灵命日粮 忠实助手 但耶和华与我同在，像一个威武可畏的勇士。 —耶利米书20章 11节

[Hongzhi Xu]

忠实助手


— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

读经:

耶利米书20章7-13节


但耶和华与我同在，像一个威武可畏的勇士。 —耶利米书20章 11节，新译本


全年读经:

以赛亚书26-27章 腓立比书2章


我父亲在农场长大，当他还小的时候，就要负责送馊水去喂饥饿的猪只。父亲痛恨这份差事，因为他进到围栏里，那些猪会冲过来撞倒他。对他来说，这本来是件不可能的任务，但有了一个忠实的助手就不同了。因为只要那只叫「糖糖熊」的德国牧羊犬陪着父亲，一切都没问题了。牧羊犬会设法挡在我父亲和猪只中间，不让它们冲过来，直到我父亲完成工作。


先知耶利米也有一项艰巨的任务，就是向以色列人宣扬上帝的信息。他需要忍受肉体的虐待、言语的攻击、被囚禁和被孤立。虽然耶利米深感受挫，但在一切困苦中，他有一位全能的助手；因上帝向他保证：「我与你同在，要拯救你。」（耶利米书1章19节）


上帝并未抛下耶利米，祂同样也不会丢下我们。在每个信徒的心中都有圣灵，上帝会藉着圣灵持续地帮助我们（约翰福音14章16-17节）。这位助手会赐给我们盼望（罗马书15章13节），引导我们明白属灵真理（约翰福音16章13节），并将上帝的爱浇灌我们的心（罗马书5章5节）。我们能相信上帝会信实地帮助我们度过难关，让我们能和耶利米一样说：「但耶和华与我同在，像一个威武可畏的勇士。」（耶利米书20章11节）

上帝，祢是我永远的帮助，


祢是我现今并永恒的盼望，


我们感谢祢永远不离不弃，


因祢是那位信实可靠的主。


我们在地上最大的盼望，就是从上帝而来的帮助。

The Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. —Jeremiah 20:11

As a young boy, my father had to deliver slop to hungry pigs on the farm where he grew up. He hated this job because the hogs would knock him over when he entered their pen. This task might have been impossible except for a faithful helper who accompanied my dad—a German shepherd named Sugarbear. She would maneuver herself between my father and the pigs and hold them back until my dad finished his chore.

The prophet Jeremiah had the difficult job of proclaiming God’s messages to the Israelites. This required him to endure physical abuse, verbal attacks, imprisonment, and isolation. Although Jeremiah struggled with deep discouragement, he had a Helper through all of his trouble. God promised him, “I am with you . . . to deliver you” (Jer. 1:19).

God did not desert Jeremiah, and He will not desert us. We have His continual aid through the power of the Spirit who lives inside every believer (John 14:16-17). The Helper gives us hope (Rom. 15:13), steers us toward spiritual truth (John 16:13), and pours out God’s love in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). We can trust that God faithfully helps us as we endure hardship. We can say with Jeremiah, “The Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One” (Jer. 20:11). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

You, God, have been our help forever.

And You are our hope now and into eternity.

We thank You that You will never desert us.

You will be faithful.

Our greatest hope here below is help from God above.