Making Room for others 为他人腾出空间
Dexu Xia
“God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6
Today's Scripture Psalm 68:1-10
Today's Insights The psalmist encourages us that “God sets the lonely in families” (68:6). God understood humanity’s need for companionship from the very beginning. After creating Adam, He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). No suitable helper was found among the animals, so God made Eve, a woman, the perfect companion for Adam (vv. 20-23). God’s first words to them were to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28).
God has also given us a spiritual family—a community of believers in Jesus (Galatians 6:10; 1 Peter 2:17)—to dispel our loneliness and encourage us in our walk with Christ (Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). As believers in Jesus, we can be fruitful by sharing the gospel and inviting others into the family of God.
Today's Devotional Each year my family designs a custom wall calendar, but lately it’s gotten a bit crowded. We decorate each month with our favorite photos from the previous year and highlight significant dates. As our family welcomes new spouses and children, we’ve had to squeeze in more photos to make sure every person is included. We now have two sets of shared birthdays, and some holidays are covered up by anniversaries. But instead of detracting from the calendar, all the new members make it even more precious to me.
In God’s kingdom, the inclusion of newcomers is always a blessing. The Bible tells us that “God sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6). His love and protection are communicated in the context of a family, as He’s “a father to the fatherless” and “a defender of widows” (v. 5). His heart is to welcome those who are isolated, ashamed, or accused, and thus “he leads out the prisoners with singing” (v. 6).
As believers in Jesus, we’ve been adopted into God’s family (Galatians 4:5), and we’re commissioned to share His open invitation with others (2 Corinthians 5:20). Like my family calendar, the more people who accept the invitation into God’s family, the more beautiful it becomes. We don’t have to be concerned about running out of a finite resource—there’s room enough for everyone, and He delights in new additions.
Reflect & Pray
How can you share the invitation to God’s family with others today? What does it mean that there’s room for all?
Thank You, God, for loving me and letting me share Your love with others.
“神使孤独的人有家”（诗篇 68:6）
今日经文 诗篇 68:1-10
今日心得 诗篇作者鼓励我们，因为“神使孤独的人有家”（68:6）。神从一开始就明白人类对陪伴的需求。在创造亚当之后，祂说：“那人独居不好，我要为他造一个配偶帮助他”（创世记 2:18）。由于在动物中找不到合适的配偶，神就造了女人夏娃，作为亚当的完美伴侣（20-23节）。神对他们说的第一句话是“要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地”（1:28）。 神也赐给我们一个属灵的家庭，一个信耶稣的群体（加拉太书 6:10；彼得前书 2:17），来驱散我们的孤独，并鼓励我们与基督同行。（加拉太书 6:2；希伯来书 10:24-25；帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:11）。作为耶稣的信徒，我们可以通过分享福音和邀请他人加入神的家而结出丰硕的果实。
今日灵修 每年我的家人都会设计一个定制的挂历，但最近它变得有点拥挤了。我们用去年最喜欢的一些照片，来装饰每个月份，并突出重要的日期。随着我们家迎来新的配偶和孩子，我们不得不挤进更多的照片，以确保每个人都能参与其中。现在我们有两组生日是相同的，有些节日也被周年纪念日所掩盖。但所有新成员非但没有减损日历的魅力，反而让我更加珍惜它。
在神的国度里，新成员的加入总是一种祝福。圣经告诉我们，“神使孤独的人有家”（诗篇 68:6）。他的爱和保护是在家庭的背景下传达的，因为他是“孤儿的父，也是寡妇的伸冤者（5节）。他乐意接纳那些孤立、羞愧或被控告的人，因此“他用歌声带领被囚的人出来”（6节）。
作为耶稣的信徒，我们被接纳进入神的家（加拉太书4:5），并被差遣与他人分享祂的邀请（哥林多后书5:20）。就像我的家庭日历一样，越多人接受邀请加入神的家，它就越美好。我们不必担心有限的资源耗尽，家里有足够的空间容纳每个人，祂也乐意接纳新成员。
反思与祷告 今天，你如何与他人分享神家的邀请？“家里有足够的空间容纳所有人”是什么意思？ 神啊，谢谢你爱我，让我与他人分享你的爱。