〈箴言〉15:18 暴怒的人挑起爭端，忍怒的人止息紛爭。
閱讀經文：箴言15:18-23
18 暴怒的人挑起爭端，忍怒的人止息紛爭。 19 懶惰人的道像荊棘的籬笆，正直人的路是平坦的大道。 20 智慧子使父親喜樂，愚昧人藐視母親。 21 無知的人以愚妄為樂，聰明的人按正直而行。 22 不先商議，所謀無效；謀士眾多，所謀乃成。 23 口善應對，自覺喜樂；話合其時，何等美好。
18節 ：暴怒的人挑起爭端，忍怒的人止息紛爭。
我相信許多人對這節經文一定是深有同感，只是苦於無法控制自己的脾氣。就因為吞不下一口氣，為了爭一口氣：表示我比你正確，我懂得比你多，我比較厲害，所以無法忍怒。事實上，吃虧就是佔便宜也就是針對這種情形而說的。
有一位脫口秀演員談到他曾被邀請去參加一些辯論的節目，在節目裡他滔滔不絕的口才折服不少人。沒想到回家後也把這氣勢運用到和妻子的談話裡。妻子提醒他，在家裡是講情的，不是講理的。他卻不以為然。他說，他終於辯贏了，但是他的婚姻也宣告結束。妻子堅決跟他離婚。真是退一步海濶天空，忍一口天長地久。
挑起爭端，都是遍體鱗傷。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 9:1-12. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 9:1-3 (NIV)
1 Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky.
2 The people are strong and tall–Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?”
3 But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.
On verses 1-3: Moses acknowledged that as part of conquering the promised land the Israelites would need to face a strong and tall people called the Anakites. Yet Moses reminds the Israelites that the Lord will go ahead of them like a devouring fire and help the Israelites to overcome them quickly.
Here we see that recurring theme in Deuteronomy again: with God there may be seemingly gigantic challenges in front of you, but God goes ahead of you so you don’t need to be afraid. With God, you can conquer the giants in front of you.
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 8:10-20, in which we learn a number of keys to a happy heart. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 8:10 (NIV)
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
On verse 10: A lot of us out of habit pray before we eat, which is good. How about try praying after we eat! That is, when you’ve received something good, even what might seem ordinary or small, praise the Lord for it, for every good gift comes from God. What is something “ordinary” or “small” you received today that you can thank God for?
Deuteronomy 8:11-14 (NIV)
11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,
13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,
14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
〈箴言〉15:13 心中喜樂，面帶笑容；心裡憂愁，靈被損傷。
閱讀經文：箴言15:13-17
13心中喜樂，面帶笑容；心裡憂愁，靈被損傷。14聰明人心求知識，愚昧人口吃愚昧。15困苦人的日子都是愁苦，心中歡暢的常享豐筵。16少有財寶敬畏耶和華，強如多有財寶煩亂不安。17吃素菜彼此相愛，強如吃肥牛彼此相恨。
著名的文學家托爾斯泰(Tolstoy)在人生困難時，有一次在森林中遇到一個農夫。他坐在樹下吃黑麵包，那是窮人的食物，但他吃得津津有味，看起來很喜樂。托爾斯泰問他從哪裡得著喜樂？農夫回答說：“神！”從那天開始，托爾斯泰就告訴自己要信靠神。即使只有黑麵包，只要有從神來的喜樂，就像在享受豐盛的筵席。
有一個信耶穌的工人，工作很辛苦，但時常面帶笑容。他的主人不解，以為給工人的工作太輕鬆，於是就加給他更多的工作，但是工人依然十分喜樂，常常一邊工作，一邊唱歌。主人忍不住問他：“你為什麼這樣快樂呢？你難道不覺得辛苦嗎？”他回答：“我是信耶穌的，耶穌已經拯救我，祂時常與我同在，讓我滿心喜樂。”主人說：“假如我破產了，你沒有工作，怎麼辦？你有三個孩子，假如沒有錢供他們去讀大學，怎麼辦？假如你工作時發生意外，沒有人焄顧你的家人，怎麼辦？”工人說：“主人啊，我看你是個好人，就是心裡有太多的假如了。假如你先信耶穌，就明白在祂的愛裡沒有假如，你只要全心倚靠祂就好了。”
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 8:1-9. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 8:1 (NIV)
1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers.
On verse 1: Whenever you read the Bible, a helpful question to ask yourself is, “What does this passage teach me about who God is?” Each of the verses here in this passage teaches us something about God.
Verse 1 teaches us that God is our King and Commander General. Just as God commanded the Israelites for their good and their growth, so every one of His commands is for our good and for our growth.
Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV)
2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Verse 2 teaches us that God is our Teacher who tests us to see what is in our heart. Just as God led the Israelites for 40 years in the desert to see what is in their heart, so God puts us in situations so that He can see what we will do with the freedom He has given to us.
〈箴言〉15:8 惡人獻祭為耶和華所憎惡，正直人祈禱為祂所喜悅。
閱讀經文：箴言15:8-12
8 惡人獻祭為耶和華所憎惡，正直人祈禱為他所喜悅。 9 惡人的道路為耶和華所憎惡，追求公義的為他所喜愛。 10 捨棄正路的必受嚴刑，恨惡責備的必致死亡。 11 陰間和滅亡尚在耶和華眼前，何況世人的心呢？ 12 褻慢人不愛受責備，他也不就近智慧人。
每次讀畢牧師的翻譯，總會讓我得到許多啟發，並且發出會心的微笑。第二節裡，他的翻譯如下：Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. 他的譯文好像描繪出一幅圖畫，智慧人發出的言語好像奔流的水泉四射，使四週的人在盛夏都得到清涼，使其四週的植物也都得到益處，可以成長茂盛；而愚昧人好像一條漏水的水管，到處亂滴，形容其言語的不合適。
智慧人的舌為何可以像水泉般釋放？在這段經文裡有幾個說法：一是指溫良的舌是生命樹Kind words heal and help。
智慧人的言語裡有仁慈，使人得到醫治和幫助。劉曉亭牧師寫過一篇文章，講到怎樣為病人禱告。他說在禱告之前要認清幾件事：1.「把病醫好」是醫生的事。2.「照顧病人」是家屬的事。3.「面對疾病」是病人的事。4.「支持病人」是朋友的事。弄清楚這四件事，我們才知道在探望病人時該說些什麼話，以及怎樣禱告，不會亂開支票。假如我們理清楚這四件事，和朋友或家人說話時，便也知道拿捏說話的分寸。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 7:12-26. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 7:12-15 (NIV)
12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.
13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land–your grain, new wine and oil–the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.
14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.
15 The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.
On verses 12-15: Through verses 13-14 I am reminded that whether it’s family and children, material and financial wealth, or physical health, every good thing we have in life is a blessing from God. As James 1:17 says, “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father”. So when we experience any good gift, let’s be sure to thank God.
〈箴言〉15:4 溫良的舌是生命樹，乖謬的嘴使人心碎。
閱讀經文：箴言15:2-7
2 智慧人的舌善發知識，愚昧人的口吐出愚昧。 3 耶和華的眼目無處不在，惡人善人他都鑒察。 4 溫良的舌是生命樹，乖謬的嘴使人心碎。 5 愚妄人藐視父親的管教，領受責備的得著見識。 6 義人家中多有財寶，惡人得利反受擾害。 7 智慧人的嘴播揚知識，愚昧人的心並不如此。
每次讀畢牧師的翻譯，總會讓我得到許多啟發，並且發出會心的微笑。第二節裡，他的翻譯如下：Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense. 他的譯文好像描繪出一幅圖畫，智慧人發出的言語好像奔流的水泉四射，使四週的人在盛夏都得到清涼，使其四週的植物也都得到益處，可以成長茂盛；而愚昧人好像一條漏水的水管，到處亂滴，形容其言語的不合適。
智慧人的舌為何可以像水泉般釋放？在這段經文裡有幾個說法：一是指溫良的舌是生命樹Kind words heal and help。
〈箴言〉15:1 回答柔和使怒消退，言語暴戾觸動怒氣。
有一次我去拜訪一位高中同學，他那天要將貨品送到位在貿易中心的客戶那兒，那時正好風雨交加。客戶曾告訴他，可以把車停在大樓的後面卸貨，所以我們就將車停在劃黃線的卸貨區。
此時，一個大樓警衛衝過來大吼說：「你們不准停在這裡！」
我當然不願意在這種天氣中特意把車停在半英哩外，然後費力地運送這堆貨品。所以我立刻想反駁警衛：我們已經得到你的上司的允許了耶！
然而，我的同學的反應卻與我迥然不同。
他立刻放下手中的貨物，搶在我開口之前，以非常誠懇的口氣對那位警衛說：「對不起，你的上司告訴我們說，因為風雨很大，如果我只需要暫停幾分鐘的話，就可以利用這裡卸貨。不過，也可能是我們會錯意了，畢竟這裡是你管理的。所以可不可以請你告訴我現在該怎麼辦，我們一定會照著你的指示。」
他注視著那名警衛的雙眼，並且微笑著等他回應。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 7:1-11. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (NIV)
1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations–the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you–
2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
On verses 1-2: As a young Christian, I was really impacted by the “can do” attitude that the Bible would teach followers of Jesus to have. Whenever I would read the Bible in high school, the lesson that would impact me over and over is that no matter how tough the odds and how difficult the challenge, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). That is no accident, and not simply a function of my own bias or background, for that is truly what the Bible teaches.
We see Moses inculcating that “can do” attitude in the Israelites here. The Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites were all larger and stronger than the Israelites (v1). Yet God chose the Israelites and would enable the Israelites to overpower these larger and stronger nations.
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