Doubt and Faith 怀疑和信心
Dexu Xia
Doubt and Faith
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. Job 1:21
MingTeck woke up with a severe headache and thought it was another migraine. But when he got out of bed, he collapsed onto the floor. He was admitted to the hospital where the doctors informed him he’d had a stroke. After four months of rehabilitation, he recovered his ability to think and talk but still walks with a painful limp. He often struggles with despair, but he finds great comfort from the book of Job.
Job lost all his wealth and his children overnight. Despite the harrowing news, he at first looked to God in hope and praised Him for being the source of everything. He acknowledged God’s sovereign hand even in times of calamity (Job 1:21). We marvel at his strong faith, but Job also struggled with despair. After he lost his health too (2:7), he cursed the day he was born (3:1). He was honest with his friends and God about his pain. Eventually, however, he came to accept that both good and bad come from God’s hand (13:15; 19:25–27).
In our sufferings, we too may find ourselves vacillating between despair and hope, doubt and faith. God doesn’t require us to be dauntless in the face of adversity but instead invites us to come to Him with our questions. Though our faith may fail at times, we can trust God to always be faithful.
What doubts and questions do you need to bring before God today? How can you use Job 1:21 to guide you in your prayers?
怀疑与信心
赏赐的是耶和华，收取的也是耶和华。耶和华的名是应当称颂的。—约伯记1章21节
铭德在剧烈的头痛中醒来，原以为又是偏头痛发作，但没想到一下床就晕倒在地上。他被送进医院，医生说他中风了。经过四个月的复健，他逐渐恢复思考和说话的能力，但走路时仍会疼痛且一瘸一拐的。他时常在绝望中挣扎，但却从约伯记中得到极大的安慰。
约伯在突然之间失去了所有的财富和子女。当噩耗传来，约伯先是在盼望中仰望上帝，称颂祂是万物的源头。即使遭逢灾祸，他依旧承认上帝的主权（约伯记1章21节）。约伯坚定的信心固然令人敬佩，但他也会在绝望中挣扎，尤其在身染恶疾之后（2章7节），便忍不住开始咒诅自己的生日（3章1节）。他向朋友和上帝坦承自己的痛苦。最后，他终于坦然接受不论好与坏，都是从上帝而来（13章15节，19章25-27节）。
我们面对苦难时，也可能会在绝望和盼望、怀疑和信心之间反复纠结。在我们面对困境时，上帝没有要求我们有大无畏的精神，而是要我们将各种疑惑与困难带到祂面前。虽然我们的信心有时可能会软弱，但我们仍可以信靠上帝，因为祂永远信实。
亲爱的天父，当我被怀疑和恐惧淹没时，求祢帮助我记住，我在祢眼中甚为宝贵。万事都在祢手里，祢永远关心眷顾我。
今天，你要将哪些疑问带到上帝面前？你如何将约伯记1章21节化为你的祷告呢？