Thursday, 17th February 2022
Pastor Kathy Poon
Section One V1-6 Seek the Opportunity and Live Diligently
V1-2 ‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth.’ Bread also means opportunity and investment, are we able to distribute our investment? Not to just focus on one area but to really seek God for His best timing for us. Do not look at the obstacles and then give up.
V3-4 ‘If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.’ What attitude we should have in life? Be willing to use the opportunity we have, to cross over to the areas we don’t familiar with pray and trust in God, what we will receive will be more than we can imagine. When opportunities come, don’t overthink because we may lose the opportunity from God.
V5 ‘As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything.’ What we see may not be what is really happening. We are not God, and we can never see as clearly as God. What we know and what we can do are very limited, therefore we tend to do a lot of risk analysis, and we restrain ourselves. But what God can do is far more than what we can see and what we know, so when we have a closer relationship with God, then we can better discern what are the good opportunities from God. Hold onto what is from God and stay away from what is not from God. By faith, we can then unlock the way of God and the currency of Heaven.
V6 ‘In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.’ Don’t be afraid to take up the courage, take up the opportunity from God, then we will see multiplication and we will see abundance. We are too scared of making the wrong decisions and failures, then we will easily miss out the good opportunities, which God brought in front of us. Even if we failed, do we still have the faith to believe that we are walking in the way of God, and He will continue to lead us? Of course, we need godly councillor and complainer, to pray together and to discuss together. But do we make decision boldly after we prayed? Furthermore, what is our intention behind our action? When we know what we will do is good and godly, then just take the action. Trust in God more and listen to our voices less.
As we face our life, what should be our attitude? How to live a victorious life? To be diligently invest into our lives. There are two kinds of people in the world, people who stay in their own comfort zone, only care about the works in their hands; and those who are constantly upgrading themselves, to seek learning opportunity and to learn new things diligently. The world is developing very fast, and there is new information every day. It’s so easy for us to fall behind, if we don’t catch up with God, then very soon we will lose the passion to live a victorious life. We may backslide due to the past failures or hurt, but God’s mercy is new every day, so we must live our lives anew every day and to align with God every day.
Section Two V7-10 Live a Joyous and Balanced Life
V7-8 ‘Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; But if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is coming is vanity.’ God created light and the world for us to enjoy; God wants to bless us and let us live joyous lives together. When we are at the end of our lives, can we say confidently that we have no regrets? Our lives are so limited and so short, so we must live it fully and joyously. Do not spend too much time regretting or being upset, but to hold onto every opportunity and live a balanced life.
V9-10 ‘Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore, remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.’ Young people have a lot of flesh desires, they tend to do what they want to do, they see something good, and they want to seek it. But they must remember that God will be the judge in everything, at the end of days, we will be responsible for our own lives.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, do not wait until we are old to serve God, but to fear the Lord when we are young. We should also teach our children to fear the Lord instead of seeking the worldly gains. It’s not about given how much love and blessings to our children, but about teaching them, guiding them, and showing them that whatever they have is from God, and whatever they want to do they must be accountable to God. Is everything we do honouring the Lord and showing our fear in the Lord? We must also help our young people to not fail in their flesh desires. It’s just like how Paul was teaching the young people to stay away from lustful desires.
God can make the way for us to fulfil the dreams of our youth. So never regret for the things we did not get to do in the past, because God has His best timing and as long as we continue to hunger for God and to seek God, He will redeem everything we have lost.
传道书 11 – 得胜生活的秘诀
2022年2月17日 星期四
Kathy 师母
传道书前面的篇章讲到人生的虚空、艰难，和信靠神的喜乐和满足，本章则坚定告诉我们面对生活该有的态度。
一、把握机会 殷勤的生活 v.1-6
V1-2 我们一开始的背景、条件、机遇可能没有别人好，但当我们把握机会、愿意起来被扩张的时候，我们会成为最后的赢家。第1节的“粮食”就是机会，也有译本解释为金钱，就是要把金钱放在对的贸易上，以至于你有得利的一天。面对人生的投资，我们要懂得分散，“分给七人或分给八人”，不要把所有的资源都放在同一个篮子。我们面对生活中不同的挑战，是否会用自己“不懂”为借口而逃避，还是愿意承担挑战、跨越自我不可能? 当我们愿意尝试，神会扩张我们，将更多的能力、才干、恩赐加给我们，“因为凡有的，还要加给他，叫他有余；没有的，连他所有的也要夺过来”（马太福音25:29）。我们已经有圣灵的内住，所以不管我们有“一千两、两千两、或者五千两”，都要善用神给我们的“粮食”。面对难题，我们看到是解决的方案，面对不确定的机会，我们可以祷告，若是从神而来的机会，神会印证。让我们把握在主里临到我们的机会，不怕跨越不熟悉的领域，成为那忠心又良善的仆人。
V3-4 我们会有自己的计划和筹备，但天有不测风云，我们若只看环境就可能会退缩不前，“不撒种”也“不收割”。面对神给我们的挑战，不要瞻前顾后，不要想太多或给自己太多借口，不然会错失神给我们机会。
V5 在作者的年代，风吹的轨迹，胎儿如何长成，人都不知道。我们人所能看见、知道的是有限的，心中会有很多“不可能”。但是当我们与神有亲密关系，我们就能明白神的心意，面对挑战时才能知道这是陷阱还是提升。若这是从神而来，我们就要迎难而上。我们在“行万事之神的作为”面前要承认自己的有限，也要用信心启动天国，愿意接受挑战和机会，与神同工，我们就会看到倍增、突破。要破除“害怕做错决定”的内在誓言，即使一次失败了，只要我们倚靠神，走在神的心意里，我们就有得胜的确据。当然，面对挑战，我们需要属灵领袖或同伴的指导或验证，若我们的动机是神所喜悦的，问题有解决的方案，就凭信心做出行动，不要瞻前顾后，不害怕自己的损失。若心里有很多恐惧，就要更多的祷告，神必会印证、指引。我们在寻求神心意的时候不要用“求印证”当作拒绝神给我们感动的借口。
V6 在面对人生时，得胜的生活态度就是“殷勤”。有些人是“原地踏步”的人，只想轻轻松松过自己的生活，不愿接受挑战；但是殷勤的人不怕面对困难，在这个不断变化的世界会持续提升自己。殷勤、认真生活的人是可以感动别人的。我们或许因为过去的伤害变得只想要得过且过，但我们要将过去一切带到神的面前，用全新的眼光来看待生活中的一切，对焦于神。
二、喜乐平衡的生活 v.7-10
V7-8 神创造世上万物是要祝福我们。当我们觉得自己好像走进一个死胡同、在一个走不出来的困难中，可以抬头看看神所创造的大自然，就会发现，神创造我们并非让我们愁苦，世上这些美好的事物是可以让我们喜乐的。然而，我们也会面对“黑暗的日子”，所以要有平衡的生活。我们如何到年老回看自己过去一生的时候能不后悔？
V9 本段最后两节与第12章的前半部分是连在一起的。在这一段作者提醒“少年人”在年轻时要如何度过。人在年少的时候有很多时间，也有从父母而来很多的资源，所以要懂得节制，不要纵欲享乐、任意妄为。我们可以享受人生，但这一切都要在“敬虔”里面，因为“为这一切的事神必审问你”。我们如何活出敬虔、喜乐平衡的生活，就是要愿意被圣灵管理，过有节制的生活，知道我们所做的一切事、所浪费的一切光阴，神都看到，将来我们在天上要向神交账。不要等到年老的时候才想来服事神，但要教导我们的孩子，“敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端”，让他们来到神面前，知道他们所得的一切祝福都来自于神。人在年轻的时候什么都可以做，但对我们和周围的人没有益处的事就不要做，能做出这个判断的根源就在于有“敬畏神”的心 – 就是我们所做的事要尊荣神。
V10 如何能避免青少年放纵情欲，陷入虚空？作者提出两个重要的教导：
1）“从心中除掉愁烦”：愁烦也指悲愤 – 年轻人里面有叛逆的根，很容易对现实不满，很想要颠覆传统，这个情绪若不能正面疏导，最后就会让人做出破坏性的行为、甚至造成价值观扭曲。要为年轻人祷告，让他们顺服在圣灵的管理之下，让他们的思想、创意有正面的出口，能带出正面的影响力。
2）“从肉体克去邪恶”：帮助青少年克制肉体的败坏。保罗在提摩太前书2:21-22劝诫青年人“脱离卑贱的事，…做贵重的器皿，…逃避少年的私欲…”。年轻人血气方刚，有很多私欲需要被引导。我们要提醒他们自尊自重，教导正确的交友观念，避免男女交往中的危险。
“因为一生的开端和幼年之时，都是虚空的”：我们如何能finish well? 我们的人生不能后悔，不能回到过去，但我们要相信，因着我们愿意紧紧跟随神，神会帮助我们赎回过去失去的光阴。在被神恢复的过程中，我们以前无法完成的梦想或许就能在对的时间成就。过去被仇敌杀害、偷窃、毁坏的时间、健康、平安、财富等等，神都可以为我们赎回，因他是我们的救赎主。