【双语灵修】有确据的羊CONFIDENT SHEEP

诗篇 23

耶和华是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。 他使我躺卧在青草地上，领我在可安歇的水边。他使我的灵魂苏醒，为自己的名引导我走义路。

我虽然行过死荫的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因为你与我同在，你的杖、你的竿都安慰我。在我敌人面前，你为我摆设筵席，你用油膏了我的头，使我的福杯满溢。 我一生一世必有恩惠、慈爱随着我，我且要住在耶和华的殿中，直到永远。

7月31日

有确据的羊

“耶和华是我的牧者……。” -诗 23:1

诗篇的作者写这首美丽的诗歌时，他大有可能正在回想在以色列子民的历史中，主的手怎样一直带领他们。

神曾经呼召祂子民的祖先，应许做他们的神，赐福给他们和他们的后裔（创世记十三至三十五章）。神曾经拯救他们离开埃及为奴之地，信实地引领他们经过沙漠荒地，和进入迦南应许之地（出埃及记三章至约书亚记二十四章）。在迦南地，他们以与神立约的子民身份安顿下来。在这地，诗人大卫建立耶路撒冷作为敬拜神的中心（撒母耳记下五至七章）。

当神的儿子耶稣来到，活在我们中间，又教导我们时，祂重拾这篇诗篇的美丽主题，宣告祂就是那位必定会看顾羊群的好牧羊人，呼召凡跟随祂的人奉祂的名来享受永恒的生命（约翰福音十章）。耶稣又告诉跟随祂的人，今天仍活在我们里面的圣灵将会降临，以神的同在充满我们，和教导我们去效法耶稣的样式过生活（约翰福音十四至十六章）。

历世历代以来，这位信实的主，我们的牧者，都让我们去认识祂。当我们迷路时，祂会寻找我们，又呼召我们去跟随祂，享受丰盛的生命。

我们与这位牧者同行时，惟愿我们确信祂信实的看顾，并且被感动所有蒙祂选召进入祂羊圈的人，分享祂的恩典。

祷告

主啊，当祢的脸光照我们，又把祢的平安赐给我们时，求祢继续赐福给我们和保守我们。阿们。

Psalm 23

THURSDAY, JULY 31

CONFIDENT SHEEP

The LORD is my shepherd. . . . —Psalm 23:1

When the psalm writer wrote this beautiful song, he may well have been thinking of the Lord’s guiding hand throughout the history of his people Israel.

God had called the people’s forefathers, promising to be their God and to bless them and their descendants (Genesis 12-35). God had freed the people from slavery in Egypt, guiding them faithfully through desert wastelands to the promised land of Canaan (Exodus 3 - Joshua 24), where they became established as his covenant people—and where David, the psalmist himself, set up Jerusalem as the center where God would be worshiped (2 Samuel 5-7).

And when Jesus, the Son of God, came to live and teach among us, he picked up on the beautiful themes of this psalm to announce that he is the good shepherd who will always care for God’s sheep, calling all who will follow him to have eternal life in his name (John 10). Jesus also introduced his followers to the coming of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us today, filling us with God’s presence and teaching us to live like Jesus (John 14-16).

Throughout history the faithful Lord our shepherd has made himself known to us, seeking us out when we were lost, and calling us to follow him and have life to the full.

As we journey with the shepherd, may we be confident in his faithful care and inspired to participate in his grace for all whom he calls to his fold.

Lord, continue to bless and keep us as you shine your face on us and give us your peace. Amen.