말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse]
“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” (Nehemiah 6:15–16)

[Our Story]
As a child, I loved war movies. Among them, historical battle scenes always got my heart pounding. Immersed in the action, I imagined myself as a soldier on the battlefield. With nothing more than imagination, I could almost feel like I was really there. The most intense and majestic moments always took place on the wall of a fortress. Before the battle began, the commander would stand atop the central wall, solemnly watching the enemy troops gather like clouds in the distance. The enemies would then calculate where to strike to bring down the wall, launching boulders from giant catapults. When that failed, soldiers would carry long ladders, risking their lives to climb the wall. Most fell before reaching the top. When they couldn’t break or scale the wall, they would surround the fortress and cut off supplies. After a month or two, those inside would often surrender. That’s how critical the wall was in a battle.

[Bible Story]
Nehemiah chapters 5 to 7 tell the story of the wall’s completion. As important as the wall was, many tried to prevent its rebuilding. Internal threats were just as dangerous as external ones (Nehemiah 5). Some people exploited the poor through usury. Nehemiah rebuked them, and they returned the interest they had taken. Nehemiah himself did not impose taxes or receive the governor’s allowance. Instead, he trusted God to provide. External enemies were equally threatening. Sanballat and Geshem plotted against Nehemiah’s project, even planning to assassinate him. But less than two months after the rebuilding began, the wall was completed. Everyone who saw it recognized that it was God’s doing (Nehemiah 6:16). A new mission was given to Nehemiah: to appoint godly leaders and establish authority through delegation. The list of those returning from exile stands as a majestic testament to God’s faithfulness.

[Your Story]
Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart? Maybe not your entire life, but have the protective walls that support it ever started to crack—or even collapse entirely? It is crucial to maintain and guard those walls. Satan is always looking for a crack to exploit. Often, he uses our habits—things we don’t even notice—to infiltrate and take control. Habits can become addictions that dominate our lives. If the wall has cracked or fallen, it must be repaired. We must rebuild strong walls that the enemy cannot breach—walls built by relying on the Lord. “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:1–2)

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