【双语灵修】无望 Hopelessness

“我们听见声音，是战抖惧怕而不平安的声音。” - 耶 30:4

任何与抑郁症作斗争的人都知道，耶利米所描述的 “战抖惧怕而不平安 ”的感觉。几年前，我经历了一段时期，我觉得我已经失去了服事的呼召。我觉得我什么都做不好，我没有理由再服事了。我感到失落、孤独和无助。我很害怕。

当耶利米预言以色列和犹大的时候，他描述了他们非常无助的情况。他们是一个被奴役的民族，过着看起来无望的生活。他们唯一知道做的事情就是在恐惧和害怕中呼喊。他们不知道平安是什么。

但主并没有撇下他们。在他们遇到困难的时候，神听见了他们，祂应许与他们同在，并将拯救他们。

当我们在恐惧和惧怕中呼喊时，神会听到我们，就像祂听到以色列和犹大一样。祂在我们无望的时候听见我们。而且神不会撇下我们。

无论你感到多么孤独，神都与你同在。无论你多么害怕，神都将你放在祂的手中。因此，当恐惧和惊吓笼罩着你时，要寻求神。当平安无处可寻，无助压倒你时，神就在那里，祂要平息你的恐惧，把你从牢笼中解救出来。

祷告

救赎的神，恐惧常常压倒我们，平安似乎离我们很远。今天，求你把我们从那里带出来，进入你的怀抱。阿们。

耶利米书 30:1-11

1耶和华的话临到耶利米说：
2“耶和华以色列的神如此说：你将我对你说过的一切话都写在书上。
3耶和华说：日子将到，我要使我的百姓以色列和犹大被掳的人归回。我也要使他们回到我所赐给他们列祖之地，他们就得这地为业。这是耶和华说的。”
4以下是耶和华论到以色列和犹大所说的话。
5耶和华如此说：“我们听见声音，是战抖惧怕而不平安的声音。
6你们且访问看看，男人有产难吗？我怎么看见人人用手掐腰，像产难的妇人，脸面都变青了呢？
7哀哉！那日为大，无日可比。这是雅各遭难的时候，但他必被救出来。”
8万军之耶和华说：“到那日，我必从你颈项上折断仇敌的轭，扭开他的绳索，外邦人不得再使你做他们的奴仆。
9你们却要侍奉耶和华你们的神，和我为你们所要兴起的王大卫。”
10故此，耶和华说：“我的仆人雅各啊，不要惧怕！以色列啊，不要惊惶！因我要从远方拯救你，从被掳到之地拯救你的后裔，雅各必回来得享平靖安逸，无人使他害怕。
11因我与你同在，要拯救你。也要将所赶散你到的那些国灭绝净尽，却不将你灭绝净尽。倒要从宽惩治你，万不能不罚你。”这是耶和华说的。

Hopelessness

"Cries of fear are heard—terror, not peace." - Jeremiah 30:4

Anyone who has battled depression knows the feeling of “terror, not peace” described by Jeremiah. A few years ago I experienced a time in which I felt I had lost my calling to work in ministry. I felt that I couldn’t do anything right and that I had no reason to be working in ministry anymore. I felt lost, alone, and helpless. I was afraid.

As Jeremiah prophesies about Israel and Judah, he describes them in a very helpless situation. They are an enslaved people living a seemingly hopeless existence. The only thing that they know to do is to cry out in fear and in terror. Peace is not a companion that they know.

But the Lord doesn’t leave them there. In their time of trouble, God hears them, and he promises that he is with them and will deliver them.

God hears us when we cry out in terror and fear, just as he heard Israel and Judah. He hears us in our hopelessness. And God doesn’t leave us there.

No matter how alone you might feel, God is with you. No matter how afraid you might be, God has you in his hands. So when fear and terror overwhelm you, look for God. When peace is nowhere to be found and helplessness overwhelms you, God is there to calm your fears and deliver you from captivity.

Prayer

Delivering God, fear overwhelms us so often, and peace can seem so far away. Bring us out of that place and into your arms today. Amen.