Entries by meiling

God’s House, My Home

2019-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 24:1-16.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 24:4 (NIV) 
4  Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the LORD.

On verses 1-14:   When Athaliah was ruling Judah, she abandoned the temple of the Lord and allowed it to go into disrepair.  Not just that, during that time worshipers of Baal, the idol that Athaliah worshiped, would break into the temple of the Lord and steal its sacred objects for use in their worship of Baal (v7).  Athaliah looked down on the temple of the Lord.  In contrast, King Joash comes into power and has a heart for the temple.  To finance the temple repairs, Joash orders the priests and Levites to collect monies that the law of the Lord required the people to give.  When the priests and Levites are slow to act, Joash rebukes Jehoiada the lead priest and decides to institute another way to collect the funds:  he issues a proclamation in all Judah and Jerusalem that everyone is to bring in the tax that Moses required.  The people responded gladly, pouring so many offerings into the collection chest that after the temple was repaired and rebuilt, there was money left over to make new articles for the temple (v10-14). 

詩篇四十一篇

2019-09-12 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 眷顧貧窮的有福了！他遭難的日子，耶和華必搭救他。
2 耶和華必保全他，使他存活，他必在地上享福——求祢不要把他交給仇敵，遂其所願。
3 他病重在榻，耶和華必扶持他；他在病中，祢必給他鋪床。
4 我曾說：「耶和華啊，求祢憐恤我，醫治我，因為我得罪了祢。」
5 我的仇敵用惡言議論我說：「他幾時死，他的名才滅亡呢？」
6 他來看我，就說假話；他心存奸惡，走到外邊才說出來。
7 一切恨我的，都交頭接耳地議論我，他們設計要害我。
8 他們說：「有怪病貼在他身上，他已躺臥，必不能再起來。」
9 連我知己的朋友，我所倚靠吃過我飯的，也用腳踢我。
10 耶和華啊，求祢憐恤我，使我起來，好報復他們。……

這是一首“落魄之歌”，是大衛在病重時體會世態炎涼的作品。我記得滌然師母的分享，當她的癌症一再復發時，躺在床上想到大衛在〈詩篇〉第六篇第6節寫的：“我因唉哼而困乏，我每夜流淚，把床榻漂起，把褥子濕透”，特別感同身受；在沒有人可以安慰她時，她也想到這詩篇的第3節，想到她在病中，主會為她來舖床。她的心就覺得很感恩。

人在病中感情特別脆弱，看到有人來探病，聽到的都是一套套說詞，有時會特別煩。有的人去探病，叫病人要在神面前反省，看看有沒有得罪神或人的地方？有的人直接叫病人要悔改認罪! 有的人提供很多的自然醫療法或建議服用偏方，這些都讓人特別不舒服。

The Key to True Peace: Let Jesus Reign

2019-09-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 23:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 23:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. 
2  They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, 
3  the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David. 

On verses 1-21:  Jehoiada the priest has spent years hiding and protecting young Joash, the rightful heir to the throne of Judah, from the murderous queen mother Athaliah.  Now Jehoiada is ready to proclaim Joash as the new king.  He gathers the military, religious and family leaders of Judah together at the temple and says to the whole assembly, “The king’s son shall reign” (v3).  At the same time Jehoiada takes a number of steps to protect Joash:

詩篇四十篇

2019-09-11 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長。

1 我曾耐性等候耶和華，祂垂聽我的呼求。
2 祂從禍坑裡，從淤泥中，把我拉上來，使我的腳立在磐石上，使我腳步穩當。
3 祂使我口唱新歌，就是讚美我們神的話。許多人必看見而懼怕，並要倚靠耶和華。
4 那倚靠耶和華，不理會狂傲和偏向虛假之輩的，這人便為有福！
5 耶和華我的神啊，祢所行的奇事，並祢向我們所懷的意念甚多，不能向祢陳明。若要陳明，其事不可勝數。
6 祭物和禮物祢不喜悅，祢已經開通我的耳朵，燔祭和贖罪祭非祢所要。
7 那時我說：「看哪，我來了，我的事在經卷上已經記載了。
8 我的神啊，我樂意照祢的旨意行，祢的律法在我心裡。」
9 我在大會中宣傳公義的佳音，我必不止住我的嘴唇，耶和華啊，這是祢所知道的。
10 我未曾把祢的公義藏在心裡，我已陳明祢的信實和祢的救恩，我在大會中未曾隱瞞祢的慈愛和誠實。……

大衛寫的這詩篇彷彿是在回應〈詩篇〉27篇的最後一節：「要等候耶和華！當壯膽，堅固你的心！我再說，要等候耶和華！」所以這篇的第一節說：「我曾耐性等候耶和華，祂垂聽我的呼求。」然後繼續解釋神怎樣把他救出禍坑，淤泥似的環境中，所以他要用口唱新歌讚美神! 何等美好的見證!

You Are Rescued Royalty

2019-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 22:1-12.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 22:3-4 (NIV) 
3  He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. 
4  He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing.

On verses 1-9:  One of the big, ongoing themes of 2 Chronicles is that it matters whom you get advice from and whom you partner with.  After Jehoram king of Judah dies, his youngest son Ahaziah takes over the throne, since raiders have killed off all of Jehoram’s older sons (v1).  Like his father before him, Ahaziah is heavily influenced by Athaliah Ahaziah’s mother, “who encouraged him to act wickedly” (v3).  Ahaziah is also heavily influenced by Athaliah’s side of the family, the house of King Ahab of Israel, who “became his advisers, to his undoing” (v4).  As a result of these corrupt influences on Ahaziah’s life, we see three effects on Ahaziah.  First, Ahaziah “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done” (v4).  Second, Ahaziah would end up fighting battles he was never meant to fight and facing dangerous situations he was never meant to be in.  For example, due to his alliance with the house of Ahab, Ahaziah ends up:

詩篇卅九 篇

2019-09-10 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長耶杜頓。

1 我曾說：「我要謹慎我的言行，免得我舌頭犯罪。惡人在我面前的時候，我要用嚼環勒住我的口。」
2 我默然無聲，連好話也不出口，我的愁苦就發動了。
3 我的心在我裡面發熱，我默想的時候，火就燒起，我便用舌頭說話。
4 耶和華啊，求祢叫我曉得我身之終，我的壽數幾何，叫我知道我的生命不長。
5 祢使我的年日窄如手掌，我一生的年數，在祢面前如同無有。各人最穩妥的時候，真是全然虛幻！（細拉）
6 世人行動實係幻影，他們忙亂真是枉然，積蓄財寶不知將來有誰收取。
7 主啊，如今我等什麼呢？我的指望在乎祢。
8 求祢救我脫離一切的過犯，不要使我受愚頑人的羞辱。
9 因我所遭遇的是出於祢，我就默然不語。
10 求祢把祢的責罰從我身上免去，因祢手的責打，我便消滅。
11 祢因人的罪惡，懲罰他的時候，叫他的笑容消滅，如衣被蟲所咬。世人真是虛幻！（細拉）
12 耶和華啊，求祢聽我的禱告，留心聽我的呼求，我流淚，求祢不要靜默無聲。因為我在祢面前是客旅，是寄居的，像我列祖一般。
13 求祢寬容我，使我在去而不返之先，可以力量復原。

這詩篇在猶太人的塔木德裡被分類為摩西寫的十篇詩篇之一，但是在馬太亨利的解經書裡則記載為大衛的詩篇。這詩篇經常在葬禮或安息禮拜時被引用，因為它提到：「因為我在祢面前是客旅，是寄居的，像我列祖一般。」

暑期剛剛過去，很多出門旅行的人都回來了；秋天一到，秋高氣爽，又有很多人會去旅行。不管去哪裡旅行，在旅途上碰到什麼不快樂的事都會盡快把它忘記；回到家就很開心。詩人提醒我們，我們在世上的日子就像在地球上旅行一樣，有一天總要回到永恒的家，所以不要太在意生活中發生的事，因為一切都會過去。

God Is Faithful Even When You Are Faithless

2019-09-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 21:1-20.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 21:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king. 
2  Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 
3  Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

On verses 1-3:  Jehoshaphat had seven sons and loved them all.  His love is shown by the names Jehoshaphat gave his sons: Jehoram means “Raised by God”; Azariah means “God has helped”; Jehiel means “God will live”; Zechariah means “God has remembered”; Azariahu similarly means “God has helped”; Michael means “Who is like God?” and Shepatiah means “God is the judge” (v1-2).  Jehoshaphat also showed his love for all his sons by giving them gifts of silver, gold and other precious possessions, as well as putting them in charge of cities (v3). 

What can we learn from this? Love is shown through generosity.  As a mentor of mine likes to say, you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.  Similarly, God showed His love for you when He gave us His only Son Jesus. 

詩篇卅八篇

2019-09-09 in /by

大衛的紀念詩。

1 耶和華啊，求祢不要在怒中責備我，不要在烈怒中懲罰我！
2 因為祢的箭射入我身，祢的手壓住我。
3 因祢的惱怒，我的肉無一完全；因我的罪過，我的骨頭也不安寧。
4 我的罪孽高過我的頭，如同重擔叫我擔當不起。
5 因我的愚昧，我的傷發臭流膿。
6 我疼痛，大大蜷曲，終日哀痛。
7 我滿腰是火，我的肉無一完全。
8 我被壓傷，身體疲倦；因心裡不安，我就唉哼。
9 主啊，我的心願都在祢面前，我的嘆息不向祢隱瞞。
10 我心跳動，我力衰微，連我眼中的光也沒有了。……

這是一篇比較不容易閱讀的詩篇，因為它是大衛在身心受苦時向神的祈禱。在他受苦時，他的良朋密友都躲在旁邊站著，很可能是怕被傳染；他的親戚本家也站在遠處，表達了一種人的有限，幫不上忙。能夠來旁邊站著或遠遠地站立，都表明這些人都相當地關懷，但是他們無能為力，甚至害怕自己被傳染。

這種情形讓我們想起約伯生病，也想起主耶穌受難的時候，不是沒有人關心他們，不是沒有人想幫助他們，但是他們都只能在旁邊觀看，遠遠的站立。這裡道出了人生就是這樣一回事，當你有錢歡樂時，很多人會慕名而來，跟你一起歡樂；但是當你患病或失敗時，不管別人多麼想幫助你，也走不進你的心裡，也幫不了你。痛在你身上，別人不能幫你痛；治療的苦也只能自己承受，別人沒法替你承受。你若失業了，心裡的恐懼和憂傷，自尊的低弱，沒有人會和你一起承擔；你失戀時，你流產時，你失去親人時，別人的安慰都於你無助。還有很多例子，你想得起來嗎？

Worship Is Your Weapon Against the Enemy

2019-09-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 20:20-37.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 20:20 (NIV) 
20  Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”

On verse 20:  As Jehoshaphat’s men set out for the Desert of Tekoa to face their attackers early in the morning, Jehoshaphat gives his men a word of encouragement.  He encourages them to have faith in the Lord and in His prophets as their key to success.   What can we learn from this?

One of the best things you can do at the beginning of each morning as you set out for the day is to feed on the encouragement of God’s Word.  Even if you normally have your GAME time later in the day, there is great value in getting some of God’s Word – even a verse – into your mind to.
Your success goes hand in hand with how well you follow and trust God and your God-given leaders.

詩篇卅七篇

2019-09-08 in /by

大衛的詩。

1 不要為作惡的心懷不平，也不要向那行不義的生出嫉妒。
2 因為祂們如草快被割下，又如青菜快要枯乾。
3 你當倚靠耶和華而行善，住在地上，以祂的信實為糧。
4 又要以耶和華為樂，祂就將你心裡所求的賜給你。
5 當將你的事交託耶和華，並倚靠祂，祂就必成全。
6 祂要使你的公義如光發出，使你的公平明如正午。
7 你當默然倚靠耶和華，耐性等候祂，不要因那道路通達的和那惡謀成就的心懷不平。
8 當止住怒氣，離棄憤怒，不要心懷不平，以致作惡。
9 因為作惡的必被剪除，唯有等候耶和華的必承受地土。
10 還有片時，惡人要歸於無有，你就是細察他的住處，也要歸於無有。……

這是一首非常療癒的詩篇，非常適合在這個混亂的世代裡讀。因為我們看新聞時，常常會心裡不平，怎麼滿口粗話不守信用的人會佔大位？怎麼有的人口不擇言地傷人，又不肯道歉？警察本來該保護人民，卻變成打人民的；也有人民反打警察？在現代的社會裡，充滿了不平和怒氣。

在學校或工作場所裡，也經常有人被霸凌，學生糾眾打人，衛生局長醉酒後去急診室暴打值班的醫生，工作時被上司欺負，朋友借錢不還，還有言語上的侮辱或歧視等等。這些事情使我們心懷不平，甚至生出嫉妒，生氣神為何不即刻處罰他們，把他們都就地正法! 讓世界只留下好人! 就是你跟我囉! 還有對我們好的親人和朋友，是不是？但是好像日本和南韓最近發生衝突，那麼，去掉誰比較好?