2008年6月28日 星期六

2008-06-28 Devotionals Today

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老而彌堅

粵語國語

第28天

讀經:約書亞記十四章6至15節

  昨天,我們看到以色列的十二支派如何按照神的吩咐分配土地;今天,突然有一個八十五歲的長者出現,打擾了分地的過程。這位長者報上自己所屬的支派名字之後,便大膽地走到約書亞的面前,要求分得最大的山地!

  這個長者,就是上一代以色列人中,唯一能與約書亞一同進入應許地的迦勒。迦勒要求分得的山地,仍然屬於迦南人的佔領範圍;但迦勒卻全不理會,因為他相信神必按照應許,把那塊山地賜給他。

  試想,一個八十五歲的長者仍然夢想著佔領一塊山地;而且,他還表示自己可以親自作戰,去奪取那地!迦勒還是昔日那個與眾不同的迦勒;他的年紀愈大,對神的信心就似乎愈強,屬靈的視野亦似乎愈遠。他讓我們明白到,一些重要的人生經歷,可以在人的晚年發生;而且,在事奉神的工作上,根本沒有固定的退休年齡。我們有時稱晚年是「?昏之年」,然而,無限的美景卻往往是在日落的?昏!

  讓我們想像迦勒的對話:「將那塊山地給我。」「可是,迦勒,那地的居民都是身材魁梧的巨人。」「那又如何?」迦勒說,「神必與我同在。」「那裡還有堅居的城牆。」「那又如何?」迦勒說,「任何城牆都擋不住神。」「然而,迦勒,你已經八十五歲了!」「年齡有甚麼關係?」迦勒說,「我已經等了四十五年,才等到今天。現在是神所定的時間,我的年齡怎會對神造成困難?」

  有些長者認為自己已被別人遺忘,但迦勒卻從來不會讓別人遺忘自己。他是一個活生生的例子,見證新約的教導說:「外體雖然毀壞,內心卻一天新似一天」(林後四16)。

  迦勒究竟要求分得哪塊地?那就是亞伯拉罕稱為「希伯崙」的地方。當亞伯拉罕從埃及回來的時候,他便在希伯崙遇見神,並得到神的祝福。迦勒想要的,正是這塊地。神曾經應許把那地賜給他,他只是想照著神的應許獲得那地。

  讓我們都以迦勒作為榜樣:他對神的信心堅定不移,堅決信靠神必成就祂的應許,不會因外在環境的因素而動搖信心。

禱告:
「主啊,無論我到了甚麼年紀,求你使我能像迦勒一樣地全然信靠你。」

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A GRAND OLD MAN OF FAITH

DAY 28

BIBLE READING: Joshua 14: 6-15

Yesterday we were reading about the division of the land among the 12 tribes. Now suddenly the picture is interrupted by a grand old man of 85. He stepped out of the ranks of his tribe and boldly walked up to Joshua and asked for the biggest mountain anyone could see!

It didn't matter to Caleb that the mountain was still possessed by the Canaanites. He believed God was on his side and would give him what he had promised.

Imagine it! 85 years old and wanting to take on a whole mountain. He even said he was a man of war - at 85. But Caleb was different from all the others. He always had been. The passing years only seemed to make him grow stronger in faith and in spiritual vision. He shows us how some of the greatest things in life can take place even in old age and that there is no fixed retiring age in God's service. 'Sunset years' we sometimes call old age. But the sun is never more beautiful than when it is setting.

What did Caleb say? 'Give me this mountain.' 'But Caleb there are giant there.' 'So what!', 'So what!', says Caleb, 'God is greater than any fenced city'. 'But Caleb you are 85 now. 'What has that got to do with it?', asked Caleb. 'I have waited 45 years for this and now it is in sight. Now is God's time and my age doesn't with God.'

Some old people think they are forgotten. Caleb never let anyone forget him. He was a living example of what the New Testament says, 'though the outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day by day'.

What was the place Caleb wanted? It was the place Abraham had called Hebron. It was where Abraham was wonderfully blessed when God met him as he returned from Egypt. Caleb wanted that place. God had promised it to him and he wanted what God had promised.

Remember Caleb, the man with the vision of what God can do. He had a faith that believed God could do anything and a heart that would not be turned aside.

A Prayer:
Lord make us more like Caleb whether we are young or old.'

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