말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Bible Verse] She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. (2 Kings 4:5-6)

[Our Story] This is a piece by Park Wan-suh, often regarded as the mother of Korean literature, titled “The Miracle of the Everyday.” Here is an excerpt: “Suddenly, something went wrong. After a pleasant dinner, I returned home feeling fine—but out of nowhere, my lower back stiffened. I thought a good night's sleep would fix it, so I didn’t take it seriously. But by morning, I could hardly get out of bed. Overnight, ordinary things transformed into extraordinary challenges. Bending over the sink to wash my face, picking something up off the floor, putting on socks, coughing, standing up after sitting—these once-simple acts were no longer easy. I had no choice but to visit the doctor, and the rest of the day slipped by idly. That’s when I finally began to hear my body’s voice. It had been trying to tell me all along—my neck had been sore, my wrists ached, my shoulders were tense, my eyes were weary. Every part of me had complaints to make. I had always assumed my body would obey me. I never expected it to suddenly stage a rebellion like this. Now I’m at a loss, fumbling to figure out what to do. Then, I remembered an old Chinese proverb: ‘A miracle is not flying through the sky or walking on water, but simply walking on the ground.’” It’s a piece I return to from time to time when I feel overwhelmed or weighed down. The reminder that everyday life itself is a miracle helps me breathe a little easier. It’s a moment to reclaim the quiet wonder of simply being.

[Bible Story] The Bible story of 2 Kings, chapters 3 to 8, tells the tale of the prophet Elisha, whose life was marked by miracles—or rather, whose everyday life was a miracle. After receiving the prophetic mantle from Elijah, Elisha's days became saturated with God's wonders. When King Jehoram, son of Ahab, ascended to the throne of Israel, the nation of Moab saw an opportunity. Thinking Israel had grown weak, they rebelled. In response, King Jehoram allied with King Jehoshaphat of Judah and marched out to subdue Moab. But soon, the coalition ran out of water and faced defeat in the wilderness. It was then that Elisha, the prophet of miracles, spoke God’s word: water would flow, and victory would come. And so it did (2 Kings 3). From that point on, Elisha’s life becomes a continuous stream of miracles woven into the fabric of ordinary life. In chapter 4, he multiplies a poor widow’s jar of oil. He raises the Shunammite woman’s dead son. He purifies a deadly stew in Gilgal and feeds a hundred men with just twenty loaves of barley bread. In chapter 5, Elisha heals Naaman, a commander of the Aramean army, from leprosy. Naaman came to see Elisha, expecting a spectacle, but the prophet simply instructed him to wash in the Jordan River. When Naaman obeyed, he was healed. In chapter 6, Elisha causes a borrowed iron axe head to float after it had fallen into the water. He also discerns the movements of the Aramean army from afar. Alarmed, the king of Aram sends troops to capture Elisha, but the prophet prays—and they are struck with blindness. God, through these wonders, offers Israel countless opportunities to repent. Yet they do not. Even as Samaria is besieged and people inside the city are driven to such desperation that they resort to eating their children, God does not abandon them. In chapters 7 and 8, He again extends His hand to a stubborn people, offering salvation during famine and judgment. That, too, is a miracle.

[Your Story] Do You Long for a Miracle? What kind of miracle are you hoping for? Miracles are not far away. They are near. They are constant. It’s just that we often fail to notice them. We overlook them, pass them by without realizing. The very act of breathing is a miracle. Having eyes is a miracle. And being able to see the world that God has created with those eyes—that, too, is a miracle. Having hands is a miracle.
And to make, to hold, to build with those hands—that is miraculous. Having feet is a miracle. And walking on the ground with those feet—yes, that is a miracle, too. It is a miracle that we live in Austin. It is a miracle that we gather as one body in our church, worshiping together, being built up as God’s church. If we take a closer look, there is not a single thing in life that is not a miracle. In Christ Jesus, everyday life becomes miraculous. And the miraculous becomes our everyday. May today be a day when your life overflows with the miracles of the ordinary.

 “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”—Hebrews 2:4

Copyrightⓒ 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim