Rise Again 再次兴起
Dexu Xia
Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. Proverbs 24:16
Olympic runner Ryan Hall is the US record-holder for the half marathon. He completed the event distance of 13.1 miles (21 kilometers) in a remarkable time of fifty-nine minutes and forty-three seconds, making him the first US athlete to run the race in under one hour. While Hall has celebrated record-setting victories, he’s also known the disappointment of not being able to finish a race.
Having tasted both success and failure, Hall credits his faith in Jesus for sustaining him. One of his favorite Bible verses is an encouraging reminder from the book of Proverbs that “though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again” (24:16). This proverb reminds us that the righteous, those who trust in and have a right relationship with God, will still experience difficulties and hardships. However, as they continue to seek Him even in the midst of difficulty, God is faithful to give them the strength to rise again.
Have you recently experienced a devastating disappointment or failure and feel like you'll never recover? Scripture encourages us not to rely on our strength but to continue to put our confidence in God and His promises. As we trust Him, God’s Spirit gives us strength for every difficulty we encounter in this life, from the seemingly mundane to significant struggles (2 Corinthians 12:9).
How has God strengthened you after a difficult disappointment? How does that give you encouragement for the struggles you face today?
Heavenly Father, thank You that in every trial and disappointment You’re always close, offering comfort and strength to help me rise again.
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义人虽七次跌倒，仍必兴起。—箴言24章16节
美国的奥运选手莱恩 · 霍尔（Ryan Hall）是全国半程马拉松的纪录保持人。他以59分43秒跑完21公里的赛程，这使他成为美国首位不到一小时就完成比赛的运动员。虽然霍尔品尝过破纪录的喜乐，但也体会过无法完成比赛的失望。
尝过了成功与失败的滋味，霍尔将他的坚持归功于他对耶稣的信靠。箴言24章16节是他最喜欢的经文之一，常使他得着鼓励和提醒：“义人虽七次跌倒，仍必兴起。”这句话也提醒我们，义人──信靠上帝、与上帝建立关系的人，仍会遭遇患难和困苦。然而，当他们在困难中不断地寻求上帝时，上帝会信实地赐给他们力量，使他们再次兴起。
你最近是否历经极深的失望或彻底的失败，感到自己再也无法站起来？但不要灰心！圣经鼓励我们不要倚靠自己的力量，反倒要持续地信靠上帝和祂的应许。当我们全然信靠上帝，圣灵会赐给我们能力去面对人生中的各种困境，从看似微小到重大的层层关卡，祂都会帮助我们度过！（哥林多后书12章9节）
上帝如何使你在经历极大的失望后重新得力？
这如何让你有勇气来面对今日的挑战？
天父，在我面对每次考验和失望时，
谢谢祢总是在我身旁，
赐给我安慰和力量帮助我再次站起来！