The Hardest Places / 绝望之处
Dexu Xia
The Hardest Places
Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea. Genesis 41:49
Geoff is a youth pastor today in the same city where he once abused heroin. God transformed both his heart and his circumstances in a breathtaking way. “I want to keep kids from making the same mistakes and suffering the pain I went through,” Geoff said. “And Jesus will help them.” Over time, God set him free from the slavery of addiction and has given him a vital ministry in spite of his past.
God has ways of bringing unexpected good out of situations where hope seems lost. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt and falsely accused and sent to prison, where he was forgotten for years. But God restored him and placed him in a position of authority directly under Pharaoh, where he was able to save many lives—including the lives of his brothers who’d abandoned him. There in Egypt Joseph married and had children. He named the second Ephraim (drawn from the Hebrew term for “twice fruitful”), and gave this reason: “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering” (Genesis 41:52).
Geoff’s and Joseph’s stories, while separated by three to four thousand years, point to the same unchanging truth: even the hardest places in our lives can become fertile ground for God to help and bless many. Our Savior’s love and power never change, and He’s always faithful to those who trust in Him.
When have you seen God bring something good out of difficulty in your life? How can you use your past problems to encourage others today?
All-powerful Father, I praise You that nothing is too hard for You! Thank You for Your perfect faithfulness, today and forever.
绝望之处
约瑟积蓄五谷甚多，如同海边的沙。-创世记41章49节
欧牧师在某个城市从事青少年事工，难以想像当年他曾在当地吸食海洛因，他的改变让人看到上帝的作为。上帝以奇妙的方式，改变了他的心，让他从一个吸毒者变成牧师。他说：“我期望这些孩子们别重蹈我的覆辙，也不要再受同样的苦。我相信耶稣一定会帮助他们！”这些年来，上帝救他脱离毒瘾的辖制，而且不在乎他的过去，仍赋予他重要的使命。
当人们处在看似绝望之处，上帝却能带来意想不到的祝福！像约瑟虽被哥哥们卖到埃及为奴，又遭人诬告而入狱，甚至被遗忘多年。后来上帝再次让约瑟得到提升，成为万人之上仅次于法老的宰相，使他能拯救众人脱离饥荒，甚至还救了那些曾出卖他的哥哥们。约瑟在埃及娶妻生子，并将次子取名为以法莲（希伯来文意为“使之昌盛”），原因是“上帝使我在受苦的地方昌盛”（创世记41章52节）。
欧牧师与约瑟虽时隔三、四千年之久，但他们的经历却都指出一个恒久不变的真理：人生最绝望之处，却可以是上帝要使人蒙福并得益处的沃土。救主的慈爱与大能从未改变，祂总是信实地看顾所有信靠祂的人。
全能的天父，我赞美祢，因为在祢没有难成的事！
谢谢祢，因祢全然信实，从今时直到永远。
你何时曾经历上帝将苦难转为祝福？
你要如何以自己的经历使人得激励呢？