【双语灵修】良善 The Grace Of Goodness

“她广行善事,多施周济。” - 徒 9:36

良善的果实来自于神的奇异恩典,它尽心在力所能及的地方提供帮助和纠正错误,给他人带来益处,使他们感恩和赞美神(太 5:16)。

正如我们今天在经文中读到的,大比大(多加)“一直广行善事,多施周济”。而当她突然病逝的时候,使徒彼得请求神使她复活。神就这样做了!大比大就可以继续行善,因着这个神迹,“许多人信了主”。

巴拿巴,他对教会慷慨解囊,在保罗(扫罗)需要朋友的时候给予帮助,他“是个好人,被圣灵充满,大有信心。”(徒 11:24;另见徒 4:36-37;9:27-28)。

哥尼流是最早信耶稣的外邦人(非犹太人)之一,他已经“是个虔诚人,敬畏神”,而且还“多多周济百姓,常常祷告神。”(徒 10:2)。神赐给他一个异象,叫他邀请彼得到家里去。神也赐给彼得一个异象,叫他去拜访哥尼流。于是彼得就照做了,他把耶稣的福音告诉了哥尼流和聚集在他家的一群人。当天那里的人都领受了圣灵的恩赐,都受了洗(徒 10)!

祷告

主耶稣,我为这世上良善的人感谢你。圣灵啊,请将你的良善注入你所有的百姓,让别人看到并将荣耀归与天父。阿们。

使徒行传 9:36-42

36在约帕有一个女徒,名叫大比大,翻希腊话就是多加。她广行善事,多施赒济。
37当时,她患病而死,有人把她洗了,停在楼上。
38吕大原与约帕相近,门徒听见彼得在那里,就打发两个人去见他,央求他说:“快到我们那里去,不要耽延!”
39彼得就起身和他们同去。到了,便有人领他上楼。众寡妇都站在彼得旁边哭,拿多加与她们同在时所做的里衣外衣给他看。
40彼得叫她们都出去,就跪下祷告,转身对着死人说:“大比大,起来!”她就睁开眼睛,见了彼得,便坐起来。
41彼得伸手扶她起来,叫众圣徒和寡妇进去,把多加活活地交给他们。
42这事传遍了约帕,就有许多人信了主。

The Grace Of Goodness

"She was always doing good and helping the poor." - Acts 9:36

The fruit of goodness arises from the amazing grace of God. It seeks to help and to right wrongs where it can, providing benefits to others and leading them to give thanks and praise to God (Matthew 5:16).

As we have read in our text for today, Tabitha (Dorcas) "was always doing good and helping the poor." And when she suddenly became sick and died, the apostle Peter asked God to bring her back to life. And God did that! Tabitha could then continue with her acts of goodness, and because of this miracle "many people believed in the Lord."

Barnabas, who gave generously to the church and helped Paul (Saul) when he needed a friend, "was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith" (Acts 11:24; see also Acts 4:36-37; 9:27-28).

Cornelius, one of the first Gentiles (non-Jews) to believe in Jesus, was already "devout and God-fearing," and "he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly" (Acts 10:2). God sent him a vision, telling him to invite Peter to his house. God also sent Peter a vision, telling him to go and visit Cornelius. So Peter did that, and he shared the good news of Jesus with Cornelius and with a crowd of people who had gathered at his house. And all the people there received the gift of the Holy Spirit that day and were baptized (Acts 10)!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the good people in this world. Holy Spirit, breathe your goodness into all your people so that others may see and give praise to the Father in heaven. Amen.