하나님의 공급하심(GOD’S PROVISION)

💙 하나님의 공급하심

 ✝  열왕기하 4:1 - 4:7 

“ 엘리사가 그에게 이르되 내가 너를 위하여 어떻게 하랴 네 집에 무엇이 있는지 내게 말하라 “[열왕기하 4:2]

세살 난 버디와 엄마는 매주 교회에 가서 식품 사역 트럭에서 식료품을 내리는 일을 도왔습니다. 버디는 엄마가 할머니에게 배달 트럭이 고장 났다고 말하는 것을 듣고, “아니, 그럼 음식 배달은 어떻게 하죠?”라고 물었습니다. 엄마는 교회가 새 트럭을 사기 위해 돈을 모아야 할 것이라고 설명하자, 버디는 미소를 지으며, “나도 돈 있어요.”라고 말하며 방을 나갔습니다. 그리고 알록달록한 스티커로 장식된 동전이 가득 들어있는 플라스틱 병을 가지고 돌아왔습니다. 거기에는 38달러가 조금 넘는 돈이 들어있었습니다. 버디의 돈은 많지 않았지만 하나님은 그가 내놓은 돈과 다른 사람들의 헌금을 합해서 새 냉장트럭을 공급해 주셔서 교회가 계속해서 지역 사회에 봉사할 수 있도록 하셨습니다.
적은 양이라도 모든 것을 하나님의 손에 맡길 때 항상 모든 것이 넘치도록 채워집니다. 

열왕기하 4장에서 한 가난한 과부가 엘리사 선지자에게 경제적 지원을 요청했습니다. 그는 그녀에게 집에 남은 것이 얼마나 되는지 알아보고 이웃에게 도움을 요청한 다음 그의 지시를 따르라고 말했습니다(1-4절). 기적과도 같이 하나님은 과부의 소량의 기름을 사용하여 그녀가 이웃에게서 모은 모든 항아리를 채우게 하셨습니다(5-6절). 엘리사는 그녀에게 “기름을 팔아 빚을 갚고 남은 것으로 너와 네 아들이 생활하라”(7절)고 하였습니다.

우리에게 없는 것에 집중하다 보면 하나님께서 우리에게 있는 것을 가지고 위대한 일을 하시는 것을 볼  수 없는 위험이 있습니다.

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하나님께서 기적처럼 당신의 자원을 크게 늘려 주신 적이 있습니까? 
당신이 살고 있는 지역사회의 더 큰 필요를 채우기 위해 하나님께서 당신의 것과 다른 사람들의 헌금을 합해 사용하신 적이 있습니까?

<신실하신 공급자 하나님, 언제나 배려와 감사의 마음으로 하나님이 제게 주신 모든 것을 충실히 관리하고 나누게 하소서.>

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[열왕기하 4:1 - 4:7]
1. 선지자의 제자들의 아내 중의 한 여인이 엘리사에게 부르짖어 이르되 당신의 종 나의 남편이 이미 죽었는데 당신의 종이 여호와를 경외한 줄은 당신이 아시는 바니이다 이제 빚 준 사람이 와서 나의 두 아이를 데려가 그의 종을 삼고자 하나이다 하니
2. 엘리사가 그에게 이르되 내가 너를 위하여 어떻게 하랴 네 집에 무엇이 있는지 내게 말하라 그가 이르되 계집종의 집에 기름 한 그릇 외에는 아무것도 없나이다 하니
3. 이르되 너는 밖에 나가서 모든 이웃에게 그릇을 빌리라 빈 그릇을 빌리되 조금 빌리지 말고
4. 너는 네 두 아들과 함께 들어가서 문을 닫고 그 모든 그릇에 기름을 부어서 차는 대로 옮겨 놓으라 하니라
5. 여인이 물러가서 그의 두 아들과 함께 문을 닫은 후에 그들은 그릇을 그에게로 가져오고 그는 부었더니
6. 그릇에 다 찬지라 여인이 아들에게 이르되 또 그릇을 내게로 가져오라 하니 아들이 이르되 다른 그릇이 없나이다 하니 기름이 곧 그쳤더라
7. 그 여인이 하나님의 사람에게 나아가서 말하니 그가 이르되 너는 가서 기름을 팔아 빚을 갚고 남은 것으로 너와 네 두 아들이 생활하라 하였더라

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💙 GOD’S PROVISION

 ✝  2 Kings 4:1 - 4:7 

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” [ 2 KINGS 4:2 ]

Three-year-old Buddy and his mom went to church each week to help unload groceries from the food ministry truck. When Buddy overheard his mom telling his grandmother that the delivery truck broke down, he said, “Oh, no. How will they do food ministry?” His mom explained that the church would have to raise money to buy a new truck. Buddy smiled. “I have money,” he said, leaving the room. He returned with a plastic jar decorated with colorful stickers and filled with coins, which amounted to a little over $38. Though Buddy didn’t have much, God combined his sacrificial offering with gifts from others to provide a new refrigerated truck, so that the church could continue serving their community.
A small amount offered generously is always more than enough when placed in God’s hands. 

In 2 Kings 4, a poor widow asked the prophet Elisha for financial assistance. He told her to take inventory of her own resources, reach out to her neighbors for help, then follow his instructions (VV. 1–4). In a miraculous display of provision, God used the widow’s small amount of oil to fill all the jars she collected from her neighbors (VV. 5–6). Elisha told her, “Sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left” (V. 7).

When we focus on what we don’t have, we risk missing out on watching God do great things with what we do have.
-XOCHITL DIXON

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When has God multiplied your resources in a miraculous way? 
When has God used you to combine your resources with the gifts of others to meet a bigger need in your community?

<Faithful Provider, please help me to be mindful and grateful as I faithfully manage and share all You’ve given me.>

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[ 2 Kings 4:1 - 4:7 ] 
1. Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."
2. And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
3. Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, [even] empty vessels; do not get a few.
4. "And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels; and you shall set aside what is full."
5. So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing [the vessels] to her and she poured.
6. And it came about when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not one vessel more." And the oil stopped.
7. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you [and] your sons can live on the rest."