從迷惘到信靠
要真誠
經文
詩篇二十二1-24
1（大衛的詩，交與伶長。調用朝鹿。）我的神，我的神！為甚麼離棄我？為甚麼遠離不救我？不聽我唉哼的言語？
2我的神啊，我白日呼求，你不應允，夜間呼求，並不住聲。
3但你是聖潔的，是用以色列的讚美為寶座（或譯：居所）的。
4我們的祖宗倚靠你；他們倚靠你，你便解救他們。
5他們哀求你，便蒙解救；他們倚靠你，就不羞愧。
6但我是蟲，不是人，被眾人羞辱，被百姓藐視。
7凡看見我的都嗤笑我；他們撇嘴搖頭，說：
8他把自己交託耶和華，耶和華可以救他吧！耶和華既喜悅他，可以搭救他吧！
9但你是叫我出母腹的；我在母懷裡，你就使我有倚靠的心。
10我自出母胎就被交在你手裡；從我母親生我，你就是我的神。
11求你不要遠離我！因為急難臨近了，沒有人幫助我。
12有許多公牛圍繞我，巴珊大力的公牛四面困住我。
13他們向我張口，好像抓撕吼叫的獅子。
14我如水被倒出來；我的骨頭都脫了節；我心在我裡面如蠟鎔化。
15我的精力枯乾，如同瓦片；我的舌頭貼在我牙床上。你將我安置在死地的塵土中。
16犬類圍著我，惡黨環繞我；他們紮了我的手，我的腳。
17我的骨頭，我都能數過；他們瞪著眼看我。
18他們分我的外衣，為我的裡衣拈鬮。
19耶和華啊，求你不要遠離我！我的救主啊，求你快來幫助我！
20求你救我的靈魂脫離刀劍，救我的生命（生命：原文是獨一者）脫離犬類，
21救我脫離獅子的口；你已經應允我，使我脫離野牛的角。
22我要將你的名傳與我的弟兄，在會中我要讚美你。
23你們敬畏耶和華的人要讚美他！雅各的後裔都要榮耀他！以色列的後裔都要懼怕他！
24因為他沒有藐視憎惡受苦的人，也沒有向他掩面；那受苦之人呼籲的時候，他就垂聽。
信息分享
昨天結束時，我們說神比祂的百姓更有耐性和忍耐力。我們只需要注意哈巴谷向神提出的抗議便可以看到這一點。關於神，我們所必須學習的一件事情是：祂寧願我們真誠，不要我們偽裝。要知道迷惘的後面往往存在憤怒的元素。我們也許沒有意識到，但是憤怒確實是存在的。
我記得有一次，一位弟兄告訴我他剛經歷過「一場屬靈生命的革命」，我於是請他與我分享。他說他一直都相信自己必須以禮貌的語氣跟神說話，永遠都不能表達任何沮喪或惱怒的情緒，直至有一天，在經歷屬靈的迷惘時，他忘記了自己一向的態度，而以完全沒有任何敬虔的語言、具體的向神表達了他對神以及神處理世界的想法。
他與神爭論了兩個小時。完結的時候，主對他說：「你永遠不會容許其他人以這樣的態度跟你說話，對不對？為甚麼呢？因為你不能看進另一個人的內心深處。但我看到了一切──痛苦、傷害和憤怒。我愛你，我也明白你的感受。」主親切的回應令他整個破碎了，接下來他與神三天的相交給他帶來了屬靈生命的轉變。神總是回應人的真性情，哪怕那種真實是以憤怒和傷害的感情表達出來的。
「神總是回應人的真性情」
進深研究
路二十四13-36；羅十二17
1. 為甚麼耶穌能夠回應這些門徒？
2. 結果怎樣？
祈禱
神啊，我清楚明白您是喜悅真實的神。求您幫助我成為真誠的人，沒有任何托辭，沒有任何虛偽，沒有任何假裝。奉耶穌寶貴的名祈求。阿們。
From Confusion to Confidence
Be real
Bible reading:
Psalm 22:1-24
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.[b]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.[c]
4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 "He trusts in the Lord," they say, "let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
Message
We ended yesterday by saying that God is more patient and tolerant than His people. We have only to look at Habakkuk remonstrating with God to see this. One thing we must learn about God it is this: He would prefer us to be real rather than pretend to be what we are not. Be assured of this: beneath confusion there is usually an element of anger. It may not be recognised, but it is there nevertheless.
I remember on one occasion a man telling me that he had just come through "a spiritual revolution". When I pressed him to share it with me he told me that all his life he had been brought up to believe he must address God in polite tones, and on no account should he ever show any sense of frustration or annoyance. But one day, while going through a time of spiritual confusion, he forgot himself, and in language that was stripped of all pious phrases told God exactly what he thought about Him and the way He was handling His world.
For two hours he argued with God, and when he had finished the Lord said to him: "You would never let anyone talk to you like that, would you? Why? Because you cannot see into the depths of another's heart. But I see everything - the pain, the hurt and the anger. I love you and I understand." The tender response of the Lord broke him and there followed three days of communion with Him that produced in him a deep spiritual transformation. God always responds to reality - even when that reality is couched in feelings of anger and hurt.
"God always responds to reality"
Prayer
O God, something is being burned into my consciousness - You are a God who delights in reality. Help me to be a real person - with no subterfuge, no phoneyness, no pretence. I ask this in and through the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.
Further study
Luke 24:13-36
Romans 12:17
1. Why was Jesus able to respond to these disciples?
2. What was the result?
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