從迷惘到信靠
重要的第一步
經文
箴言二十八16-28
16無知的君多行暴虐;以貪財為可恨的,必年長日久。
17背負流人血之罪的,必往坑裡奔跑,誰也不可攔阻他。
18行動正直的,必蒙拯救;行事彎曲的,立時跌倒。
19耕種自己田地的,必得飽食;追隨虛浮的,足受窮乏。
20誠實人必多得福;想要急速發財的,不免受罰。
21看人的情面乃為不好;人因一塊餅枉法也為不好。
22人有惡眼想要急速發財,卻不知窮乏必臨到他身。
23責備人的,後來蒙人喜悅,多於那用舌頭諂媚人的。
24偷竊父母的,說:這不是罪,此人就是與強盜同類。
25心中貪婪的,挑起爭端;倚靠耶和華的,必得豐裕。
26心中自是的,便是愚昧人;憑智慧行事的,必蒙拯救。
27賙濟貧窮的,不致缺乏;佯為不見的,必多受咒詛。
28惡人興起,人就躲藏;惡人敗亡,義人增多。
信息分享
雖然我想要帶你一節一節的看哈巴谷書,但有的時候就好像今天這樣,我們需要走進支路,暫停下來聚焦聖經另一個相關的部分,這樣才能幫助我們對這個主題有一個整體的認識。
昨天我們看到哈巴谷因為神對邪惡沒有採取行動而感到迷惘和沮喪。也許你每天打開報紙,讀到世界上發生的可怕事情──強姦、謀殺、貪污、暴力、政治陰謀、貪欲、道德敗壞、不法等等時,你心裡也有類似的迷惘。當我們好像先知哈巴谷那樣感到迷惘的時候,可以做些甚麼呢?當一切都顯得不合理時,我們當如何自處?
第一步是:我們必須向自己誠實地承認,我們正感到迷惘。有人可能覺得這只是指出實際的情況,然而你也許會感到驚訝,因為要某些基督徒承認自己心裡的感受是一件困難的事情。這是因為很多信徒心裡都有一份不自覺的欲望,想向世界表明自己對生命的所有問題都有答案,因此每當他們感到迷惘的時候,就會加以否認,假裝一切都很好。但那是不誠實的行為,而不誠實比很多事情更令人焦慮。因此,我們第一件要做的事是誠實──對神誠實,對別人誠實,對自己誠實。
「我們必須承認自己很迷惘」
進深研究
詩五十一1-17;弗四25;箴十二19
1. 神渴望甚麼?
2. 我們要說甚麼?
祈禱
我的父、我的神啊,我向您誠實地敞開自己,求您監察我,試驗我,看我裡面有沒有任何隱藏、躲避或否認的事情。求您幫助我作誠實的人。阿們。
From Confusion to Confidence
The first vital step
Bible reading:
Proverbs 28:16-28
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion, but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave; let no one hold them back.
18 The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.[a]
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good—yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
24 Whoever robs their father or mother and says, "It's not wrong," is partner to one who destroys.
25 The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
26 Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
Message
Although it is my intention to take you verse by verse through the prophecy of Habakkuk, there will be times, such as today, when we will turn into a side road and pause to focus on a different, but relevant part of Scripture. This will add to our overall understanding of the theme.
We saw yesterday that Habakkuk was confused and frustrated over God's inaction in the face of evil. Perhaps a similar confusion exists in your heart as, day after day, you pick up the newspaper and read about the appalling things that are going on in the world - rape, murder, corruption, violence, political intrigue, lust, vice, lawlessness, and so on. What do we do when confusion hits us in the way it hit the prophet Habakkuk? How do we handle ourselves at those times when nothing makes sense?
The first step is this: we must honestly admit to ourselves that we are confused. That might seem to some to be stating the obvious, but you would be amazed how difficult it is for some Christians to acknowledge and admit to what is going on inside them. This is because there is a subconscious desire in the hearts of many believers to present to the world the image of being people who have the answer to all of life's problems - and so whenever they feel confused, they tend to deny the fact and pretend that everything is fine. But that is dishonest - and few things cause more anxiety than dishonesty. The first thing, then, is honesty - honesty with God, honesty with others and honesty with ourselves.
"We must admit we are confused"
Prayer
My Father and my God, I open up my depths to Your honesty. Let it search me and try me and see if there is any devious way in me - anything that dodges or denies. Help me to be an honest person. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 51:1-17
Ephesians 4:25
Proverbs 12:19
1. What does God desire?
2. What are we to speak?
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