【双语灵修】神是我们最亲密的朋友God, OUR Closest Friend
“朋友乃时常亲爱，弟兄为患难而生。” ― 箴 17:17
人际关系是神赐给世人其中一份最大的礼物。神造我们是要我们与人建立关系，祂的计划是要我们能够与其他人交往。
一生中我们会遇到很多人，其中有些我们只有短暂的接触，有的是颇为友善的相识，也有成为朋友的，甚至亲密的朋友，有些更成为一生的同伴。
有些朋友与我们的关系就像一家人那样亲密，我们像兄弟姊妹一样，以爱家人的爱去爱他们。他们就是无论在顺境和逆境中，或是在成功和灾难中，抑或在喜乐和悲伤的时刻都在我们身边支持我们的朋友。
在耶稣里，神其实是我们最亲密的朋友，你知道吗？祂不是一个只打量一下我们的过路人，也不是一个只半途介入我们生活的相识。耶稣乃是我们的兄长、我们最亲密的朋友，祂舍弃了自己的性命，好让我们能成为蒙神接纳的儿女，神永存的家的成员，与祂同作永恒产业的后嗣（参看罗马书 8:14-17）。
祷告
天上的父，我们没法想象祢的家有多大，才能容得下祢接纳的每一个儿女。感谢祢让我们能够与人建立关系。我们期待祢所有的儿女聚集在祢面前，参与最终的筵席的那一天。在我们等待这荣耀的日子时，求祢加添我们信心和忍耐。阿们。
约翰福音 15:11-17
11这些事我已经对你们说了，是要叫我的喜乐存在你们心里，并叫你们的喜乐可以满足。
12你们要彼此相爱，像我爱你们一样，这就是我的命令。
13人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。
14你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。
15以后我不再称你们为仆人，因仆人不知道主人所做的事。我乃称你们为朋友，因我从父所听见的，已经都告诉你们了。
16不是你们拣选了我，是我拣选了你们，并且分派你们去结果子，叫你们的果子常存，使你们奉我的名无论向父求什么，他就赐给你们。
17我这样吩咐你们，是要叫你们彼此相爱。
God, OUR Closest Friend
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." - Proverbs 17:17
One of God's greatest gifts to humanity is relationships. We are created for relationships; we are designed by God to be in community with others.
We will meet many people over our lifetime. With some, we will have no more than brief interactions in passing by, and with others we will have friendly acquaintances. Still others will become friends, even close friends, and others will become companions for life.
With some friends our relationships can feel as close as family, like a brother or sister, and we may love them just like family members. These are friends who will be there in both good times and bad, triumphs and tragedies, times of joy and times of sorrow.
Did you know that, in Jesus, God is actually our closest friend? He isn't a passerby who merely sizes us up, or an acquaintance who enters our life from time to time. Jesus is our brother, our closest friend, who gave up his own life so that we can become the adopted children of God, members of God's everlasting family, and coheirs in his eternal inheritance (see Romans 8:14-17).
Prayer
Father in heaven, we can't imagine how big your home must be to fit all of your adopted sons and daughters in it. Thank you for creating us to be in relationship with others. We look forward to the day when all your children will gather for the ultimate feast in your presence. Strengthen our faith and patience as we wait for that glorious day. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳