2013-04-22 Devotionals Today

知信行網上團契為各主內肢體提供的每日靈糧，歡迎訂閱，推介及奉獻支持。 《網絡天糧》查詢，請電郵：ccf@ccfellow.org 訂閱天糧 | 轉介天糧 | 修訂訂閱 | 奉獻支持 舊約人物：雅各與神相遇 粵語 國語 第22天 讀經：    創世記二十八章10至22節 10雅各出了別是巴，向哈蘭走去； 11到了一個地方，因為太陽落了，就在那裡住宿，便拾起那地方的一塊石頭枕在頭下，在那裡躺臥睡了， 12夢見一個梯子立在地上，梯子的頭頂著天，有神的使者在梯子上，上去下來。 13耶和華站在梯子以上(或作站在他旁邊)，說：我是耶和華─你祖亞伯拉罕的神，也是以撒的神；我要將你現在所躺臥之地賜給你和你的後裔。 14你的後裔必像地上的塵沙那樣多，必向東西南北開展；地上萬族必因你和你的後裔得福。 15我也與你同在。你無論往那裡去，我必保佑你，領你歸回這地，總不離棄你，直到我成全了向你所應許的。 16雅各睡醒了，說：耶和華真在這裡，我竟不知道！ 17就懼怕，說：這地方何等可畏！這不是別的，乃是神的殿，也是天的門。 18雅各清早起來，把所枕的石頭立作柱子，澆油在上面。 19他就給那地方起名叫伯特利(就是神殿的意思)；但那地方起先名叫路斯。 20雅各許願說：神若與我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又給我食物吃，衣服穿， 21使我平平安安地回到我父親的家，我就必以耶和華為我的神。 22我所立為柱子的石頭也必作神的殿，凡你所賜給我的，我必將十分之一獻給你。 你有去過露營嗎？露天席地而寢的滋味恐怕不好受吧？ 當夜雅各以石為枕，躺臥在冷硬的土地上的時候，他在想些甚麼呢？謊言和計謀，為他帶來了甚麼樣的好處？ 那一刻的雅各，有否意識到自己的罪，在心裡有痛悔的靈呢？ 他有否呼求神的幫助？經文沒有告訴我們。但是，神在那夜的確向他顯現，並從此改變了他的一生。 總是在罪人最需要幫助的時候，神便出現，滿帶著慈愛和憐憫。雅各此刻所感受的，正是許多罪人的共同體驗：神離我們原來是那麼近，滿有慈憫，滿有赦罪之恩，要把祝福賜給我們。 雅各在夢中看見甚麼？一副梯子。它沒有靠牆，並且非常長，由雅各躺著的地方直伸到天上。而天使們在梯子上輕盈地上去下來。 梯子頂端站著的是神。噢，真奇妙！神在夢中向雅各說話。祂說：「我一直在這裡。我沒有忘記我的應許。我必要祝福你，我必與你同在。」 雅各如何回應呢？他先是明白了神的同在（16-17節）。也明白到神就是神，他用未嘗試過的方式將他的生命和他的一切交出，交給了神。 雅各的生命因此而揭開了新的一頁，一切都是因著神的同在，生命才得以變得豐盛。 我們對神的信心和依靠同樣會令我們走上豐盛之路。雖然神用了多年的時間除去雅各身上的詭詐和心計，但神在他身上的工作已經開始，祂必保守。 反思經文： 「你們要休息，要知道我是神！」（詩四十六10） ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLD TESTAMENT HEROES: THE NIGHT GOD MET JACOB Day 22 Bible Reading:    Genesis 28:10-22 10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" 18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You." Have you ever been camping? Ever slept on the ground under the stars? Not very comfortable is it? Can you imagine Jacob's thoughts as he lay down on the hard ground, using only a stone as his pillow? What good had all the scheming and lying really done for him? It could well be that there came a spirit of repentance to Jacob as he lay there. Did he realise something of his sin? Did he cry to God for help? We are not told but certainly God came to him that night and gave him a new start. That is how God always comes to a sinner in need. He comes in love and mercy. Jacob discovered what so many sinners have discovered - that God is so near, God is so merciful, and God is so forgiving. God wants to bless us. What did Jacob see in his dream? It was a ladder, but it was not leaning against a wall. It was very long and extended all the way from where Jacob was lying right up to heaven. Then there were angels moving effortlessly up and down that great stairway. Above it stood God. What a sight! And God spoke to Jacob in his dream. What did He say? 'I am still here. I haven' forgotten anything. I have promised. I am going to bless you and I will always be with you.' What was Jacob's response? First, a recognition of the presence of God. (v.16-17) Then he recognised God as God and gave his life and his possessions over to the Lord in a new way. It was a new beginning for Jacob but it was the beginning of a life made rich in every way by the presence of God. It will be the same for us as we put our faith and trust in Him. There was still a lot of the schemer and deceiver left in Jacob and it would be many years before God was able to really change him. But God had begun and would be faithful to His Word. VERSE FOR TODAY: 'Be still and know that I am God.' 列王紀上三章至四章 重點： 所羅門娶法老女兒；所羅門求智慧；所羅門的富強。 鑰節： 以色列眾人聽見王這樣判斷，就都敬畏他；因為見他心裡有神的智慧，能以斷案。（三28） 內容：  有二個同住的婦人，同期都生了兒子；其中一個在睡覺的時候，壓死了她的孩子，便換掉另婦人的兒子。二人因爭那活孩子而到所羅門那裡求判斷。 所羅門將活的與死的都切為二分，各得一半，就判別了誰是活孩子的真母親。以色列眾人聽見王這樣判斷，就都敬畏他。 百姓因為王判斷的正確而尊敬他，而王能有正確的判斷是因為有神的智慧。換言之，影響判斷的、左右王被人尊敬的是神的同在；神是一切的源頭。所以耶穌說：「因為離了我，你們就不能作甚麼。」（約十五5） 我們往往將智慧與神分割，求神賜智慧，為的是考試得好成績，能辦大事工，妥善處理各項事情，卻沒有求神的同在，沒有居住在基督裡。又常在事情成功之後，將神忘掉，不再像從前那樣專一的、懇切的禱告倚靠主。 所羅門後來也在此跌倒了，甚至離棄神。願我們緊記：耶穌基督就是智慧，離了祂，一切皆徒然。 默想： 我們渴求主賜智慧，或是賜智慧的主？ 本文資料由福音團契書局提供，謹此致謝。 《讀經日引》每季一本，免費贈閱。請電郵biblepathway@yahoo.com.hk索取。 意見交通，請電郵：biblepathway@yahoo.com.hk 我能收下嗎？   羅馬書5：1-5   「...就是在患難中也是歡歡喜喜的；因為知道患難生忍耐，忍耐生老練，老練生盼望； 盼望不至於羞恥，因為所賜給我們的聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡。 」(3-5節)  很多人都會認為付出比接受容易，自己明明很樂意在某些事情上服侍別人，但卻很難接受別人同樣的服侍。同樣地，很多基督徒都很喜歡告訴神他們有多愛祂，卻覺得難以接受神所給他們的愛。 保羅強調上帝在我們心裡澆灌了豐盛的愛，因為祂希望我們心裡滿溢著祂給我們的一浪接一浪慈父般的愛。 當神的愛注入我們心裡時，它洗去了內裡的雜質並帶來平安和喜樂。我們為甚麼不能接受神的愛最？其中最大的障礙可能是我們覺得自己不配被愛。我們知道自己的過犯並可能會說：「如果我是神，我就不會愛這樣的一個我」。但上帝按我們的本相完全接納我們，也期望我們接受祂的愛；因為祂的愛是我們希望的保障，而希望會帶來喜樂。 請默想英國著名福音歌手葛理翰．肯狄(Graham Kendrick)所說的話： 主啊，你的溫柔融化了我的苦毒， 主啊，你的愛我收到了。 主啊，你的慈愛轉化了我的醜惡， 主啊，你的愛我收到了。

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