【双语灵修】感到像羊那样窘迫FEELING SHEEPISH
诗篇 23:1
耶和华是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
7月2日
感到像羊那样窘迫
“耶和华是我的牧者……。” -诗 23:1
耶和华若是我们的牧者，那么，诗篇的作者便把我们视为羊儿了。
我未必喜欢被人比拟为一只羊。羊并不聪明，人就聪明得多了。不管是好还是坏，我们有更大的能力去掌控自己的人生。那么，我们怎么会像羊呢？
我猜测诗篇的作者或许是想强调羊是多么脆弱吧！例如，它们缺乏抵御捕食者的能力。并且羊不太擅长寻找路线或最好的放牧草地，它们需要一位牧羊人带领它们到美好的青草地和可饮用的水源。
我们人类也是一样脆弱的。我们往往过着匆忙、自顾不睱的生活，这种生活使我们筋疲力竭，令我们几乎没有时间去做那些能让我们更新心灵的事情。我们并不是常常选择对我们有益处的事情。
我们会弄不清楚谁是我们的敌人，而我们也时常忘记那欺哄人的父，就是我们最大的敌人，它会告诉我们任何理由，使我们相信自己不配得牧羊人的关注和看顾。我们误信谎言，以为没有足够的资源可分给所有人，所以我们要在资源耗尽之前，尽力去争取。那欺哄者误导我们，叫我们以为自己是孤单一人在走生命的道路。
我们都是脆弱的，而且需要一位牧羊人。究竟在哪些方面，我们像羊一样，需要一位牧羊人呢？
祷告
好牧羊人啊，我们需要祢。我们知道不能单靠自己好好管理生命，求祢帮助我们把脆弱的地方交托给祢，并且接受祢睿智的看顾。阿们。
Psalm 23:1
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2
FEELING SHEEPISH
The Lord is my shepherd. . . . —Psalm 23:1
If the Lord is our shepherd, then the psalm writer is thinking of us as sheep.
I’m not so sure that I like being compared to a sheep. Sheep are not very bright. Humans are far more intelligent. For better or worse, we have more capacity for directing our own lives. So how are we like sheep?
I wonder if the psalm writer might be highlighting how vulnerable sheep are. They have few defenses from predators, for example. And sheep are not very good at finding their way or finding the best grazing areas. They need a shepherd to bring them to good pastures and to find good water to drink.
We humans are vulnerable too. We often lead hurried, distracted lives that wear us out and leave little room for the things that will refresh our souls. We don’t always choose what is good for us.
We can get confused about who our enemies are, and we often forget that our major enemy, the father of lies, will tell us anything to make us believe that we are unworthy of the shepherd’s attention and care. We fall for the lie that there isn’t enough to go around and that we need to get what we can before it is all gone. The deceiver makes us think that we are alone on the journey.
We are vulnerable, and we need a shepherd. In what other ways are we like sheep in need of a shepherd?
We need you, Good Shepherd. Help us to entrust our vulnerabilities to your wise care, knowing that we cannot manage our lives well on our own. Amen.