When We Don’t Understand 不明白时
Dexu Xia
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:10
“I don’t understand His plan. I turned my whole life over to Him. And this happens!” Such was the message of a son to his mother when his dream to succeed as a professional athlete was temporarily derailed. Who among us hasn’t had some kind of unexpected, disappointing experience that sends our minds into overdrive with exclamations and questions? A family member cuts off communication without explanation; health gains are reversed; a company relocates unexpectedly; a life-altering accident happens.
Job 1–2 records a series of tragedies and setbacks in Job’s life. Humanly speaking, if there was anyone who qualified for a life free from trouble, it was Job. “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). But life doesn’t always work out the way we’d like it to—it didn’t for Job, and it doesn’t for us. When his wife counseled him to “curse God and die!” (2:9), Job’s words to her were wise, instructive, and fitting for us as well when things happen—big or small—that we’d rather not face. “ ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (v. 10).
By God’s strength, may our trust in and reverence for Him remain, even when we can’t understand how He’s at work during life’s difficult days.
When has your faith in God been tested? What has He used during tough circumstances to help your reverence for Him to remain intact?
Father, help me to trust You and honor You when I can’t see Your hand or understand Your plan.
在这一切的事上，约伯并不以口犯罪。—约伯记2章10节
一个男孩渴望成为职业运动员，当他的梦想受挫时，他对母亲说：“我不明白上帝的计划。我已经将生命交托给祂了，怎么还会发生这样的事！”我们当中谁没有经历过出乎意外或令人失望的事？就如一声不响就断绝往来的家人；健康亮起红灯；公司突然搬迁；遭逢意外事故以致生活剧变等等，有谁不会因这些事感慨万千、满腹疑问呢？
约伯记1-2章记载了约伯遭遇到接踵而来的不幸与灾祸。从人的角度来看，若说谁有资格过平静安稳的日子，那肯定是约伯，因他“完全正直，敬畏上帝，远离恶事”（约伯记1章1节）。然而，生活并不总是按照我们想要的方式进行，约伯没有事事称心如意，我们也一样。当约伯的妻子劝他：“弃掉上帝，死了吧！”（2章9节）约伯回答说：“难道我们从上帝手里得福，不也受祸吗？”圣经告诉我们，“在这一切的事上，约伯并不以口犯罪”（10节）。显然地，约伯对他妻子所说的话充满智慧和启发，就是如今我们遭逢各种大小变故时，也十分适用。
即使我们在艰困的年日中，不明白上帝所行的一切事，愿我们仍能倚靠上帝的能力，继续相信祂并敬畏祂！
你对上帝的信心何时曾遇到考验？
当你陷入困境，上帝藉由些什么使你依然敬畏祂？
天父，当我无法看见祢的手正在动工，
也不明白祢的计划，
求祢帮助我仍能信靠祢、荣耀祢。