오늘의 묵상
제 좋은 친구가 정기적으로 주님께 요청하는 이 기도문이 맘에 듭니다: "아버지, 저를 너그럽게 낮추시옵소서" 변화(성화)란 힘든 작업이며, 우리 쪽 보다는 하나님쪽의 인내심이 더욱 많이 요구됩니다. 우리가 우리 죄를 인정하도록 허락하신, 또한 하나님의 거룩하고 놀라운 임재 가운데로 오도록 허락하신 은혜에 감사드립니다. 감사하게도 하나님께서는 우리가 대접받을 자격만큼만 대접하신 것이 아니라, 우리가 필요한 만큼 부어 주셨습니다. (참조. 시편 103편)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Jeremiah frequently struggled with the hard message the Lord gave him to communicate to God's people. He often wept over and complained to God about what he was given to communicate. While he knew he was wrong to complain, he begged the Lord to correct him with justice and mercy, not anger and punishment. This request reminds me of a similar request a good friend regularly makes of the Lord when he prays, recognizing his own weaknesses and failings: "Humble me gently, Father," he often prays. Our transformation, which requires correction and grace, is hard work and requires even more patience on God's part than on our part. So we thank God for his grace, which lets us admit our sin and yet still come into his holy and awesome presence, knowing he will be both just and merciful, righteous and gracious. Thankfully, the Lord doesn't treat us as we deserve but as we need (Psalm 103:1-22). We, too, can pray, "Correct me, Lord, but only with justice — not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing."
내 기도
사랑하는 하나님, 저는 죄를 짓습니다. 그런 제 자신이 싫지만, 오랫동안의 약점들에 여전히 굴복하는 것을 발견하곤 합니다. 저를 교정하여 주시고 의로움의 길로 인도하소서. 당신을 기쁘시게 하는 것 뿐 아니라 당신을 존귀하게 하고 싶사오니, 제 마음속에서 이중성, 속임수, 영적 연약함들을 부드럽고 지속적으로 제거해 주십시오. 거룩함 안에서 저를 양육해 주십시오. 주 그리스도와 더욱 닮아가도록 변화시켜 주십시오. 예수님 이름으로 기도합니다. 아멘.
My Prayer...
Dear God, I sin. I don't like it when I sin, but I still find myself succumbing to some of my long-standing weaknesses. Please correct me and put me on the path of righteousness, dear Father, but please humble me gently, not correcting me in your anger but in transforming me by your discipline and grace. Even more than wanting to please you, dear Father, I want to honor you even more. So please, gently and consistently rid my heart of duplicity, deceit, and spiritual weakness. Nurture me in holiness. In Jesus' name. Amen.
