Monday, November 20, 2017

Thanksgiving Scripture - Nov 20

Introduction...



Day 20 Psalm 40:12-17 Faith Produces Thanks in Trials
(Memorization Scripture: vv. 16-17)

12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
15 Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.


Though God has answered an earlier prayer of the psalmist (vv.1-8), a new crises brings him back to before the Lord to seek deliverance. And this is where things are interesting - what’s ruining the writer’s life is both external (innumerable evils surround me) and internal (my iniquities have overtaken me). A great key to be a Psalm-shaped thanker of God is being humbled to recognize exactly just how feeble and sinful I am but how grand and holy is my Lord. I’m brought to great gratitude because though I am poor and needy the Lord thinks upon me, not withholding His tender mercies, lovingkindness and truth that preserves me! That, brother and sisters is nothing less than amazing - though I am but dust and overtaken by my own sins, God thinks about me and cares for me in that pitiful condition. Recognition then leads to response. So let us be thankful to our God who is our sole help and deliverer, hearing our cries and not delaying to come and rescues His children.



【簡介】...



Day 20 詩篇40:12-17 信心生出苦難中的感恩
(背誦16-17節)

12 因有無數的禍患圍困我,
我的罪孽追上了我,使我不能昂首。
這罪孽比我的頭髮還多,我就心寒膽戰。
13 耶和華啊,求你開恩搭救我!
耶和華啊,求你速速幫助我!
14 願那些尋找我要滅我命的一同抱愧蒙羞,
願那些喜悅我受害的退後受辱。
15 願那些對我說「啊哈!啊哈!」的,因羞愧而敗亡。
16 願一切尋求你的因你高興歡喜,
願那些喜愛你救恩的常說:「當尊耶和華為大!」
17 但我是困苦窮乏的,主仍顧念我。
你是幫助我的,搭救我的,
神啊,求你不要耽延!


在神回應了詩人的禱告之後(1-8節),一個新的危機把他帶回到主面前尋求拯救。詩人遭遇了外在的攻擊(有無數的禍患圍困我),也經歷了內在的掙扎(我的罪孽追上了我)。成為神的讚美者的關鍵,就是要謙卑地承認自己是多麼的軟弱和罪惡,而主又是這麼的偉大和聖潔。 詩人心存感激,因為雖然他是困苦窮乏的,主卻顧念他,主保守他,不向他收回祂的憐憫、慈愛和真理!兄弟姊妹們,這是一件驚人的大事:雖然我們只是塵土、一個被自己的罪孽追上的人,但是神在我們的軟弱中依然在乎我們、顧念我們。如果我們真知道這真理,就應當回應。讓我們一起獻上感恩給神,祂是我們唯一的幫助和拯救,祂聽見了我們的呼求,而不耽延的搭救了祂的兒女們。

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