our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Oct 16, 2018, 11:02:08 PM10/16/18

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Singing to the Firing Squad

I trusted in the Lord when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” Psalm 116:10

Two men convicted of drug trafficking had been on death row for a decade. While in prison, they learned of God’s love for them in Jesus, and their lives were transformed. When it came time for them to face the firing squad, they faced their executioners reciting the Lord’s Prayer and singing “Amazing Grace.” Because of their faith in God, through the power of the Spirit they were able to face death with incredible courage.

They followed the example of faith set by their Savior, Jesus. When Jesus knew that His death was imminent, He spent part of the evening singing with friends. It’s remarkable that He could sing under such circumstances, but what’s even more remarkable is what He sang. On that night, Jesus and His friends had a Passover meal, which always ends with a series of Psalms known as the Hallel, Psalms 113–118. Facing death, that night Jesus sang about the “cords of death” entangling Him (Psalm 116:3). Yet He praised God’s faithful love (117:2) and thanked Him for salvation (118:14). Surely these Psalms comforted Jesus on the night before His crucifixion.

Jesus’s trust in God was so great that even as He approached His own death—a death He had done nothing to deserve!—He chose to sing of God’s love. Because of Jesus, we too can have confidence that whatever we face, God is with us.

God, strengthen our faith in You so that when we face trials, or even approach death, we can sing with confidence about Your love.

How sweet is the sound of God’s amazing grace!

行刑前的歌唱

我因信，所以如此说话：“我受了极大的困苦。”-诗篇116篇10节

有两个人因为贩毒而被判了死刑，并在牢中坐监十年。在服刑期间，他们听闻福音而认识了耶稣，生命也因此改变。在执行枪决之前，他们在执行官面前，背诵主祷文并吟唱《奇异恩典》。他们因着对上帝的信心，藉着圣灵的大能，才拥有惊人的勇气面对死亡。

他们是遵循救主耶稣的信心榜样。当耶稣知道死亡渐渐逼近时，祂仍在傍晚时和门徒一同歌唱。在当时的状况下还能歌唱，实在令人惊叹！但更难得的是祂所吟唱的内容。那晚，耶稣和门徒一起享用逾越节晚餐，按照惯例，他们会唱“哈利路亚”赞美诗，即诗篇113-118篇。虽然耶稣当晚面临死亡的威胁，唱着“死亡的绳索缠绕我”（116篇3节），但祂依然赞美上帝信实的爱（117篇2节），并感谢祂的救恩（118篇14节）。我们深信在耶稣即将受难的那天晚上，这些诗篇必定让祂得着极大的安慰。

耶稣对上帝的信任如此之深，所以即便在面对自己不该得的死亡面前，祂仍选择高唱上帝的慈爱。因着耶稣，我们也可以有信心去面对一切。因为，上帝与我们同在！

上帝啊，当我们遇见试炼，甚或死亡逼近时，
求祢加添我们的信心，
好让我们能歌颂祢的慈爱！