벨을 울려라(RING THE BELL)

💙 벨을 울려라

 ✝  시편 47:1-9

“즐거운 소리로 하나님께 외칠지어다”(시편 47:1)

다알라는 30회의 힘든 방사선치료를 마친 후 비로소 암에서 자유롭게 되었습니다. 병원의 관례대로 완치를 축하하고 치료의 종결을 뜻하는 “암 완치 종”을 치고 싶어 했던 다알라가 너무 열심히 힘껏 종을 치는 바람에 종에 매여 있던 줄이 끊어져 나갔습니다! 그러자 즐거운 웃음소리가 종소리 여운과 함께 울려 퍼졌습니다.

다알라의 이야기에 나는 미소를 지으며 시편 기자가 이스라엘 백성들에게 하나님이 그들 삶 가운데 하신 일들을 송축하라고 할 때 가졌을 그 마음을 느낄 수 있었습니다. 
하나님이 그들의 적들을 물리치고 이스라엘을 그분의 사랑하는 백성으로 선택하셨기에, 그는 “손뼉을 치며” “하나님께 외치고” “찬양하라”고 그들을 격려하였습니다(시편 47:1, 6, 현대인의 성경).

하나님은 건강이나 금전, 대인 관계 등, 우리가 삶의 여러 문제들로 힘들어할 때 언제나 승리로 이끌어 주시지는 않습니다. 하지만 하나님은 여전히 “그의 거룩한 보좌에 앉아 계시는”(8절) 분이심을 알기에, 하나님은 그런 상황에서도 경배와 찬양을 받으시기에 합당한 분이십니다. 

적어도 우리가 이 땅의 삶에서 알 수 있는 방식으로 하나님이 우리를 치유하실 때, 우리는 크게 기뻐해야 할 이유를 얻게 됩니다. 실제로 종을 치지는 않더라도 우리는 다알라가 보여준 것처럼 넘치는 기쁨으로 하나님의 선하심을 찬양할 수 있습니다

당신은 어떻게 하나님께 감사를 드립니까? 당신 삶에서 최근 하나님께서 하신 일 가운데 기뻐할  일은 무엇입니까?

<하나님, 제게 많은 선물을 주셔서 감사합니다. 목소리 높여 하나님을 찬양하고 손뼉 치며 하나님이 제 삶에 하신 일들을 기뻐합니다.>

1. 너희 만민들아 손바닥을 치고 즐거운 소리로 하나님께 외칠지어다 2. 지존하신 여호와는 두려우시고 온 땅에 큰 왕이 되심이로다 3. 여호와께서 만민을 우리에게, 나라들을 우리 발 아래에 복종하게 하시며 4. 우리를 위하여 기업을 택하시나니 곧 사랑하신 야곱의 영화로다 (셀라) 5. 하나님께서 즐거운 함성 중에 올라가심이여 여호와께서 나팔 소리 중에 올라가시도다 6. 찬송하라 하나님을 찬송하라 찬송하라 우리 왕을 찬송하라 7. 하나님은 온 땅의 왕이심이라 지혜의 시로 찬송할지어다 8. 하나님이 뭇 백성을 다스리시며 하나님이 그의 거룩한 보좌에 앉으셨도다 9. 뭇 나라의 고관들이 모임이여 아브라함의 하나님의 백성이 되도다 세상의 모든 방패는 하나님의 것임이여 그는 높임을 받으시리로다.

 

💙 RING THE BELL

 ✝  Psalms 47:1-9

“Shout to God with cries of joy.” (PSALM 47:1)

After an astounding thirty rounds of radiation treatments, Darla was finally pronounced cancer-free. As part of hospital tradition, she was eager to ring the “cancer-free bell” that marked the end of her treatment and celebrated her clean bill of health. Darla was so enthusiastic and vigorous in her celebratory ringing that the rope actually detached from the bell! Peals of joyous laughter ensued.

Darla’s story brings a smile to my face and gives me a sense of what the psalmist might have envisioned when he invited the Israelites to celebrate God’s work in their lives. 
The writer encouraged them to “clap [their] hands,” “shout to God,” and “sing praises” because God had routed their enemies and chosen the Israelites as His beloved people (PSALM 47:1, 6).

God doesn’t always grant us victory over our struggles in this life, whether health-related or financial or relational. He’s worthy of our worship and praise in even those circumstances because we can trust that He’s still “seated on his holy throne” (V. 8). 

When He does bring us to a place of healing—at least in a way we recognize in this earthly life—it’s cause for great celebration. We may not have a physical bell to ring, but we can joyfully celebrate His goodness to us with the same kind of exuberance Darla showed. KIRSTEN HOLMBERG

How do you show your gratitude to God? What good work has He done in your life recently that merits celebration?

<Thank You, God, for Your many gifts to me. I shout my praises to You and clap my hands in celebration of Your work in my life.>

1. Psalm 47 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! 3. He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. 4. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah 5. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. 6. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. 8. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.