【双语灵修】静候主言成全WATCH FOR GOD’S WORD TO BE FULFILLED

马太福音1:22-25

这一切的事成就，是要应验主藉先知所说的话说： “必有童女怀孕生子，人要称他的名为以马内利。”（“以马内利”翻出来就是“神与我们同在”。） 约瑟醒了，起来，就遵着主使者的吩咐把妻子娶过来， 只是没有和她同房，等她生了儿子，就给他起名叫耶稣。

12月10日

静候主言成全

「必有童女怀孕生子，人要称他的名为以马内利（以马内利翻出来就是「神与我们同在」。）」- 马太福音 1:23

在圣诞叙事中，约瑟是经常被忽略的角色。福音书记载主耶稣降生时，约瑟始终静默无言，只是细细思量生命中的际遇，竭力寻求顺服神之道。

马利亚的怀孕令福音书的作者想起以赛亚七百年前的预言：「必有童女怀孕生子…」（参《以赛亚书》7:14）。以赛亚时代国难当前，神指引子民留意一个婴孩的降生—这婴孩的生命印证了纵使遭遇患难，神依然与人同在。因着这应许的提醒，约瑟获得了持守婚约的勇气。

在耶稣降临的事件中，神呼召我们观看祂在世工作的宏大叙事，这叙事印证了祂始终与我们同在。虽然因着人性的软弱和罪性，我们难以完全顺服神、体验祂的同在，但神的大能进入了我们破碎的生命，使我们脱离了罪，并激励我们忠心地生活—神亲自进入我们的故事，使之全然更新。

或许约瑟最伟大的力量，正是他静默等候神的话，成全的顺服。在这个圣诞，愿我们凝望圣子降世之时，得见神如何成就了对我们的应许。

祷告

神啊，感谢你与我们同在。当我们注目耶稣降生之时，愿得见你的应许在我们生命中成就，将救恩与平安带给困顿的灵魂。阿们。

Matthew 1:22-25

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10

WATCH FOR GOD’S WORD TO BE FULFILLED

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). —Matthew 1:23

Joseph is sometimes an overlooked character in the Christmas story. He never speaks in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth. Instead, he considers the events of his life carefully in order to try to do his best to obey God.

The circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy brought a 700-year-old prophecy from Isaiah to the gospel writer’s mind: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son . . .” (see Isaiah 7:14). At a time of national crisis in Isaiah’s day, God had pointed his people to the birth of a child that would show God was present with them, despite the troubles they were facing. With a reminder of that assurance, Joseph gained the courage to keep his pledge with Mary.

In the coming of Jesus, God calls our attention to the larger story of his work in the world, a story that assures us of his presence with us. Our human weakness and sin keep us from obeying God and experiencing his presence. But God’s power breaks into our broken lives to rescue us from sin and inspire us to faithful living. God has transformed our stories by becoming a part of them himself.

Perhaps Joseph’s greatest strength was his quiet willingness to watch for God’s word to be fulfilled. This Christmas, may we also see the fulfillment of God’s promise to us as we consider the birth of his Son.

Thank you, Lord God, for being with us. As we focus on Jesus’ birth, may we see your word fulfilled in our lives, bringing salvation and peace to our troubled souls. Amen.