Friday, 28th January 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-5 Everything is Nothing
The Chinese New Year is around the corner, this is a time God will speak to us and give us direction for the New Year. God is giving us a second chance, because from the beginning of 2022 until now, 28 days have passed, what have we thought about for this new year? Are we willing to humble ourselves, with a thanksgiving heart, and come to God to ask for His guidance for the New Year? Let us be blessed in the love of God!
V1 ‘I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.”’ Do we take notice of the words we speak and the actions we take? Everything comes from our mouth should be according to the Word of God and bear the fruits of the Tree of Life. Often, we think that we need to express our feelings for honest communication, but a lot of time, we speak out of our flesh desires, and we sin in our words without realizing it.
V2 ‘I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; and my sorrow was stirred up.’ We must pray before we speak, do not use our own way but the Heavenly ways! Only God can give us strength and wisdom to respond. Do not try to speak for ourselves immediately, but to let God take over our emotions and our angers. Let us find a place to be alone with God, before we express our negative feelings to others, we must come to God first, and give all our emotions to Him.
V4-5 ‘Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah.’ How much more can we bear? We thought we could carry all the burdens ourselves, but we don’t know how weak our lives are; we don’t know what our tomorrow will be like. We want to do the things we are sure about, but a lot of time when we rely on ourselves to do what we have the confidence to do, then we may fail. Whereas when we rely on God, then He can make things work for our good.
Section Two V6-11 Hope is in the Lord
V6 ‘Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.’ This is the way people live their lives on the earth, to be busy in vain, but at the end, no one gathers our riches. The Book of Job is real, the Lord gives and takes away, therefore we should rely on God more and rely on ourselves less. Give thanks to God always, see His blessings, and see how He has prepared everything for us.
Do we meditate on why things happen in our lives? God allows things to happen for His reasons, He wants us to learn to love and trust. Because everything is in His hands!
Section Three V12-13 The Lord Restores
V12 ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears; for I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were.’ Bring all our mind and thoughts to God, cry before Him, because only He can truly comfort us, guide us, and restore us. V13 ‘Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, before I go away and am no more.’ Do we believe that only the Lord can fulfil all our needs and deep desires? Let us learn to rely more on Him this New Year!
诗篇 39 – 唯有耶和华
2022年1月28日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
神的话语给我们带来爱和盼望，这样无论世界上有什么问题，我们都知道神的恩手不离开我们。我们要谦卑知道自己现在所处的光景，才能从所读的经文中找到最新鲜的亮光。今天是过农历新年前最后一天的晨祷，神究竟要用今天的诗篇对他的儿女说什么话进入新的一年呢？我们过了公元的新年，或许有很多事情还没处理好，但神给我们中华民族的人一个第二次的机会，让我们带着谦卑、感恩的心进入新的一年。在过去的一年，我们看见或经历了很多大风大浪，我们的努力和计划若是没有神，就都是白费的。
一、v.1-5 全都是虚幻
V1 这首诗是统一了以色列12支派的君王大卫所写。他在一开始就说“我要谨慎我的言行”。我们是否也能留意、注意我们的一言一行？我们的言行是否在神的话语中？是否在生命树的气息下说话、做事，并结出果实？我们要对我们自己的身心灵说，“唯有耶和华”。”恶人”指的是不认识神的人。当这些不信神的人在我们面前时，我们不要用自己的方法来解决问题，甚至不要用祷告为借口来骂对方，要懂得勒住我们的舌头，不让自己在言语上犯罪。当我们生气的时候，要先寻求神，找一个与神独处的地方，让神来帮助处理我们里面的小剧场，因为我们的情绪唯有耶和华神才能解决。
V2-3 当我们里面的情绪还没有平息的时候，我们不要在嘴上假虔诚，只要安静，“连好话也不出口”。
V4 大卫没有跟人抱怨，而是向神诉说。他求神让他知道，自己在这个世界他只是一个过客。大卫其实是让神向他的灵和他的魂说话，让他的灵魂也知道自己的生命中所经历那些都会过去。
V5 原文圣经中，“我的年日窄如手掌”意思是我的生命何等脆弱。我们不要以为我们可以在自己的经济或生活上能自己扛很久。我们的生命何等脆弱，特别是在现在这个疫情泛滥的时候，没有人知道我们的明天如何，即使打疫苗也不能保证自己不确诊，但我们要尽我们作为地上公民当尽的责任。大卫没有看自己是一人之下万人之上的王，只求神跟他说话。“虚幻”就是虚空，我们不要以为自己的计划万无一失，因为唯有耶和华才是完全。
二、v.6-11 指望都在于神
V6 我们每天的忙乱都是“枉然”，所积蓄的财宝“不知将来有谁收取”。面对冠状病毒，没有人能保证我们明天不会确诊，所以才更要在神面前谦卑。我们不要以为自己所有的一切都是理所当然的，因为给予的是耶和华，收取的也是耶和华，我们只当感恩神给我们所有的一切。
V8 我们不要沉迷在这个世界里面的好处。
V9 大卫相信“凡临到我的必经过神”。不好的事情发生在我们身上，不代表是神在加害我们，但神既然允许事情临到我们，我们就要去思考神因此而给我们学习的功课。求神帮助我们知道，当我们“所遭遇的是出于”神，我们就当“默然不语”, 要对神有爱有信任。
三、v.12-13 复原在于神
V12 我们遇到不顺的时候，是否只是在分辨善恶树下埋怨，还是愿意跪在神面前流泪祷告？在神面前哭甚至骂是可以的，因为我们都是世上的过客，是寄居的。
V13 在过去的三百六十多天，我们或许累了，我们不要指望人跟我们讲好话甚至道歉，只求神让我们知道唯有耶和华才能让我们“力量复原”，迎接新的一年。