4月22日： 神的应许 The Promises of God

4月22日：

神的应许

The Promises of God

应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神……

——腓4：6

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
—Philippians 4:6 (TLB)

历史学家称我们所处的时代为“焦虑的时代”。当我们把希望建立在神之外的物质上，自然会产生焦虑的结果；我们把神之外的物质做为我们的目标，必然会遭遇挫折，历经失败。虽然我们比上一代人有更少的担忧，但现实中我们仍然有很多担忧；虽然我们比我们的祖先更安逸，实际上我们仍然有很多不安；虽然我们没有理由焦虑，但我们内心还是充满焦虑。长满茧子的双手是拾荒者（开拓者）的标志，紧皱的眉头是现代人的特征。

神没有承诺除去我们所有的困难和麻烦。实际上，我认为虔诚的基督徒在与所处的社会争战而不是与身边的人争战。社会正在向着一个方向发展，而基督教在向着相反的方向发展，这必带来摩擦和争战，但是神应许我们，在争战和困境中必有真正的平安与和平伴随着我们，世界上的人永远不明白。

Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. When we make anything else our goal, frustration and defeat are inevitable. Though we have less to worry about than previous generations, we have more worry. Though we have it easier than our forefathers, we have more uneasiness. Though we have less real cause for anxiety than our predecessors, we are inwardly more anxious. Calloused hands were the badge of the pioneer, but a furrowed brow is the insignia of modern man.

God has never promised to remove all our troubles, problems, and difficulties. In fact, sometimes I think the truly committed Christian is in conflict with the society around him more than any other person. Society is going in one direction, and the Christian is going in the opposite direction. This brings about friction and conflict. But God has promised, in the midst of trouble and conflict, a genuine peace, a sense of assurance and security, that the worldly person never knows.

今日祷告

主耶稣，求你教导我，使我的眼目仰望你，而不是只关注自己和令人忧愁的事，请赐我内心的平安！

Prayer for the day

Lord Jesus, teach me to keep my eyes centered on You rather than on myself and my anxieties. Help me to allow You to give me peace of heart and mind today.