新视域的力量
信心的立足点
经文
诗篇七十三1-28
1（亚萨的诗。）神实在恩待以色列那些清心的人！
2至于我，我的脚几乎失闪；我的脚险些滑跌。
3我见恶人和狂傲人享平安就心怀不平。
4他们死的时候没有疼痛；他们的力气却也壮实。
5他们不像别人受苦，也不像别人遭灾。
6所以，骄傲如链子戴在他们的项上；强暴像衣裳遮住他们的身体。
7他们的眼睛因体胖而凸出；他们所得的，过于心里所想的。
8他们讥笑人，凭恶意说欺压人的话；他们说话自高。
9他们的口亵渎上天；他们的舌毁谤全地。
10所以神的民归到这里，喝尽了满杯的苦水。
11他们说：神怎能晓得？至高者岂有知识呢？
12看哪，这就是恶人；他们既是常享安逸，财宝便加增。
13我实在徒然洁净了我的心，徒然洗手表明无辜。
14因为，我终日遭灾难；每早晨受惩治。
15我若说，我要这样讲，这就是以奸诈待你的众子。
16我思索怎能明白这事，眼看实系为难，
17等我进了神的圣所，思想他们的结局。
18你实在把他们安在滑地，使他们掉在沉沦之中。
19他们转眼之间成了何等的荒凉！他们被惊恐灭尽了。
20人睡醒了，怎样看梦；主啊，你醒了也必照样轻看他们的影像。
21因而，我心里发酸，肺腑被刺。
22我这样愚昧无知，在你面前如畜类一般。
23然而，我常与你同在；你搀着我的右手。
24你要以你的训言引导我，以后必接我到荣耀里。
25除你以外，在天上我有谁呢？除你以外，在地上我也没有所爱慕的。
26我的肉体和我的心肠衰残；但神是我心里的力量，又是我的福分，直到永远。
27远离你的，必要死亡；凡离弃你行邪淫的，你都灭绝了。
28但我亲近神是与我有益；我以主耶和华为我的避难所，好叫我述说你一切的作为。
信息分享
从今天第182天开始，在这两个月期间，我们将要进入一个新的主题──新视域的力量，在开始的第一天，让我们仔细思考圣经其中一段伟大的经文──诗篇七十三篇。如果你问某些基督徒他们最喜爱的诗篇是哪一篇，大部分人都可能回答说：「第二十三篇。」原因不难理解，因为诗篇第二十三篇的语言优美、言简意赅，加上它那安慰的内容，难怪很多信徒都喜欢它。虽然诗篇七十三篇没有那么为人所认识，但是我个人认为它非常可贵，因为它包含了深刻的见解和真理，在神的圣言里，为我们提供了最使人感到安稳和鼓励的启示。
诗人在这首诗中所挣扎的问题是：为甚么虔诚的人受那么多苦，而一般来说，不虔敬的人却似乎安然无恙？这个困扰的问题令他几乎感到绝望：「我的脚几乎失闪；我的脚险些滑跌」（2节）。不过，在随后他发现了一些属灵原则，让他能够逐步走到属灵的高峰。
你有没有与诗人一样的问题？虽然在跟随主，却因为生活里的众多挑战而感到疑惑？你有没有想到，为甚么那些对抗全能者的人的日子，似乎比那些委身于祂的人过得更好？可喜的是，这条疑惑的道路尽管非常滑溜，我们仍然可以找到立足点。诗人不就是找到了吗？你也同样可以找得到的。你若从今天起每天都跟着我来研读这首振奋人心的诗篇，你肯定能够找到更多信心的立足点。
「疑惑的道路仍可找到立足点」
进深研究
结十八24-32；耶十二1；哈一1-4
1 以色列人有甚么抱怨？
2 耶和华怎么回应？
祈祷
慈爱的天父，求您帮助我，因为我要开始对生命的问题寻求更多的亮光。我知道若果我的信心不足以支持我的理性，同样亦不足以支持我的心。我愿在您里面寻得足以支持两者的信心。阿们。
The Power of a New Perspective
"Footholds for faith"
Bible reading:
Psalm 73:1-28
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity[b]; their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, "How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?"
12 This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Message
We begin today a verse-by-verse examination of one of the great passages in the Bible - the seventy-third psalm. If you were to ask any group of Christians to name their favourite psalm most would probably reply: "The twenty-third." And it is not difficult to understand why. The simplicity and beauty of its language, together with its comforting content, has endeared it to millions. Unfortunately the seventy-third psalm is not so well known, but in my opinion it deserves to be. The truths and insights it contains provide us with some of the most steadying and encouraging revelations to be found anywhere in the Word of God.
The issue with which the psalmist struggles in this psalm is this: Why do the godly suffer so much when the ungodly, generally speaking, seem to get off scot-free? So deeply does this question cut into his soul that he is brought to the point of near despair: "My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold" (v.2). Whilst there, however, he discovers some spiritual principles that bring him step by step to the heights of spiritual assurance.
Are you puzzled by the fact that though you are following the Lord, life is extremely difficult? Do you wonder why those who live in opposition to the Almighty seem to have an easier time than those who are committed to His cause? Take heart. It is possible to find a foothold on this slippery path of doubt. The psalmist found it, and so can you. Follow me day by day through this thrilling psalm and you will discover a few more footholds for your faith.
"It is possible to find a foothold on the path of doubt"
Prayer
Gracious and loving heavenly Father, help me as I begin this quest for greater light and illumination on life's problems, for I know that a faith which does not hold my intellect will not hold my heart. I would have both held by You. Amen.
Further study
Ezekiel 18:24-32
Jeremiah 12:1
Habakkuk 1:1-4
1. What was the complaint of the Israelites?
2. What was the Lord's response?
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