말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse]
"Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors." (2 Chronicles 13:18)

[Our Story]
There was a garden at the house where I grew up—my father’s garden. My father spent countless hours there, especially on holidays, working hard under the sun. The garden welcomed us throughout the seasons with flowers that embraced us with their colors and fragrances. The trees, not to be outdone, provided refreshing shade with their lush green leaves, and they too produced beautiful flowers and abundant fruit. There was even a small pond, where fish my father had brought home lived as if in a different world. It was a warm and lively place because it was my father’s garden. One day, my father stretched a black electric wire between the eaves of the house and the garden. After finishing this unusual project, he planted something new, though at the time, I couldn’t tell what it was. Only when summer came did the mystery reveal itself: it was a grapevine. The vine grew faithfully, following the wire my father had installed. Curiously, the direction and shape of the grapevine changed depending on the curve of the wire. Where the wire bent, the vine bent. Where the wire was straight, the vine grew straight. The vine grew depending on what it clung to. And so it is with life—what you rely on shapes the way you live.

[Bible Story]
2 Chronicles 13–16 shows how the lives of King Abijah and King Asa changed depending on what—or whom—they relied upon. When Jeroboam attacked, King Abijah delivered a powerful speech (2 Chronicles 13:4-12). He proclaimed that Jeroboam had not only rebelled against Solomon but had also betrayed God Himself. He emphasized that true worship could only be found in Jerusalem, and he confidently declared that God was with Judah. Even when Jeroboam laid an ambush, Abijah, relying on God, achieved victory and grew stronger and stronger (2 Chronicles 13:13-22). His son, King Asa, followed in his father's footsteps by also relying on God. He carried out sweeping religious reforms, tearing down idols and restoring true worship. God granted him peace and prosperity (2 Chronicles 14:1-7). When Zerah the Cushite marched against Judah with an enormous army, Asa prayed to the Lord in the temple, relying solely on Him. Asa remained faithful to God, making a renewed covenant based on God’s Word (2 Chronicles 15:9-19). However, later in life, Asa’s heart shifted. When King Baasha of Israel threatened Judah, Asa sought the help of Ben-Hadad of Aram instead of God (2 Chronicles 16). Though the prophet Hanani warned him, Asa refused to listen and became harsh, even imprisoning the prophet. When Asa relied on God, he triumphed; when he relied on human strength, he fell into corruption. The path and texture of one's life are determined by what—or whom—one relies on.

[Your Story]
What do you rely on? Here’s a way to find out: think about what makes you anxious when it’s missing.
If you can’t live without your phone, you may be relying on it more than you realize. If your heart races with anxiety as your phone battery drains, that dependence may be even deeper. If you constantly turn to short videos or dramas for comfort, you may be seeking rest in entertainment rather than in God.
If you are physically healthy but cannot live without medicine, it might show an underlying reliance on it. If losing money leaves you in despair as if you’ve lost everything, you might be relying on wealth.
But if you truly cannot live without the Lord, then you are relying on Him—and He will lift you up.
"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:5-6)

With blessings,
Pastor Hyung Joong Kim
Copyrightⓒ 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim