하나님은 한결같은 자비로 우리를 사랑하십니다

God's love is unwavering and he is always with us. He is not a distant deity, but one who dwells within each of us. The tabernacle and temple in the Old Testament were ultimately pointing to Jesus, who is the true temple. Through Jesus, we can be restored to the way things were in the Garden of Eden and be with God. The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples after Jesus ascended to heaven, and they were able to perform all the works of Jesus. When we stumble, feel sad or worried, we should remember that the Lord is always with us and cheering us on. We should put our hope in God and seek refuge under his wings. Just as Naomi realized that God had not given up on her during her hardships and always treated her with love, we too can return to the Lord after straying and be welcomed into his warm embrace. We should spend more time with God and be with him more. Even in difficult times, we can trust that God is working for us and bringing people into our lives to show us his mercy.

God is not someone who resides in a faraway place like the moon or in a separate world. He is someone who dwells within you and me. God is with us! He is Emmanuel! This was the case in the Garden of Eden, a place where humans and God lived together in harmony, where snakes played with children and lions ran with lambs in a peaceful kingdom. How was this possible? It was because the God of peace was with us. If He had been far away, it would have been impossible. Therefore, after the Exodus, God instructed the Israelites to build the tabernacle to break down the notion that He was a terrifying God whom people couldn't approach.

Where did they place the tabernacle? In the midst of the people. There was a reason for this - so that His presence could be seen by anyone, anywhere. It wasn't a matter of proximity; it wasn't that the smartest people could see Him while the less intelligent ones couldn't. Anyone who believes in God, whether young or old, a long-time believer or a recent convert, can see Him, talk to Him, and meet Him. This was done to ensure that everyone could experience God. During the time of Solomon, the tabernacle was like a Lego set that could be assembled and disassembled, but as the nation grew, it became a stationary building called the temple. In Jesus' time, He destroyed the temple. Why? It was because He was the temple. The Old Testament tabernacle and temple were ultimately pointing to Jesus. So, who is the real temple? It is Jesus. What was the function of the temple? It was to signify that God was with us. Ultimately, if we see Jesus, we see God, and if Jesus is with us, God is with us. Jesus is the one who transformed us back to the way things were in the Garden of Eden. In order to be with God, we must be without sin. If we have sin, we die. That is why Jesus died for us, to open up a way for us to be with God. John 2:21 says, "But the temple he had spoken of was his body." After Jesus ascended to heaven, the Day of Pentecost arrived, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. They began to perform all the works of Jesus, driving out demons, healing the sick, teaching the Gospel, and spreading the word to the believers.

When I am discouraged after stumbling, it is because I am looking at the fallen me, not the Lord who lifts me up and resides within me. When I am sad and worried, it is because I have forgotten the Lord who is with me. Dear fellow believers! The Lord is still cheering for you and me today. He says, "Arise, look at Me, for I will protect and restore you. Do not be deceived by appearances." This is from Psalm 42:5. "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." Just as the Lord restored Elijah while providing him with food and drink under the shade of a broom tree, He will restore those who seek refuge under the Almighty's wings, and bless them to sing praises to the Lord.

Naomi! As she watched Ruth bring back 20 liters of grain and ate her fill of the roasted grain that Ruth brought, she thought to herself, "Ah, God never gave up on me during my hardships, and always treated me with love." As she thought about this, tears flowed down her face. For the past ten years, she had strayed far from the Lord and went her own way. However, after losing everything, she remembered the Lord and returned. Even if the Lord did not have mercy on her, she had nothing to say. But when she came into the Lord's embrace, she felt the warm God who held Naomi tightly in His chest. The phrase "ate her fill" appears in verse 18 and also in verse 14. Our Father's love is a love that overflows even after we have eaten our fill. Just as there were 12 baskets left over after the 5,000 people ate at the scene of the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish, even if I do bad things and feel sorry, if I come to the Lord and prostrate myself before His love, He will provide me with a fat calf that leaves leftovers, and invite everyone in the neighborhood to come and feast. That's how much the Lord loves us consistently. He is such a good God. It is not that He is far away, but that He resides within me right now. I want to spend more time with Him and be with Him more.

Naomi realizes in verse 20 that Boaz is a man who is loved by God and cares for his family. She confesses, "He is one of our closest relatives, and he has shown his kindness by taking care of our family, both the living and the dead." In verse 22, Naomi tells Ruth, "It is good for you to go out with his young women, so that you will not be harassed by the young men working in other fields." Naomi has been observing the situation and has seen how God has been showing mercy through Boaz and will continue to work for them in the future. There are times when we may experience difficulties, but even in the midst of trials, when we see God bring people into our lives and things suddenly fall into place, we feel that God has heard our prayers and is working for us. Naomi is in that situation.

Dear beloved saints! Instead of being discouraged in the midst of difficulties, I bless you to become saints who hold onto the hand of the Lord with hope, knowing that He is leading us through the trials. The real trial is not the suffering itself, but forgetting the Lord in the midst of trials. James 5:13 says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." I hope that you will become saints who seek the Lord and praise Him.

I had the opportunity to hear about the mission work of a missionary in Nepal. The missionary also faced the greatest crisis in his ministry. The best teams for Bible translation were assembled, including a young friend who was the son of a pastor in T Village and another talented friend who is now well-known in Nepal as a YouTuber. However, these two friends openly opposed the missionary's work. They accused him of not paying them properly and exploiting them for labor, and even filed a lawsuit against him. The pastor's son was swept up by his friend's influence and went along with him. Once it went to court, there was no way to resolve the situation. No matter how much he tried to persuade them, they refused to listen. In the end, the missionary lost his home, his office, and everything he had built up. He was left with nothing but a suitcase of clothes. Despite all of this, he did not give up. He gathered some of the believers who were left and continued to hold worship services under a tree. Eventually, they were able to build a new church and continue their ministry. The missionary never gave up and kept his faith in God, and in the end, he was able to overcome the crisis.

If the missionary had given up during those difficult times, he would not have been able to translate both the Old and New Testaments. However, even during those hardships, God constantly comforted and encouraged the missionary, like how He provided food and clothing for Elijah under the broom tree, so that he could recover and meet new people and continue the translation work. That village of T! It is the fourth time we have entered that village in the 25 years of the missionary's work. The people of the sending church haven't even been there yet. God gave our team a great gift, and it became a place of beautiful memories where we experienced God. Dear fellow believers! God is a loving God who is always with me, no matter what state of mind I have, even if it's a bad one, or even if it's a heart of disobedience. I believe that God is that kind of God. He is not the kind of God who abandons me if I can't serve well, but he just wants me to be more free and happier. He feels sorry for me living with guilt and anxiety. Therefore, the Lord invites us to restore intimacy with Him. The purpose is for my sake. Even if I am not intimate with God and live as I please, God loves me too much. It may be hard to understand, but Jesus is already in me and loves me so much. So let's get closer to God and spend time with Him again. When we do, we can feel more sensitively that God is with us even when we are struggling or going through hardships.

"Then, how can we become closer with others?“ By loving God. I want to be with the person I love more. I want to talk more with them. I want to share even the smallest things with them. I want to share time and emotions with them. I want to give more of myself to them and show them anything good I have first. During my mission trip, I saw a married sister who truly loved her husband. Whenever he had a break, she would call him, send him pictures with a beautiful background on FaceTime, and always wanted to be with him. Love is a priority. I want to spend everything with my loved ones. Love God! Then, I believe that you will become saints who can experience God's guidance and presence in any situation, get up even when you fall, not give up even when you are pressed hard, and overcome by experiencing Jesus' life overflowing within you.