〈申命記〉 31:8 耶和華必在你前面行，祂必與你同在，必不撇下你，也不丟棄你；不要懼怕，也不要驚惶。
閱讀經文：〈申命記 〉31:1-29
想像一個120歲的老人，還可以孜孜不倦地訓誨上37天，這需要多大的精力和清醒的頭腦啊！摩西之後，我再也找不到第二個像他那樣蒙神祝福的人了。雖說人越老，耳越聾，因此講話聲音必然變大，但也不可能像摩西那樣有中氣，可以傳令給兩三百萬人。教過書的人都知道，有時講得口乾舌燥，力氣久久不能恢復，聲音都會變得沙啞，甚至咽喉發炎說不出話來。摩西連續講了37天，可見神若呼召人做事，也必然將足夠的能力賜給他。
“Ahab was king over Israel for twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did even more open evil before God than anyone yet—a new champion in evil!” (1 Kings 16:29-30 MSG).
There’s a reason parents don’t name their kids Ahab or Jezebel. Ahab not only neglected the faith of his fathers, but he also embraced the false gods of his enemies. Yet this evil king did more—he married Jezebel. She was vile, she endorsed a religion that promoted temple prostitution and child sacrifice, she and her husband systematically killed the Lord’s prophets. The Ten Commandments were treated as ten suggestions, and the temple of worship was a relic of history.
God, however, will not sit idly while his covenants are trashed. He will not stay silent while his will is mocked. But he will act.
In his fine book, The Dance of Hope, Bill Frey remembers the day he tried to pull a stump out of the Georgia dirt. One of his chores as a 12 year-old was to search for stumps of pine trees that had been cut down and chop them into kindling. But there was one root system he just couldn’t pull out of the ground.
He was still struggling when his father came over to watch. “I think I see your problem,” the dad said. “What’s that?” the son asked. “You’re not using all your strength.” Bill exploded and told him how hard he’d been working. “No,” the dad said. “You’re not using all your strength.” When Bill cooled down, he asked what his father meant and the dad said, “You haven’t asked me to help you.”
You don’t have to do it alone, friend. Present the challenge to your father and ask for help. Will he solve the issue? Yes, he will.
〈申命記〉 30:19 我今日呼天喚地向你作見證；我將生死禍福陳明在你面前，所以你要揀選生命，使你和你的後裔都得存活。
閱讀經文：〈申命記〉 30:1-20
摩西在摩押平原用了37天的時間，把他生平從神得來的律例、典章和教導全部告訴以色列人。雖然知道他們的子孫終有一天會去拜偶像，以致惹動耶和華的怒氣，被神拋到萬國之中，但是他的話語裡依然充滿鼓勵和盼望。即使，當所有的咒詛都臨到他們身上，也不要失了志氣，只要盡心歸向耶和華神，不管他們在哪裡，即使是在天涯海角，神也必將他們從那裡招聚他們回來，再次領他們進入迦南地，並且要善待他們，使他們的人數再次多起來。
〈申命記〉 29: 4 但耶和華到今日沒有使你們心能明白，眼能看見，耳能聽見。
閱讀經文：〈申命記〉 29:1-29
我很佩服摩西啊，一百廿歲的老人了，頭腦依舊如此清楚；可見神要使用誰，神就能給他有能力完成祂的託咐。但是摩西有一個很深的感嘆：「但耶和華到今日沒有使你們心能明白，眼能看見，耳能聽見。」神在以色列人中四十年的作為，不能使以色列人心裡明白，眼能看見，耳能聽見。不能心裡明白什麼？不能看見、聽見什麼？不能明白耶和華是天上地下唯一的真神，不能看見神作為的奇妙，聽見神話語中的奧妙。所以摩西斷言，有一天他們的子孫依然會去拜偶像和假神，以致受禍。
We can calmly take our concerns to God because he is as near as our next breath! This was the reassuring message from the miracle of the bread and fish. In an event crafted to speak to the anxious heart, Jesus told his disciples to do the impossible: feed five thousand people.
You aren’t facing five thousand hungry bellies, but you are facing a deadline in two days, a loved one in need of a cure. On one hand you have a problem. On the other you have a limited quantity of wisdom, patience, or time. Typically, you’d get anxious. You’d tell God, “You’ve given me too much to handle.”
This time, instead of starting with what you have, start with Jesus. Start with his wealth, his resources, and his strength. Before you lash out in fear, look up in faith. Turn to your Father for help!
〈申命記〉 28:58 這書上所寫律法的一切話，是叫你敬畏耶和華你神可榮可畏的名。
閱讀經文：〈申命記〉 28:15-68
在2014年的12月5日，有一則新聞說到韓國最有錢的女人，也就是韓航老板四十歲的千金，為了服務員給她的夏威夷豆是裝在袋子裡，而不是裝在盤子上，大發怒火，命令機師一定要飛回機場。結果被判坐牢一年。相片上她淚水滂沱，據說後悔不已。經常會聽到有些人因為有一點錢，就這裡鬧事，那裡擺闊，結果都是自己吃虧。可見有錢不一定是福，倘若有錢令人驕傲，且變得無知，那麼錢就是禍水了。倒不如少一點錢，可以學習謙卑，避過因驕傲自大引起的大禍。
God repeatedly pledges his presence to his people. To Abram, God said, “Do not be afraid…I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1 NKJV). God told Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).
In the ultimate declaration of communion, God called himself Immanuel, which means, “God with us.” He became flesh. He became sin. He defeated the grave. He is still with us. In the form of his Spirit, he comforts, teaches, and convicts.
Don’t assume God is watching from a distance. Isolation creates a downward cycle of fret. Choose instead to be the person who clutches the presence of God with both hands. We can calmly take our concerns to God because he is as near as our next breath. And because the Lord is near, we can be anxious for nothing!
How many disasters have been averted because one person refused to buckle under the strain? It’s this kind of composure Paul is summoning when he says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:5-6 NIV).
The Greek word translated here as “gentleness” describes a temperament that’s seasoned and mature. It envisions an attitude fitting to the occasion, levelheaded and tempered. This gentleness is “evident to all.” Family members take note. Your friends sense a difference. Coworkers benefit from it. The gentle person is sober minded and clear thinking. The contagiously calm person is the one who reminds others God is in control.
Pursue this gentleness. The Lord is near. You are not alone. You may feel alone. You may think you’re alone. But there is never a moment in which you face life without help. God is near—be anxious for nothing!
〈申命記 〉28:6 你出也蒙福，入也蒙福。
閱讀經文：〈申命記 〉28:1-14
〈申命記 〉28章是神對福與禍的說明，今天我們先來看看什麼是「福」。對華人而言，升官發財就是福，但是升了官還是想繼續升，發了財還是覺得要有更多財，在心裡的慾望不得滿足時，人總是覺得不夠。「福」有14節，就夠我們一生享用；禍事從15-68節，共54節，真是令人望而生畏，避之惟恐不及。
神說我們若留意、聽從神的話，遵行祂的一切誡命，就有各樣的「福」追隨我們，臨到我們身上。但是，「福」究竟是什麼？從字面上來看，有人說只要人有一口田，再加上有神在身邊，就是福了。換句話說，人在神的恩典裡有得吃，就是福了。也有人說，這田不是指平常的田地，而是伊甸園；口是指人，所以一個住在伊甸園裡的人，有神的同行，就是「福」了。所以不管人住在自己的田裡，或是住在伊甸園中，只要有神的同行，那就是福。這是老祖宗留給我們的提示，在這個「福」字裡的示旁，指的恰好就是神。一個單數的神，宇宙唯一的神。
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