Hope in the Waiting 等候中的盼望
Dexu Xia
“You did not listen to me,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 25:7
Today's Scripture Jeremiah 25:4-11
Today's Insight
The people of Judah were stubbornly unrepentant, persistently refusing to trust God and blatantly ignoring His warnings of punishment for their idolatry (Jeremiah 25:3-7). The Babylonians would turn their country into a desolate wasteland, and the people would be exiled to Babylon for seventy years (vv. 8-11). But God wouldn’t abandon them. He assured them of His presence and love: “Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, . . . for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land” (42:11-12). Whatever situation we’re facing today, we can entrust ourselves to God, knowing that He loves us and is with us.
Today's Devotional
Alida took a DNA test in 2020 and discovered a strong match to a man living on the opposite coast of the US. Later, she and her daughters found news articles from the 1950s that led them to conclude that the man was Alida’s long-lost uncle, Luis! He’d been abducted from a park in 1951 when he was six years old. That DNA test, taken seventy years after Luis’ disappearance, eventually led to a happy reunion with his biological family members. Alida said, “With [our] story out there, it could help other families . . . . I would say, don’t give up.”
Seventy years is a long time to keep hope alive. Jeremiah and the people of Judah must have been heartbroken and fearful when God said they would “serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jeremiah 25:11). But they hadn’t listened to God and turned from their “evil ways and . . . practices” (v. 5), which had deformed them into “an object of horror and scorn” (v. 9). The people were condemned more than thirty times in Jeremiah for not listening to Him. Seventy years might have felt like forever, but God would be with them, and He promised that the hard season would eventually end (29:10).
As we face challenging seasons that seem to go on and on, let’s remember that while we may struggle to trust God, He promises that He’s with us and loves us (30:11). As we listen to Him and wait expectantly, we can find hope.
Reflect & Pray
How is it possible to endure difficult times? Where can you find comfort in God’s promises?
Loving God, please help me find hope in You. By Tom Felten
“你们没有听从我，耶和华说。”（耶利米书 25:7）
今日经文：耶利米书 25:4-11
今日洞见: 犹大百姓顽固不化，执迷不悟，屡次拒绝信靠上帝，公然无视祂对他们偶像崇拜的惩罚警告（耶利米书 25:3-7）。巴比伦人将他们的国家变成一片荒芜的废土，百姓将被掳到巴比伦七十年（8-11节）。但上帝没有离弃他们。祂向他们保证祂的同在和慈爱：“不要惧怕巴比伦王，……因为我与你同在，要拯救你，救你脱离他的手。我必怜悯你，使他怜悯你，使你归回你的地。”（42:11-12）无论我们今天面临怎样的境况，我们都可以把自己交托给神，因为祂爱我们，与我们同在。
今日灵修 2020年，阿丽达做了一次DNA测试，发现她与一位居住在美国东海岸的男子的DNA高度匹配。后来，她和女儿们找到了一些20世纪50年代的新闻报道，最终得出结论：这位男子正是阿丽达失散多年的叔叔路易斯！1951年，年仅六岁的路易斯在公园里被绑架。路易斯失踪七十年后进行的DNA测试，最终促成了他与亲生父母的家人幸福团聚。阿丽达说：“我们把这故事分享出来，或许能帮助其他的家庭……我想说，不要放弃。”
七十年，足以让希望永存。当上帝说，以色列人要“服侍巴比伦王七十年”（耶利米书25:11）时，耶利米和犹大百姓一定既心碎又恐惧。但他们没有听从上帝的呼召，也没有悔改，离弃他们“可恶的行为”（第5节），这些恶行使他们“成了可憎可讥笑的对象”（第9节）。在耶利米书中，百姓因不听从上帝的呼召而被谴责了三十多次。七十年或许感觉漫长无尽，但上帝与他们同在，祂应许这艰难的年日终将过去（29:10）。 当我们面对似乎永无止境的挑战时，让我们记住，上帝应许与我们同在，即使我们在信靠上很挣扎，因为祂爱我们（30:11）。当我们聆听祂的话语，满怀期待地等候时，定然能找到盼望。
反思与祷告 我们如何才能熬过艰难的时期？你能在的应许中找到安慰吗？ 慈爱的神啊，请帮助我在你里面找到盼望。——汤姆·费尔顿