바알에게 입맞추지 아니한 자니라 “
[열왕기상 19:18]

“만나서 아주 반가워요!” “저도요!” “여기 오셔서 너무 기뻐요!” 따뜻하고 반가운 인사가 오고 갔습니다. 캘리포니아주 남부지역의 사역자들이 저녁 프로그램 전에 온라인상에 모여들고 있었습니다.
콜로라도 주에 살면서 연사로 요청받은 나는 사람들이 화상 모임에 모여드는 것을 조용히 지켜보면서, 낯선 사람들과 나의 내성적인 성격 때문에 마치 내가 외부인 같다는 느낌이 들었습니다. 
그러다 갑자기 화면이 하나 열리더니 우리 교회 목사님이 나오고, 또 다른 화면이 열리더니 오랜 교회 친구가 그 모임에 참여했습니다. 그 둘을 보니 나는 더 이상 혼자라 느끼지 않게 되었습니다. 하나님이 지원군을 보내주신 듯했습니다.

엘리야가 이세벨과 아합의 분노를 피해 도망친 후 “[선지자 중] 오직 나만 남았다”고 느꼈을 때에도(열왕기상 19:10) 그는 혼자가 아니었습니다. 
엘리야는 40일 동안 밤낮으로 황량한 사막을 떠돌다가 호렙산의 동굴에 숨게 되었지만, 하나님은 다시 그를 부르시고 사명을 맡기셨습니다. 

“너는 네 길을 돌이켜 광야를 통하여 다메섹에 가서 이르거든 하사엘에게 기름을 부어 아람의 왕이 되게 하고 너는 또 님시의 아들 예후에게 기름을 부어 이스라엘의 왕이 되게 하고 또 아벨므홀라 사밧의 아들 엘리사에게 기름을 부어 너를 대신하여 선지자가 되게 하라”(15-16절).
그리고 하나님은 그에게 이렇게 확신시켜 주셨습니다. “그러나 내가 이스라엘 가운데에 칠천 명을 남기리니 다 바알에게 무릎을 꿇지 아니하고 다 바알에게 입맞추지 아니한 자니라”(18절). 

엘리야가 알게 된 것처럼, 하나님을 섬길 때 우리는 혼자가 아닙니다. 하나님께서 도울 자를 보내주셔서 우리는 함께 섬기게 될 것입니다

최근 하나님을 섬길 때 어떤 도움의 손길을 보내주셨나요? 
하나님을 향한 사역의 영향력을 더하기 위해 당신은 누구를 동역에 청할 수 있겠습니까?

<사랑하는 하나님, 하나님을 섬기다가 혼자라고 느껴질 때, 우리가 기쁨으로 섬기면 다른 사람들이 함께 한다는 것을 다시 일깨워 주소서.>

8. 이에 일어나 먹고 마시고 그 음식물의 힘을 의지하여 사십 주 사십 야를 가서 하나님의 산 호렙에 이르니라 9. ○엘리야가 그 곳 굴에 들어가 거기서 머물더니 여호와의 말씀이 그에게 임하여 이르시되 엘리야야 네가 어찌하여 여기 있느냐 10. 그가 대답하되 내가 만군의 하나님 여호와께 열심이 유별하오니 이는 이스라엘 자손이 주의 언약을 버리고 주의 제단을 헐며 칼로 주의 선지자들을 죽였음이오며 오직 나만 남았거늘 그들이 내 생명을 찾아 빼앗으려 하나이다 11. 여호와께서 이르시되 너는 나가서 여호와 앞에서 산에 서라 하시더니 여호와께서 지나가시는데 여호와 앞에 크고 강한 바람이 산을 가르고 바위를 부수나 바람 가운데에 여호와께서 계시지 아니하며 바람 후에 지진이 있으나 지진 가운데에도 여호와께서 계시지 아니하며 15. ○여호와께서 그에게 이르시되 너는 네 길을 돌이켜 광야를 통하여 다메섹에 가서 이르거든 하사엘에게 기름을 부어 아람의 왕이 되게 하고 16. 너는 또 님시의 아들 예후에게 기름을 부어 이스라엘의 왕이 되게 하고 또 아벨므홀라 사밧의 아들 엘리사에게 기름을 부어 너를 대신하여 선지자가 되게 하라 17. 하사엘의 칼을 피하는 자를 예후가 죽일 것이요 예후의 칼을 피하는 자를 엘리사가 죽이리라 18. 그러나 내가 이스라엘 가운데에 칠천 명을 남기리니 다 바알에게 무릎을 꿇지 아니하고 다 바알에게 입맞추지 아니한 자니

💙 YOU’RE NOT ALONE

 ✝  1 Kings 19:8 - 19:18

“I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal. “(1 KINGS 19:18)

“So great to see you!” “You, too!” “So glad you’re here!”  The greetings were warm and welcoming. 
Members of a ministry in Southern California gathered online before their evening program. As their speaker, calling in from Colorado, I watched silently as the others gathered on the video call. As an introvert and not knowing  anyone, I felt like a social outsider. 
Then suddenly, a screen opened and there was my pastor. Then another screen opened. 
A longtime church friend was joining the call, too. Seeing them, I no longer felt alone. God, it seemed, had sent  support.

Elijah wasn’t alone either, despite feeling like “the only [prophet] left” after fleeing the wrath of Jezebel and Ahab (1 KINGS 19:10). Journeying through desert wilderness for forty days and forty nights, Elijah hid in a cave on Mount  Horeb. 
But God called him back into service, telling him, 

“Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet” (VV. 15–16). 

God then assured him, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (V. 18). 

As Elijah learned, while serving God we don’t serve alone. As God brings help, we’ll serve together.

PATRICIA RAYBO

What support has God recently sent when you were serving Him? 
Whom could you invite to serve with you to grow your ministry impact for God?

<Dear God, when I feel alone while serving You, remind me that others are with me as we joyfully serve.>

8. So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he  reached  Horeb, the mountain of God. 9. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here,     Elijah?" 10. He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,  broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11. The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.    " Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the  LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 15. The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there,  anoint  Hazael king over Aram. 16. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed      you as prophet. 17. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the  sword   of Jehu. 18. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."