말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse]
“Hilkiah the priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.’ He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then Shaphan went to the king and reported to him: ‘Your officials are carrying out everything that has been committed to them.’”
— 2 Chronicles 34:15–16 (NIV)

[Our Story]
When I was a child, our family built a new house—replacing the old thatched-roof home with a modern one. It must have been during the New Village Movement (Saemaul Undong) era. The construction site was full of fascinating things: piles of straight lumber, heaps of nails, and workers mixing cement with sand to make bricks by hand. Watching them build walls with those bricks was like witnessing a miracle. One day, while the workers took a break, I snuck over to the wall they had been building. That’s when I noticed a long string with a weight hanging from it. The bricks were aligned perfectly with the string. I curiously touched the weight, and it swayed from side to side. When the workers returned, the first thing they did was check the plumb line to ensure it was hanging straight before resuming their work. Carefully, they began stacking bricks once more, aligned with the plumb line. Now, even after 50 years of storms and seasons, the walls still stand straight and strong. That is the power of the plumb line.

[Bible Story]
2 Chronicles 34–35 tells the story of King Josiah, who ruled Judah according to God’s plumb line. When the Book of the Law was found in the temple, Josiah used God’s Word as his standard to rebuild a broken nation. From a young age, Josiah sought the Lord. During his reign, he cleansed Judah of idols and purified the temple (2 Chronicles 34:3). In the process of temple repair, the Book of the Law was discovered. Upon hearing it read, Josiah realized why God’s wrath had fallen on his ancestors—it was because they had not lived according to God's Word (2 Chronicles 34:8–28). They had ruled by their own desires, not by God’s plumb line. Seeking divine confirmation, Josiah consulted the prophetess Huldah, who affirmed the coming judgment. Realizing that restoration could only come through the Word, Josiah gathered the people and renewed the covenant (2 Chronicles 34:26–33). He committed to living by the plumb line of God’s Word. He then reinstated the celebration of the Passover (2 Chronicles 35:1–19), checking dates and commands, placing the Ark of the Covenant in its proper place, and keeping the Passover as Moses had instructed. Not long after, Josiah died in battle at Megiddo. His life had been built according to God’s plumb line.

[Your Story]
What plumb line are you holding? Is it one that sways with the wind, or do your emotions shift your standards day by day? The plumb line you live by determines the shape, tilt, and depth of your life. Your studies and past experiences matter—but like Josiah, if you build your life aligned with the Word of God, it will be straight and secure. Even in life’s fiercest storms, you will stand firm, unshaken, and upright. In this unsteady world, you can live a steady life.

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
— Psalm 25:4–5

Blessings,
Rev. Hyung Joong Kim
Copyrightⓒ 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim