【双语灵修】根基稳固 Grounded

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“乃要被圣灵充满。当用诗章、颂词、灵歌彼此对说 … 奉 … 耶稣的名，常常感谢父神。” - 弗 5:18-20

我的外甥女一家今年遭受到严重的打击。她的丈夫突然去世，留下她独自一人去照顾三个年幼的女儿。六个星期后，她那九岁的女儿被诊断出患了癌症。女儿动了手术割除肿瘤，跟着进行了四个月的化疗，几个月之后又发现了第二个肿瘤。当我写这篇文章的时刻，她正在动手术割除肿瘤。在我们等待手术结果时、伴随数以百计的人以祷告和鼓励围绕她们，我们把她交托在神丰富的慈爱和看顾保守之中。

在这场争战之中，我听到家人和其他她们周围的代祷者的赞美和敬拜，这就像保罗和西拉在腓立比坐牢时所发出的赞美和敬拜。他们被鞭打和下在监里，但他们不会放弃。纵使在最困难的境况中，他们与神的关系和对祂的信靠坚定不移，带领他们在神深厚的良善和慈爱中与人分享主恩。

你是否准备好，无论生命中正在面对什么挑战，仍然去与人分享神的慈爱和良善呢？你是否准备好活出神在你身上的计划呢？不论你的境况如何，惟愿神的丰盛恩惠充满你。

祷告

主啊，我们或许不喜欢或不明白我们现在的境况，然而，在我们每天面对挑战时，求你赐我们力量，以行动来信靠和尊崇你。奉主耶稣圣名祈求，阿们。

使徒行传 16:16-40

16后来，我们往那祷告的地方去，有一个使女迎着面来，她被巫鬼所附，用法术叫她主人们大得财利。
17她跟随保罗和我们，喊着说：“这些人是至高神的仆人，对你们传说救人的道！”
18她一连多日这样喊叫，保罗就心中厌烦，转身对那鬼说：“我奉耶稣基督的名，吩咐你从她身上出来！”那鬼当时就出来了。
19使女的主人们见得利的指望没有了，便揪住保罗和西拉，拉他们到市上去见首领，
20又带到官长面前，说：“这些人原是犹太人，竟骚扰我们的城，
21传我们罗马人所不可受、不可行的规矩。”
22众人就一同起来攻击他们。官长吩咐剥了他们的衣裳，用棍打。
23打了许多棍，便将他们下在监里，嘱咐禁卒严紧看守。
24禁卒领了这样的命，就把他们下在内监里，两脚上了木狗。
25约在半夜，保罗和西拉祷告，唱诗赞美神，众囚犯也侧耳而听。
26忽然地大震动，甚至监牢的地基都摇动了，监门立刻全开，众囚犯的锁链也都松开了。
27禁卒一醒，看见监门全开，以为囚犯已经逃走，就拔刀要自杀。
28保罗大声呼叫说：“不要伤害自己！我们都在这里。”
29禁卒叫人拿灯来，就跳进去，战战兢兢地俯伏在保罗、西拉面前，
30又领他们出来，说：“二位先生，我当怎样行才可以得救？”
31他们说：“当信主耶稣，你和你一家都必得救。”
32他们就把主的道讲给他和他全家的人听。
33当夜，就在那时候，禁卒把他们带去，洗他们的伤，他和属乎他的人立时都受了洗。
34于是禁卒领他们上自己家里去，给他们摆上饭，他和全家因为信了神都很喜乐。
35到了天亮，官长打发差役来，说：“释放那两个人吧！”
36禁卒就把这话告诉保罗说：“官长打发人来叫释放你们。如今可以出监，平平安安地去吧！”
37保罗却说：“我们是罗马人，并没有定罪，他们就在众人面前打了我们，又把我们下在监里。现在要私下撵我们出去吗？这是不行的。叫他们自己来领我们出去吧！”
38差役把这话回禀官长。官长听见他们是罗马人，就害怕了，
39于是来劝他们，领他们出来，请他们离开那城。
40二人出了监，往吕底亚家里去，见了弟兄们，劝慰他们一番，就走了。

Grounded

"Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit . . . giving thanks to God the Father . . . in the name of . . . Jesus. . . ." - Ephesians 5:18-20

My niece's family has faced serious trauma this year. Her husband passed away suddenly, leaving her with three young girls to care for. Six weeks later, her nine-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery to remove it, and went through four months of chemotherapy. Then a few months later a second tumor was found. As I write this, she is in surgery to have it removed. As we wait for answers and as hundreds of people surround them with prayer and encouragement, we entrust them to the fullness of God's love and care.

And in the midst of this battle, I hear praise and worship from family members and others who surround them. This is similar to the praise and worship that Paul and Silas engaged in while sitting in a prison in Philippi. They had been beaten and jailed but did not give up. Their relationship and trust in God led them to share from the depths of God's goodness and love even in the hardest of circumstances.

Are you ready to share about the love and goodness of God, whatever life's challenges may be? Are you ready to live into the plans God has for you? May you be filled with the fullness of God regardless of your circumstances.

Prayer

Lord, we may not like or understand the circumstances we are in, but please give us the strength to trust and honor you with our actions amid the challenges we face each day. In Jesus, Amen.