our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Mar 24, 2018, 4:17:49 AM3/24/18

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Letters Home

They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Nehemiah 8:8

Far from home and training for World War II, American recruits in basic training turned to humor and correspondence to cope with the challenges they faced. In one letter home a young man described the vaccination process with wonderful exaggeration: “Two medical officers chased us with harpoons. They grabbed us and pinned us to the floor and stuck one in each arm.”

Yet one soldier began to realize that humor could only take him so far. Then he received a Bible. “I enjoy it very much and I read it every night,” he wrote. “I never realized you could learn so much from a Bible.”

The Bible is where we learn about God's character, His forgiveness, and His comfort.

Long ago, the Jewish exiles returned home after years of slavery in Babylon to find their problems came with them. As they struggled to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, they faced opposition from enemies, famine, and their own sin. Amid their trouble, they turned to God’s Word. They were surprised at what they learned. When the priests read from the Book of the Law of God, the people were moved to tears (Nehemiah 8:9). But they also found comfort. Nehemiah the governor told them, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (v. 10).

We don’t need to wait for trouble to hear from God. The Bible is where we learn about His character, His forgiveness, and His comfort. As we read it, we’ll be surprised at what God’s Spirit will show us in its pages.

The Bible helps us see ourselves as we really are, and also helps us see how much God loves us.

家书

他们清清楚楚地念上帝的律法书，讲明意思，使百姓明白所念的。-尼希米记8章8节

美国新兵远离家乡，为参加二次大战而进行基本训练，在面对种种的挑战之际，他们用幽默感和写信来减压。有个年轻士兵所写的一封家书，夸张地描述了接种疫苗的过程。他写道：“两位军医拿着鱼叉追赶我们，抓住我们，将我们钉在地板上，两只手臂一边一个鱼叉。”

但一位士兵开始觉得幽默感不能解决他的问题，不久他收到一本圣经。他写道：“我每天晚上都读圣经，我很喜欢。我从不晓得可以从圣经中学到这么多。”

在很久以前，犹太百姓被掳到巴比伦为奴多年之后，终于可以返回家乡，但许多问题也随之而来。他们重建耶路撒冷的城墙时遇到很多困难，包括敌人的阻挠、饥荒，以及他们本身的罪。在困境中，他们转向上帝的话语，从圣经中所学到的令他们感到讶异。在祭司阅读上帝的律法书时，人们深受感动而落泪（尼希米记8章9节），但也得着安慰。省长尼希米告诉他们：“你们不要忧愁，因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。”（10节）

我们不需等到遭遇患难时才聆听上帝的话语，圣经能让我们认识上帝的特质、祂的饶恕，以及祂所赐的安慰。当我们读圣经时，圣灵让我们明白的真理，将会令我们惊叹。

主，请帮助我们不只在困难时寻求祢，而是任何时候都寻求祢，谢谢祢每天都教导我们更多关于祢慈爱的特质。