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詩篇一百十九篇169-176節

2020-01-06 in /by

ת Tau（第22段）

169耶和華啊，願我的呼籲達到祢面前，照祢的話賜我悟性。
170願我的懇求達到祢面前，照祢的話搭救我。
171願我的嘴發出讚美的話，因為祢將律例教訓我。
172願我的舌頭歌唱祢的話，因祢一切的命令盡都公義。
173願祢用手幫助我，因我揀選了祢的訓詞。
174耶和華啊，我切慕祢的救恩，祢的律法也是我所喜愛的。
175願我的性命存活，得以讚美祢，願祢的典章幫助我。
176我如亡羊走迷了路，求祢尋找僕人，因我不忘記祢的命令。

這是2020年的第二週，不知道你的新年新志願實行得如何？今天我們讀到〈詩篇〉119篇的最後一段了，為你自己鼓掌吧! 能把〈詩篇〉119篇讀完的人可不多，不信你可以去問問看。時間是很無情的，不管你選擇做對的事或不對的事，它都會一樣溜走，留下的只是你的得著或後悔。相信此刻，你必然很高興自己做了正確的選擇。

以前有一首歌叫做〈玫瑰三願〉，其三願如下：「我願那妒我的無情風雨莫吹打，我願那愛我的多情遊客莫攀摘，我願那紅顏常好勿凋謝，好教我留住芳華。」這三願的最終目的就是為了留住芳華，可惜我們知道所有的玫瑰都失望了，因為再美的人事都會成為過去。那種心願是夢想罷了。

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

2020-01-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 5:1-16.  Let’s go!

Job 5:3-4 (NIV) 
3  I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.
4  His children are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.

On verses 1-7:  In chapter 4 Eliphaz broke the silence by calling Job a weak hypocrite, a sinner who deserved the trouble he got (verses 7-11), and a prideful person that God has crushed (v12-21).  Now here in chapter 5 Eliphaz calls Job a fool.  Eliphaz suggests that Job is like a fool who prospered for a short while, but because of resentment and envy (v2), Job ended up suddenly being “cursed” (v3), his children endangered (v4), his reputation “crushed” (v4) and his wealth consumed by others (v5).  Eliphaz is saying that this kind of trouble doesn’t just happen or come from nowhere (v6).  Rather, just as sparks fly upward, human beings are inevitably destined to experience trouble because of their sin (“man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (v7).

詩篇一百十九篇161-168節

2020-01-05 in /by

שׁ Shin（第21段）

161首領無故地逼迫我，但我的心畏懼祢的言語。
162我喜愛祢的話，好像人得了許多擄物。
163謊話是我所恨惡所憎嫌的，唯祢的律法是我所愛的。
164我因祢公義的典章，一天七次讚美祢。
165愛祢律法的人有大平安，什麼都不能使他們絆腳。
166耶和華啊，我仰望了祢的救恩，遵行了祢的命令。
167我心裡守了祢的法度，這法度我甚喜愛。
168我遵守了祢的訓詞和法度，因我一切所行的都在祢面前。

ש Shin是希伯來文的第21個字母，猶太人認為這個字母代表神。耶路撒冷是個山城，四面被山圍繞，如果祢仔細研究舊城，祢會發現舊城是被三條河谷塑造出來的，你可以看到從東到西的汲淪溪(谷)、中谷 (Tyropoeon Valley) 和欣嫩子谷，如果把這三個山谷連在一起，你會看到一個ש的形狀 ，似乎神也透過地理位置在告訴我們，祂在這裡。

人間有各種不同的勢力，有的有錢，有的有地位或威權。大衛在此告訴我們，神的權勢大過人間的任何權柄，所以即使有在上者無故的逼迫，大衛選擇敬畏神的言語，不敢屈服於人間的權勢，因為他認識那至高者。

有一位傳道人到比屬剛果傳福音，有一天他必須要過一座用藤葛編成的橋，這橋兩端藤葛交纏樹上，高懸在空中，飄搖無定，下臨萬丈深淵。傳道人俯瞰下面激流湍急的河水，伏在水中的巨鱷，不敢走過那橋。

Don’t Make Eliphaz’s Mistake

2020-01-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
There are some powerful lessons for us to learn from today’s passage in Job 4:1-21.  Let’s go!
 
Job 4:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 
2  “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?

On verses 1-2:  Eliphaz and his friends were doing such a great job of comforting Job…until Eliphaz opened his mouth!  It’s not that Eliphaz should not have said anything at all.  Rather, it’s about what Eliphaz said in the verses that follow which would end up frustrating Job instead of helping him.
 
Job 4:3-5 (NIV) 
3  Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. 
4  Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. 
5  But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
 

詩篇一百十九篇153-160節

2020-01-04 in /by

ר Resh（第20段）

153求祢看顧我的苦難，搭救我，因我不忘記祢的律法。
154求祢為我辨屈，救贖我，照祢的話將我救活。
155救恩遠離惡人，因為他們不尋求祢的律例。
156耶和華啊，祢的慈悲本為大，求祢照祢的典章將我救活。
157逼迫我的、抵擋我的很多，我卻沒有偏離祢的法度。
158我看見奸惡的人就甚憎惡，因為他們不遵守祢的話。
159祢看我怎樣愛祢的訓詞，耶和華啊，求祢照祢的慈愛將我救活。
160祢話的總綱是真實，祢一切公義的典章是永遠長存。

聽說義大利某些地方有一風俗：每一女子一出嫁，都有一個口袋。每年正月初一，她必須去採一朵玫瑰花，放在這袋內。當她死的時候，就用這盛滿了玫瑰花的口袋給她放在棺材裏作枕頭。意思是，叫你幾年所採的玫瑰花的香氣，留給自己聞到永遠。

這實在是一個很淒美的風俗，即使要死也要死得浪漫。不管她出嫁後是否幸福，反正以後都得死，只能給自己留下玫瑰花香，可是死了的人還能聞到什麼？死了就聞不到玫瑰花香了，乾燥後的玫瑰花香也無法停留到永遠。這世上有什麼可以永遠長存呢？

2 Things That Help Me When I’m In Pain

2020-01-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 3:1-26.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-26:  Job is now in emotional, physical and spiritual anguish, so much so that he curses the day he was born.  In our culture we tend to celebrate people on their birthday.  In cursing the day of his birth, Job was basically saying, “After all the trouble and pain I have experienced, I wish I had never lived.  I wish I could die right now.”  If I had to break it down even more, verses 1 to 20 are Job asking the question, “Why did I have to live?” while verses 21 to 26 are Job asking the question, “Why can’t I die right now?”   For Job, death seems to be the only rest he can look forward to (v13-19).

What can we learn from all this?

Notice that Job finally opens up after 7 days of sitting in silence with his friends (see Job 2:13).  Imagine if Job’s friends had given up on the 6th day and said, “Job’s never going to talk.  Let’s just go.”  It shows that when a person is in great pain, you need to give them time to open up.  Also, when they finally do open up, don’t be surprised if their words are difficult to hear. 

The Worst Thing and the Best Thing You Can Do For a Friend In Pain

2020-01-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 2:1-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  In chapter 1, Job passed his first test with flying colours.  Now a second test is coming.  God continues to boast of Job’s steadfast faith in Him, while Satan believes that if Job’s own health is taken away, Job will turn away from God and curse Him.  So, with the Lord’s permission, Satan afflicts Job with painful sores from head to toe all over his body.  The closest thing Job experiences to relief is scraping himself with a piece of broken pottery (v8).

What can we learn from this?  God has a good purpose in allowing sickness.  Once Jesus and his disciples met a blind man.  The disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned – this blind man or his parents – to cause him to be blind?”  Jesus said, “Neither, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3).  Then Jesus would go on to heal the man’s blindness in a most interesting and gradual way.  Though sickness is not God’s original plan for us, I believe God allows sickness and disease ultimately so that we would learn to trust Him and so that in His time He can display His redeeming, healing, resurrecting work in our lives.

詩篇一百十九篇145-152節

2020-01-02 in /by

ק Qoph（第19段）

145耶和華啊，我一心呼籲祢，求祢應允我，我必謹守祢的律例。
146我向祢呼籲，求祢救我，我要遵守祢的法度。
147我趁天未亮呼求，我仰望了祢的言語。
148我趁夜更未換，將眼睜開，為要思想祢的話語。
149求祢照祢的慈愛聽我的聲音，耶和華啊，求祢照祢的典章將我救活。
150追求奸惡的人臨近了，他們遠離祢的律法。
151耶和華啊，祢與我相近，祢一切的命令盡都真實。
152我因學祢的法度，久已知道是祢永遠立定的。

在2020年的年初三，我們來看看可以從神的話語裡得到怎樣的提醒。這段經文若用英文來看，我們很快就會有感受了，我來列出幾句經文的前一小節：

I call out at the top of my lungs,我一心呼籲祢
I called to you, “Save me 我向祢呼籲，求祢救我
I was up before sunrise, 我趁天未亮呼求
I stayed awake all night, 我趁夜更未換，將眼睜開

這些經文讓我們看到大衛和神的關係，還有大衛的行動(action)。你平常會向誰呼求？你半夜時會想起誰呢？在新年之際，我們看到有很多人天未亮就去廟前排隊，為了想取得頭香，拿到發財籤；甚至也有人當黃牛去排隊，這些人為的都是錢，除了錢之外，還有什麼可以讓你心動到天未亮就起來？夜更未換就將眼睜開？

詩篇一百十九篇137-144節

2020-01-02 in /by

ץ Tsadde（第18段）

137耶和華啊，祢是公義的，祢的判語也是正直的。
138祢所命定的法度是憑公義和至誠。
139我心焦急，如同火燒，因我敵人忘記祢的言語。
140祢的話極其精煉，所以祢的僕人喜愛。
141我微小被人藐視，卻不忘記祢的訓詞。
142祢的公義永遠長存，祢的律法盡都真實。
143我遭遇患難愁苦，祢的命令卻是我所喜愛的。
144祢的法度永遠是公義的，求祢賜我悟性，我就活了。

新年2020的第二天，我們還是希望新酒裝在新皮袋裡，能有一個嶄新的人生。有人說：如果連你自己都不喜歡你自己，你就不會對你自己很好，因為我們通常不會對不喜歡的人太好。所以你不喜歡你自己，你就不會做對自己有幫助的事情，你同意嗎？

那怎樣才能喜歡自己，對自己好，做對自己有幫助的事呢？

作者大衛在這段經文裡講到他微小被人藐視，大衛的身才材確實不是又高又有型的。在博物館裡，大衛王年輕時的雕像都是比較矮小的。現在的男孩子若長得矮小一點，上學有時會被欺負，被覇凌。大衛說到，他也是因為微小，所以被人渺視。

你有沒有被人渺視的經歷呢？大衛被人渺視，遭遇患難愁苦，但是他懂得抓緊神的話，緊緊地倚靠神。

In Your Pain, Surrender to God

2020-01-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 1:13-22.  Let’s go!

On verses 13-22:  In one day, four messengers come to Job, one after another, each delivering horrifying news: Sabeans attack and carry off Job’s donkeys and oxen (v13-15), fire from God (possibly lightning) falls and destroys his sheep (v16), Chaldeans attack and steal Job’s camels (v17), and by far most tragically of all, a hurricane-like wind causes the house in which Job’s children are partying to collapse, killing all of Job’s children (v18-19).  Notice that in two cases, the loss came as a result of attacks by people.  In the other two cases, the loss came as a result of “an act of God”.

In response, Job tears his robe and shaves his head in mourning.  Rather than cursing God or accusing God with wrongdoing (v22), Job falls to the ground in worship and speaks some of the most famous words in the book of Job:

Job 1:21 (NIV) 
21  …”Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”