从迷惘到信靠
比祂的百姓更忍耐
经文
诗篇十三1-6
1(大卫的诗,交与伶长。)耶和华啊,你忘记我要到几时呢?要到永远吗?你掩面不顾我要到几时呢?
2我心里筹算,终日愁苦,要到几时呢?我的仇敌升高压制我,要到几时呢?
3耶和华我的神啊,求你看顾我,应允我!使我眼目光明,免得我沉睡至死;
4免得我的仇敌说:我胜了他;免得我的敌人在我摇动的时候喜乐。
5但我倚靠你的慈爱;我的心因你的救恩快乐。
6我要向耶和华歌唱,因他用厚恩待我。
信息分享
现在,相信我们都明白「将所有的疑惑和迷惘直接带到神面前」的重要性,接着要处理的问题是:如何将我们心里的事情准确地告诉全能者?我们是以传道的态度和敬虔的语气跟祂说话吗?不,我们必须自然、坦率和诚实地跟祂说话,具体地告诉祂我们有甚么想法和感受。
让我们再次看哈巴谷预言的头四节。我们找到了甚么?我们找到一个以不敬畏和不礼貌的方式向神说话的人。我们在今天的经文也看到类似的问题。你有没有留意到,有些旧约人物感到迷惘或对神感到愤怒时,他们坦诚地将自己的想法和感受告诉神,他们的话有时竟然坦率得几乎是无礼。
哈巴谷感到失望,因为神没有回应他的祷告。你几乎可以听到他用力拍打天堂的门时,他话中充满愤怒和失望:「主啊,我感到迷惘。为甚么你不回应我的祷告?你还要容许这事持续多久?你甚么时候才会对这些重大问题做点甚么?」神有没有吩咐他闭嘴、或者是以较能够接受的语言重新表达?神有没有厌恶的离开先知?没有,因为正如我以前说过──神能够接受。你以前可能没有想过,但这个真理是圣经一再指示的──神比祂任何百姓都更有耐性和忍耐力。
「要自然、坦率和诚实地与神交谈」
进深研究
王上十九1-21;罗十五5;诗八十六5
1. 以利亚怎样向耶和华表达自己?
2. 耶和华怎样回应?
祈祷
我的父、我的神啊,当我想到别人对我生气时我那不当的反应,就会惊讶于您对人们向您生气时的包容。亲爱的主,求您教导我更学像您。奉基督的名。阿们。
From Confusion to Confidence
More tolerant than His people
Bible reading:
Psalm 13:1-6
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me.
Message
Now that we have seen the importance of bringing all our doubts and confusion directly to God, the next question we must settle is this: How do we go about the task of telling the Almighty exactly what is in our hearts? Do we address Him in ecclesiastical language and in pious tones? No, we must talk to Him naturally, openly and honestly - telling Him precisely what we think and how we feel.
Look again at the first four verses of Habakkuk's prophecy and what do we find? We find a man addressing God in a manner that at first seems irreverent and impertinent. We see something similar in the passage that is before us today. Have you noticed how, when some of the Old Testament personalities felt confused or angry with God, they told Him exactly what they thought and felt - sometimes in language that is blunt almost to the point of rudeness?
Habakkuk was upset because God had not answered his prayers. You can almost hear the anger and frustration in his words as he hammers on the door of heaven: "Lord, I'm confused. Why don't You answer my prayer? How much longer are You going to allow this? When will You do something about these tremendous problems?" Does God tell him to shut up or rephrase his questions in more acceptable language? Does He withdraw from the prophet in an attitude of disgust? No, for as I said before - God can take it. It may not have occurred to you before, but it is a truth that is exemplified over and over again in Scripture - God is more patient and tolerant than any of His people.
"Talk to God naturally, openly and honestly"
Prayer
My Father and my God, when I think how I react when people show anger toward me, I stand in awe and amazement at the way You respond to those who are angry with You. Teach me to be more like You, dear Lord. In Christ's Name. Amen.
Further study
1 Kings 19:1-21
Romans 15:5
Psalm 86:5
1. How did Elijah express himself to the Lord?
2. How did the Lord respond?
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