상상력 넘치는 믿음(IMAGINATIVE FAITH)

💙 상상력 넘치는 믿음

 ✝  이사야 55:6 - 55:13 

“ 산들과 언덕들이 너희 앞에서 노래를 발하고 “[이사야 55:12]

“할아버지 저기 보세요! 저 나무들이 하나님을 향해 손을 흔들고 있어요!” 폭풍우가 오기 전 바람에 휘날리는 어린 자작나무를 보면서 소리 지르는 손자의 모습을 보면서 나는 미소를 지었습니다
그러면서 나 혼자 자문해봅니다. ‘나에게도 저런 상상력 넘치는 믿음이 있을까?’ 
시인 엘리자베스 바렛 브라우닝은 모세와 불타는 떨기나무 이야기를 떠올리며 이런 시를 썼습니다. “땅은 하늘로 가득 채워져 있고, 모든 덤불은 하나님과 불타오르고 있다. 그러나 보는 자만이 자신의 신을 벗는다.” 

하나님께서 하신 일은 그분이 만드신 모든 경이로움 속에 명백히 드러나 있으며 언젠가 이 땅이 새롭게 될 때 우리는 그 변화를 전에 없는 새로움으로 다시 보게 될 것입니다.

하나님께서는 이사야 선지자의 선포를 통해 이 날에 대해 분명히 말씀하십니다. “너희는 기쁨으로 나아가며 평안히 인도함을 받을 것이요 산들과 언덕들이 너희 앞에서 노래를 발하고 들의 모든 나무가 손뼉을 칠 것이며”(이사야 55:12). ‘노래하는 산?’ ‘손뼉 치는 나무?’ 안될 것 없지요! 

바울은 이렇게 말했습니다. “그 바라는 것은 피조물도 썩어짐의 종 노릇 한 데서 해방되어 하나님의 자녀들의 영광의 자유에 이르는 것이니라”(로마서 8:21).
예수님께서는 돌들이 소리 지를 것이라고 말씀하신 바 있습니다(누가복음 19:40). 그리고 그 말씀은 구원받기 위해 주님께로 나아오는 사람들에게 일어날 일에 대한 이사야의 예언에 대한 화답입니다. 오직 하나님만 하실 수 있는 일을 상상하며 믿음으로 그분을 바라볼 때 우리는 영원히 계속되는 하나님의 경이로움을 보게 될 것입니다!

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당신이 하나님의 영원한 나라에서 보게 될 새로운 세상은 어떤 모습일 것이라 상상하십니까?오늘 당신은 어떤 상상력을 발휘하여 하나님을 섬기시겠습니까?

<사랑의 하나님, 누구보다 창조적이신 주님을 찬양합니다!
저는 주님의 모습과 주님이 보여주실 수 있는 모든 경이로움을 보고 싶습니다!>

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[이사야 55:6 - 55:13]
6. 너희는 여호와를 만날 만한 때에 찾으라 가까이 계실 때에 그를 부르라
7. 악인은 그의 길을, 불의한 자는 그의 생각을 버리고 여호와께로 돌아오라 그리하면 그가 긍휼히 여기시리라 우리 하나님께로 돌아오라 그가 너그럽게 용서하시리라
8. 이는 내 생각이 너희의 생각과 다르며 내 길은 너희의 길과 다름이니라 여호와의 말씀이니라
9. 이는 하늘이 땅보다 높음 같이 내 길은 너희의 길보다 높으며 내 생각은 너희의 생각보다 높음이니라
10. 이는 비와 눈이 하늘로부터 내려서 그리로 되돌아가지 아니하고 땅을 적셔서 소출이 나게 하며 싹이 나게 하여 파종하는 자에게는 종자를 주며 먹는 자에게는 양식을 줌과 같이
11. 내 입에서 나가는 말도 이와 같이 헛되이 내게로 되돌아오지 아니하고 나의 기뻐하는 뜻을 이루며 내가 보낸 일에 형통함이니라
12. 너희는 기쁨으로 나아가며 평안히 인도함을 받을 것이요 산들과 언덕들이 너희 앞에서 노래를 발하고 들의 모든 나무가 손뼉을 칠 것이며
13. 잣나무는 가시나무를 대신하여 나며 화석류는 찔레를 대신하여 날 것이라 이것이 여호와의 기념이 되며 영영한 표징이 되어 끊어지지 아니하리라

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💙 IMAGINATIVE FAITH

 ✝  Isaiah 55:6 - 55:13 

The mountains and hills will burst into song before you. [ ISAIAH 55:12 ]

“Look, Papa! Those trees are waving at God!” As we watched young birches bending in the wind before an oncoming storm, my grandson’s excited observation made me smile. It also made me ask myself, Do I have that kind of imaginative faith?
Reflecting on the story of Moses and the burning bush, the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that “Earth’s crammed with heaven, / And every common bush afire with God; / But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.” 

God’s handiwork is evident all around us in the wonders of what He has made, and one day, when the earth is made new, we’ll see it like never before.

God tells us about this day when He proclaims through the prophet Isaiah, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (ISAIAH 55:12). Singing mountains? Clapping trees? Why not? 

Paul noted that “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (ROMANS 8:21). Jesus once spoke of stones crying out (LUKE 19:40), and His words echo Isaiah’s prophecy about what lies ahead for those who come to Him for salvation. When we look to Him with faith that imagines what only God can do, we’ll see His wonders continue forever!
-JAMES BANK

What do you imagine the new earth will be like in God’s forever kingdom? How will you serve Him with imagination today?

Loving God, I praise You that no one is more creative than You are!
I look forward to seeing the wonder of all that You are and all that You can do!

6. Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
7. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
9. "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11. So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing  what I desire, And without succeeding [in the matter] for which I sent it.
12. "For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap [their] hands.
13. "Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.