神的异象
接近，但仍不够近
经文
诗篇八十六1-17
1（大卫的祈祷。）耶和华啊，求你侧耳应允我，因我是困苦穷乏的。
2求你保存我的性命，因我是虔诚人。我的神啊，求你拯救这倚靠你的仆人！
3主啊，求你怜悯我，因我终日求告你。
4主啊，求你使仆人心里欢喜，因为我的心仰望你。
5主啊，你本为良善，乐意饶恕人，有丰盛的慈爱赐给凡求告你的人。
6耶和华啊，求你留心听我的祷告，垂听我恳求的声音。
7我在患难之日要求告你，因为你必应允我。
8主啊，诸神之中没有可比你的；你的作为也无可比。
9主啊，你所造的万民都要来敬拜你；他们也要荣耀你的名。
10因你为大，且行奇妙的事；惟独你是神。
11耶和华啊，求你将你的道指教我；
我要照你的真理行；求你使我专心敬畏你的名！
12主我的神啊，我要一心称赞你；我要荣耀你的名，直到永远。
13因为，你向我发的慈爱是大的；你救了我的灵魂免入极深的阴间。
14神啊，骄傲的人起来攻击我，又有一党强横的人寻索我的命；
他们没有将你放在眼中。
15主啊，你是有怜悯有恩典的神，不轻易发怒，并有丰盛的慈爱和诚实。
16求你向我转脸，怜恤我，将你的力量赐给仆人，救你婢女的儿子。
17求你向我显出恩待我的凭据，叫恨我的人看见便羞愧，
因为你耶和华帮助我，安慰我。
信息分享
今天我们要继续讨论昨天所提出的一个重要问题，那就是：重要的不是别人没有善待我们，而是我们自己一直以来对神的伤害。昨天我们看过当别人伤害我们的时候，我们所会采取的行动，现在让我们来看看另一条该走的路吧。
与其报复，我们经常会采取不如远离对方，并且不再给他们有伤害我们的机会。因此我们决定只与他们保持友善和社交性的来往，不要让自己再受到对方的伤害。但是要注意，神说当我们因为别人的恶意或敌意而受害时应该如何回应：「你的仇敌若饿了，就给他吃，若渴了，就给他喝……你不可为恶所胜，反要以善胜恶」（罗十二20-21）。你明白吗？这段经文说：要关心伤害你的人，并将那关心付诸行动，再次接近他们，再冒受到伤害的危险。
假如我们紧紧抓着曾受过的伤害，利用它们作为理由来避免与别人建立亲密的关系的话，这就等于说：「神对我们的期望太高了。」这种态度是有罪的。为甚么呢？因为它反映出我们关心自己的利益多于神的教导。这是对神说：「受到威胁的不是你的荣耀，而是我的荣耀。」我们重视维护自己的利益多于相信神和祂的话，这是多么可惜的行为。让我告诉你，如果我们不纠正这种不平衡，我们就永远不能按神的本性去认识祂；我们只是以自己的角度看神的公义，而不是从神的意思来看这公义。
「再冒受到伤害的危险」
进深研究
太五38-48；出二十三4-5；箴二十五21-22； 路二十三34
1. 耶稣在登山宝训教导甚么？
2. 祂怎样说明这教训？
祈祷
神啊，我们看不见自己，因为我们睁大眼睛看别人对我们所犯的罪，却无视我们对您所犯的罪。求您帮助我们对自己与对别人同样诚实，甚至更诚实。奉主耶稣的名求。阿们。
The Vision of God
Close - but not close enough
Bible reading:
Psalm 86:1-17
1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God;
3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill me— they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Message
We continue with the important issue we raised yesterday, namely, that the significant problem is not the hurts that others have given to us, but the hurts that we have given (and continue to give) to God. We looked at one direction we might go when hurt by others, look with me now at another.
Instead of trying to get back at them, we withdraw from them and decide to never again give them an opportunity to hurt us. Hence, in future, we relate to them at a superficial level - close enough to be considered friendly or sociable, but not close enough to get hurt. Notice what God says we ought to do when we become victims of spitefulness or animosity: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:20-21). What this text is saying, you see, is this: be concerned about the person who has hurt you and put that concern into action; get close to them again and risk being hurt again.
To cling to our hurts and use them as a justification for avoiding close relationships is tantamount to saying: "God expects too much of us." Such an attitude is sinful. Why sinful? Because it reflects self-interest more than God-interest. It says to God: "It is not Your glory that is at stake here - it's mine." How sad that we are more keen to preserve our own well-being than trust God and His Word. I tell you, if we don't correct this imbalance we are never going to know God as He really is. We will see His justice only in terms of what it means for us, not in terms of what it means for Him.
"Risk being hurt again"
Prayer
O God, we do not see ourselves, for we look at the sins that others commit against us with open eyes and then turn a blind eye upon the sins we commit against You. Help us to be as honest about ourselves as we are about others and more. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 5:38-48
Exodus 23:4-5
Proverbs 25:21-22
Luke 23:34
1. What did Jesus teach in His sermon on the mount?
2. How did He demonstrate this?
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