【双语灵修】回顾(与前瞻)Looking Back (And Forward)
神真是美好
“摩西从摩押平原登尼波山,上了那与耶利哥相对的毗斯迦山顶。耶和华把基列全地 …都指给他看。” - 申 34:1, 3
如果你跟我一起在密歇根大道出发,经过Root Brothers五金店和那间货币兑换店的霓虹灯招牌,我们便渐渐离开了RCM的社区。在后视镜中我们可以远远望见这个月灵修中提及的人物 - Lloyd、Annette、Bob、Corey、Charlene、Kimberly、Tina、Terrell、和很多其他的人。
摩西离世之前,神带他上登尼波山,让他遥望应许地。但如果没有一个目的地又怎能前瞻呢?如果不记得来时的旅程又怎能后顾呢?我能想像摩西不单向前方遥望应许地,他更回头看向所走过的路途:旷野、红海、埃及(参看出埃及记12至20章)。多么不平凡的旅程。
停下脚步来回顾,能够帮助我们从欢庆的视角去看待神以往的信实。就如我们之前所说:“‘若不是耶和华帮助我们,’我们如今会沦落到怎样的地步?”(十二月八日的灵修)
在今年即将完结时,让我们来回顾一下2023年的旅程。请记住那些如在旷野、如在巅峰的日子、那些已经离世的人和那些刚刚降生的婴孩、那些在这段时间建立的友谊。让我们回望神在2023年的信实,然后向前眺望2024年。这是一个多么精彩的旅程啊!
神真是美好!
祷告
主啊,感谢你过去一年的信实和在整个旅程中与我们同在。感谢你赐回顾和前赡的恩福。阿们。
申命记 34章
1摩西从摩押平原登尼波山,上了那与耶利哥相对的毗斯迦山顶。耶和华把基列全地直到但,
2拿弗他利全地,以法莲、玛拿西的地,犹大全地直到西海,
3南地和棕树城耶利哥的平原,直到琐珥,都指给他看。
4耶和华对他说:“这就是我向亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起誓应许之地,说:‘我必将这地赐给你的后裔。’现在我使你眼睛看见了,你却不得过到那里去。”
5于是,耶和华的仆人摩西死在摩押地,正如耶和华所说的。
6耶和华将他埋葬在摩押地,伯毗珥对面的谷中,只是到今日没有人知道他的坟墓。
7摩西死的时候年一百二十岁,眼目没有昏花,精神没有衰败。
8以色列人在摩押平原为摩西哀哭了三十日,为摩西居丧哀哭的日子就满了。
9嫩的儿子约书亚因为摩西曾按手在他头上,就被智慧的灵充满,以色列人便听从他,照着耶和华吩咐摩西的行了。
10以后以色列中再没有兴起先知像摩西的,他是耶和华面对面所认识的。
11耶和华打发他在埃及地向法老和他的一切臣仆,并他的全地,行各样神迹奇事,
12又在以色列众人眼前显大能的手,行一切大而可畏的事。
Looking Back (And Forward)
"Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land. . . ." - Deuteronomy 34:1
Come with me down Michigan Avenue, past Root Brothers Hardware and the blinking neon sign at the Currency Exchange. As we leave the Roseland neighborhood, in the rearview mirror we can see the people and places we reflected on this month—Lloyd, Annette, Bob, Corey, Charlene, Kimberly, Tina, Terrell, and many more.
Before Moses died, God allowed him to go up Mount Nebo for a glimpse of the promised land. But what is looking forward if there is nowhere to look forward from? What is arrival with no memory of the journey? I imagine Moses looked not just toward the promised land but also back in the direction of the wilderness, the Red Sea, and Egypt (see Exodus 12-20). What a journey.
Pausing to look back gives us the gift of perspective to celebrate God's faithfulness over time. As we said earlier, "'If the Lord had not been on our side,' where would we be?" (Dec. 8).
As this year ends, look back on the journey that was 2023. Remember the wilderness moments, the mountaintops, the people we lost, the babies that were born, and the friendships that formed. Let's look back on the faithfulness of God in 2023 as we then look ahead to 2024. What a journey.
God is good!
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your faithfulness this year and for your presence with us on the journey. Thank you for the gift of looking back—and for what lies ahead. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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