10/5 “하나님의 손과 나의 작은 헌신" (느 2)

10/5/2025

[설교노트 / Sermon notes]

“하나님의 손과 나의 작은 헌신
본문: 느헤미야 2:1-8

Title: "Faith that possesses the emotion of prayer”
Text: Nehemiah 2:1-8

Preacher: Rev. Jeongsub Choi

1.성경본문 읽기 / Read the Bible


- Read it in a language that makes more sense to you

(느 2:1-8, 새번역) [1] 아닥사스다 왕 이십년 ①니산월에 나는 왕에게 술을 따르는 일을 맡았다. 왕에게 술을 따라 드리는 어느 날, 왕께서는 나의 안색이 평소와는 달리 좋지 않은 것을 보시고는 / ①양력 삼월 중순 이후

[2] "안색이 좋지 않구나. 아픈 것 같지는 않은데, 무슨 걱정되는 일이라도 있느냐?" 하고 물으셨다. 나는 너무나도 황공하여

[3] "임금님, 만수무강 하시기를 빕니다. 소신의 조상이 묻힌 성읍이 폐허가 되고 성문들이 모두 불에 탔다는 소식을 듣고서, 울적한 마음을 가누지 못한 탓입니다" 하고 아뢰었더니,

[4] "네가 바라는 것이 무엇이냐?" 하고, 왕께서 또 나에게 물으셨다. 나는 하늘의 하나님께 기도를 드리고 나서,

[5] 왕에게 말씀드렸다. "임금님께서 좋으시면, 임금님께서 소신을 좋게 여기시면, 소신의 조상이 묻혀 있는 유다의 그 성읍으로 저를 보내 주셔서, 그 성읍을 다시 세우게 하여 주시기를 바랍니다."

[6] 그 때에 왕후도 왕 옆에 앉아 있었다. 왕은 "그렇게 다녀오려면 얼마나 걸리겠느냐? 언제쯤 돌아올 수 있겠느냐?" 하고 나에게 물으셨다. 왕이 기꺼이 허락하실 것 같은 생각이 들어서, 나는 얼마가 걸릴지를 말씀드렸다.

[7] 나는 왕에게 덧붙여서 말씀드렸다. "임금님께서 좋으시다면, 소신이 유다까지 무사히 갈 수 있도록 유프라테스 서쪽 지방의 총독들에게 보내는 친서를 몇 통 내려 주시기 바랍니다.

[8] 또 왕실 숲을 맡아 보는 아삽에게도, 나무를 공급하라고 친서를 내리셔서, 제가 그 나무로 성전 옆에 있는 성채 문짝도 짜고, 성벽도 쌓고, 소신이 살 집도 짓게 하여 주시기 바랍니다. " 나의 하나님이 선하신 손길로 나를 잘 보살펴 주셔서, 왕이 나의 청을 들어주었다.

(느 2:1-8, NIV11) [1] In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,

[2] so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,

[3] but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

[4] The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

[5] and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

[6] Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

[7] I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?

[8] And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

10. 감사 / gratitude

지난 주 설교 / Last Sunday's Sermon

제목 / Title

“하나님의 손과 나의 작은 헌신”
느헤미야 2:1-8

"God's Hand and My Little Sacrifice"
(The Hand of God Helps, The gracious hand of my God was on me)
Text: Nehemiah 2:1-8


1. 하나님의 손이 도우신다 / God’s Hand Helps Us

  • 느헤미야의 고백: “내 하나님의 선한 손이 나를 도우셨다” (느 2:8).

  • 하지만 그 열매는 하나님의 섭리와 느헤미야의 오랜 기도가 함께 만들어 낸 것입니다.

  • 기도 없는 형통은 없고, 하나님의 손 없는 성공은 공허합니다.

    Nehemiah confessed, “The gracious hand of my God was upon me” (Neh. 2:8).

    Yet this outcome was the fruit of both God’s providence and Nehemiah’s long prayer.

    There is no prosperity without prayer, and no true success without God’s hand.


2. 작은 헌신이 길을 연다 / Small Sacrifice Opens the Way

  • 느헤미야는 4개월 동안 금식하며 기도했고, 왕 앞에서 두려움 속에서도 용기를 내어 말했습니다.

  • 그의 섬김은 거창하지 않았습니다. 술관원으로서 정직과 성실을 다한 것이었습니다. (헌신, 희생, 신실함 / Sacrifice, faithfulness, Servant leadership)

  • 하나님은 이 작은 헌신을 사용하여 왕의 마음을 움직이셨습니다.

    Nehemiah prayed and fasted for four months, and with courage he spoke before the king. / Sacrifice, faithfulness, Servant leadership

    His service was not grand—it was marked by honesty and diligence in his duty.

    God used this small faithfulness to move the king’s heart.


3. 청년들의 현실과 도전 / The Reality and Struggles of Young People

  • 오늘의 청년들은 빠른 성공과 성취를 원합니다.

  • 학벌, 스펙, 재물에 의지하려는 유혹이 큽니다.

  • 미래에 대한 불안과 걱정 속에 흔들리기 쉽습니다.

  • 하지만 삶의 성장은 산을 한 걸음씩 오르는 것처럼 느리고 꾸준한 과정입니다.

““네가 덕을 쌓고, 하나님을 섬기며, 그리스도를 사랑하기를 원하느냐? 그렇다면 알아라. 성장은 빠르거나 쉬운 길이 아니다. 그것은 산을 한 걸음씩 오르는 것처럼 느리고, 꾸준하며, 철저히 현실적인 길이다.””
— 프레드리히 폰 휘겔

  • Today’s young people long for quick success and achievement.

  • They face temptations to depend on credentials, wealth, and status.

  • Fear and anxiety about the future often overwhelm them.

  • Yet spiritual growth is slow and steady—like climbing a mountain step by step.

““Do you want to grow in virtue, to serve God, to love Christ? Then understand—growth will not be quick or easy. It will be slow, steady, and utterly real, like climbing a mountain step by step.””
— By Friedrich Von Hugel

4. 적용과 결단 / Application and Commitment

  • 작은 자리에 충성: 맡겨진 자리에서 성실하게 섬기자.

  • 기도의 습관: 결과보다 과정, 응답보다 하나님과 동행을 추구하자.

  • 하나님의 손을 신뢰: 내가 쌓는 손길이 아니라 주님의 손이 열어 가는 길을 믿자.

    Faithful in the small things: Serve diligently where you are placed.

    Prayer as a habit: Seek God’s presence more than results or answers.

    Trust God’s hand: Believe that it is not your own effort but the Lord’s hand that opens the way.


💡 결론 / Conclusion

  • 느헤미야의 고백은 단순한 성공담이 아닙니다.

  • 그것은 작은 충성과 오랜 기도의 결과입니다.

    • “And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.” 라는 간증을 할 수 있기를 소망하자.

  • 오늘 우리의 삶에서도 하나님의 손 + 나의 작은 헌신이 만나서 큰 역사를 이룹니다.

  • “나의 작은 헌신이 무너진 부분을 살펴보고, 거룩하고 핵심적인 루틴이 회복되게 하소서”

  • “회복과 치유 기도문” “회복 목록표” 를 가지고 기도하게 하소서

    Nehemiah’s confession was not a mere success story.

    It was the result of small faithfulness and long prayer. : Let us hope to be able to bear such testimony. - “And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.”

    In our lives too, God’s hand and our small faithfulness come together to accomplish great works.

    "See where my little devotions have fallen apart, and restore my holy, core routines."
    Pray with the "Recovery and Healing Prayer" and "Recovery Inventory Sheet"


[참고 / Note]

  • When I was eighteen and decided to pursue moral and spiritual training, a wise Dominican who guided me gave this warning: “Do you want to grow in virtue, to serve God, to love Christ? Then understand—growth will not be quick or easy. It will be slow, steady, and utterly real, like climbing a mountain step by step. At times, you will have to camp for weeks or months in spiritual desolation, darkness, and emptiness. If you demand constant light, constant joy, or try to avoid the weight of the cross and trials, you will only be deceiving yourself. That is childish folly, not the path of true growth.”

  • 내가 열여덟 살에 도덕적이고 종교적인 훈련을 받기로 결심했을 때, 나를 지도해 준 한 고귀한 도미니코 수도사가 이렇게 경고했습니다.
    “네가 덕을 쌓고, 하나님을 섬기며, 그리스도를 사랑하기를 원하느냐? 그렇다면 알아라. 성장은 빠르거나 쉬운 길이 아니다. 그것은 산을 한 걸음씩 오르는 것처럼 느리고, 꾸준하며, 철저히 현실적인 길이다. 때로는 영적 황폐와 어둠, 공허 속에서 몇 주, 몇 달을 머물러야 할 때도 있다. 만약 늘 빛만을 원하고, 늘 기쁨만을 바라며, 십자가와 시험을 피하려 한다면 그것은 스스로를 속이는 것이다. 그것은 어린아이 같은 어리석음일 뿐, 참된 성숙의 길이 아니다.”

  • 추천 : https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/ydfjdLINp60C?hl=en

[Sermon in English] Click the "+" sign

 

  • Sermon Manuscript

    Title:God’s Hand and My Little Sacrifice
    Text: Nehemiah 2:1–8

    1. God’s Hand Helps Us

    Nehemiah confessed, “The gracious hand of my God was upon me.” (Nehemiah 2:8)

    But this confession was not born overnight. It was the fruit of God’s providence and Nehemiah’s long prayer. For months, he had prayed, fasted, and wept for the restoration of his people.

    There is no prosperity without prayer, and no true success without God’s hand.
    We may achieve something with our own ability, but if God’s hand is not upon it, it will not last.
    Every blessing worth keeping begins in prayer and is sustained by God’s favor.

    2. Small Sacrifice Opens the Way

    Nehemiah’s service was not great in appearance. He was a cupbearer—an official in the king’s palace who tasted wine before the king drank it. Yet even in that small position, Nehemiah served with honesty, diligence, and humility.

    His courage to speak before the king came after long obedience in small things. God took this small faithfulness and used it to move the king’s heart.

    When God’s hand is on us, even a small step of obedience becomes a key that opens great doors.
    God delights not in the size of our work, but in the sincerity of our hearts.

    3. The Reality and Struggles of Young People

    Today, many young people live with constant pressure to achieve.
    You are told to succeed fast—to prove your worth through education, status, or wealth.
    The temptation is to depend on your résumé, your grades, or your possessions.

    But life and spiritual growth are not instant. Growth is slow and steady—like climbing a mountain, step by step.
    Sometimes, God allows us to stop and wait in seasons of darkness and silence.
    It is in those quiet times that He shapes our hearts, humbles our pride, and deepens our faith.

    Friedrich von Hügel once said,

    “Do you want to grow in virtue, to serve God, to love Christ?
    Then understand—growth will not be quick or easy.
    It will be slow, steady, and utterly real, like climbing a mountain step by step.”

    Real maturity does not come through speed, but through steadfastness—through small, faithful choices made daily.

    4. Application and Commitment

    • Be faithful in small things.
      Serve diligently where God has placed you—whether in study, work, or family.
      God sees your quiet faithfulness and will use it in His time.

    • Make prayer a habit.
      Seek God’s presence more than success. Learn to walk with Him daily, not just when you need help.

    • Trust God’s hand.
      Believe that it is not your effort that opens the way forward, but the Lord’s gracious hand.

    • "See where my little devotions have fallen apart, and restore my holy, core routines."
      Pray with the "Recovery and Healing Prayer" and "Recovery Inventory Sheet"

    When you are faithful in little things, God’s hand will turn them into something far greater than you can imagine.

    Conclusion

    Nehemiah’s testimony was not a story of quick success. It was a story of long prayer and small faithfulness meeting the mighty hand of God.

    May we also one day be able to say,

    “Because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.” (Nehemiah 2:8)

    In our lives too, God’s hand and our small faithfulness come together to accomplish great works—
    in our hearts, in our communities, and in our generation.

    Amen.

 

[개인 헌신 기도] Personal devotional prayer

오늘 말씀을 듣고 삶에 결단하며 헌신하겠다고 한 것을 주님께 말씀 드리고 주님께 도움을 구하는 기도를 하시길 바랍니다.

[Personal devotional prayer]

I encourage you to tell the Lord what you have decided to commit to in your life as you listen to today's message and pray to Him for help.